Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1890-11-28
BRAINS m MACHINES.
INVENTIONS THAT SHOW AMAZING
RESULTS OF GENUS.

Visit to "A Chicago FaetorJ-The Most In
trieste ard DeItsate Isifs of Embroidery.
Made Few Years Ago Only by Hand,
Tarned out-rhe Work Of "A Cbicacoan.
Up to 1885 all embroidered and braid
ed garments, the cloaks and reception
gowns, capes. etc, had to be imported
from Paris and Berlin" said Mr. Alex
ander. of the Chicago Braiding company,
but they are now all made right here.
To show You the difference between then
and now it is only necessary to say that
the silk embroidery on a iady's Jacket
alone used to cost about SIS to s25. now
1t is made for So. A fine embroidered silk
robe, such as now can be turned out here
for $40 or $50, used to require an OUTLAY
of $50 to $500. With that it had to he
imported. 1t could not be made here
Take another line of goods, such az en-
broidered table covers, scarfs, tides. nil
low shams, etc. They're all done BY ma
chinery now. llthose delicately twisted
flowers. those roses and vines and clusters
of grapes and pearl blossoms and sun
flowers and pansies-they're all wrought
into the cloth by machinery.
A DESCRIPTION OF THE WORK.
II Is very curious to watch the ma
subsequently, endowed with more
than ordinary human intelligence-at
work There are some ten different
kinds of machines kept in operation in
the establishment. The most curious OF
all is a machine whose special domain is
the so called applique work. 1t per
forms three tasks at one and the same
time. When properly adjusted a tinv
knife cuts out, accordings to the pretty
design intended, the figures from the
upper layer of cloth, while simultane-
ously the machine sews these figures on
to the layer of cloth underneath-the
upper layer being generally of medium
thickness, while the lower one is cloth of
the thickest, ~armest and most expen-
sive kind, such as is suitable for lady's
winter cloak. The stitch is pretty and
artistic, and the thread runs through the
double thickness of cloth, making the
work as durable as it is possible to have it.
The effect thus obtained-artistic ara
besques, beautifully curving lines, form
ing an intricate yet pleasing pattern,
lying on the cloth underneath, is very
pretty indeed Generally two cloths of
shades differing so much as to form a
fine contrast are chosen. The delicate
mechanism of this machine is especially
noticeable in the cutting out of the upper
layer of cloth For while the whole pro
cess of cutting it and sewing it on tight
at the same time is done so quickly under
the hands of a skillful operator that
yard of sthis applique work is made
within about five minutes, the knife
must be 50 nicely adjusted that it will
cut exactly through the thickness of the
upper cloth and not the hundredth part
of an inch deeper, or the whole material
and the whole work would become a
dead loss"
MANY WONDERFUL MECHANISMS.
Wonderful said the reporter.
YES, remarked Mr.. Alexander, while
a gratified smile spread over his face,
''this is the only machine of its kind in
the world. I've had it patented, and
those in my establishment are the only
ones made so far. They don't even have
one in Paris.
Another machine, which is likewise
the product of very ingenious brain. is
the so called three spool machine.
Two threads of worsted and one thread
of silk cording are manipulated by this
machine in such a manner as to Law down
the worsted on the cloth and to spin the
silk right over and all around it. The
effect thus produced is that of very
thick silk braid, the whole being more
durable than silk throughout, yet much
less expensive.
The beading machine, by means of
which those most elegant ornaments on
a woman's dress, those gli.tening ara
oesques of beading. are put on, is another
triumph of mechanical genius The
same may be said of the feather edge
machine, which does the so called sun
beam and rainbow work, embroider-
ing the shades, which are gradually
toned down; of the cornelly machine,
which does the cording, and still more
so of the sOutache machine, which does
the simplest and vet one of the most eff
fective styles Of embroidery.
Ii Is the latter sort Of work, what la
dies call soutache, of which State street
is full on any crowded afternoon. Nearly
every woman wears it on some piece of
garment, on cape, a cloak, on her
dresses and even on her underwear. And
it is of exactly the kind which. but a
couple of years back, was very expens-
i've, but which now, thanks to this won
ierful piece Of mechanism. has come
within the reach of all And a there is
a great variety in the style of work done
by these different machines, SO there is
in the material with which they work.
There is silk braid of every imaginable
nue. and thickness; there is colored spool
silk of a hundred shades; there is gold
thread and silver thread and bronze
thread, of which great deal is especially
lsed for what is known as ''arrasene"
work, i. e, embroidered flowers, leaves.
vines and fruits on tables and ether COW
rs.-Chicago Herald.
Ten Dollars for One Word