The Logan County banner. [volume] (Logan, W. Va.) 1889-1903, 1891-01-15
SPIDERS WEE olbrK.


An Hngfishinan Who Ha6 Put HIS Cap tai
Into N odd Buslnesss
The fact that the Senate was engaged
IN the discussion Of the wool schedule
in the tariff bill brought 4 number Of
wooden manufacturers to Washington in
order to look after interests A Post
representative asked one OF these gem
tlemen regarding new methods en-
ployed by textile manufacturers, and he
stated that there had recently been
brought forward by German chemist
method for rendering fabrics proof
against the ravages of decay for an In.
definite period. which was attracting
considerable attention With this pro-
cess it Is said that no matter how deli
cate the texture or color of-the fabric
may be its long life is assured.
This gentleman stated that the in
yentor took his ideas from the
fact that he learned that the won-
derful state OF preservation exhib-
tied by the headbands OF Egyptian
mummies was due to their having been
impregnated with kind Of resin. Act
ing upon this information the chemist
made experiments with the substance
extracted from birch bark, and he found
that the green tar left over after the oil
used in tanning has been extracted from
the white bark Of the birch tree yields
a substance neither acid nor alkafoid.
This in solution with alcohol forms a
liquid with the power Of resisting, after
once becoming dry, even the action Of
alcohol itself, and it is claimed pos
sesses the property OF making textile
fabrics apparently imperishable as far
as decay is concerned. And great
point claimed for 1t is that 1t readily
unites with the most delicate as we'll as
brilliant colors.
Perhaps the most novel idea in the
textile limo is that of an Englishman
named Stillbers, who, 1t is said, has
actually made cloth Of spiders webs
which has been employed for purposes
Of surgery. A gentleman travelling
through the country, who recently
stopped in. Washington, stated that this
man Stilfbers has gone quite extensive
! ly into this spider-web cloth making.
The spiders are obtained from tropsc-
al countries, mostly from Africa and
Coubu a llcTlCtt, anu arc very large. IA
peculiar feature OF the business is that
tho spiders spin the best web when
they are intoxicated. To accomplish
this liquid composed Of ehlereform,
ether. and fuscl oil is allowed slowly to
evaporate In the room where the spiders
are housed, and they are thus kept con-
stantly in mild state OF intoxication.
The temperature of the atmosphere is
maintained atsixty degrees Fahrenheit
These little creatures. which are usual
ly so heartily despised, are placed in
| octagonal cases, and are fed daily on
smaller insects of various kinds. In
one room there arc some 5000 of these
cases. The spiders lay their eggs and
about the latter spin cocoons These
cocoons are gathered, and are prepared
for weaving by some such chemical and
mechan cal PROGRESSES s. as are nnderaQne
by the cocoon Of the silkworm Tho
| process Of the weaving itsplf Ia q close
ly-guarued secret Each COCOON IL said
to yield twenty-five to one hundred
yards OF thread. The texture OF the
woven mater al resembles somewhat or
binary silk. and after 1T is bleached it
becomes brilliant and smooth. Wash
ington Post