New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-07-25
A NEW FIBRE FOR TEXTILES.
SUCCESSFUL EFFORTS TO USE RANlE.
TIE NEW FABRIC STRONG, LUsTRoUs AND w
Observation-Disclosures PROBABLE TRIUMPH
FOR TIE PROTECTIVE SYSTEM

OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES PROBABLE TRIUMPH
FOR TIE PROTECTIVE SYSTEM.
The yideawake merchants Of the dry goods district
have recently had their eyes delighted WIN display
Of some particularly fine samples Of yarn made nom
ranie FIBRE This industry is the latest ana II inc
goods are equal to the samples promises to De one
~ the most successful OF those which have sprung INTO
being and gone on to prosperity uhaer 'ne S''n"
atlng influence Of a protective tarin' Inc S"hPIcS
wero certainly beauties. The dyed skcihs hhd inc
most brilliant coor, Both the white and the coofed
specimens had a luste almost equal 10 that Vi sim
Each thread was firm, hard and strong. Kane Is
fibre otherwise known Us China grass Its sclen-
uec name IS Bochmeria utiles. IL Will grow IN
almost any climate, but fourishcs most luAurianty
in the tropics.
Tho French proverb that at IS only the first step
that COSTS should be turned around 10 III te Pil'
osopbv Of Inventions With them 1t Is usually the
last step that costs, and costs dear IN Tune ana money
Every history of an invention is made up OF many
cbanters There Is the chapter OF the discovery OS
scientists OF the theoretical properties OF the SUD
stance or principle involved; the chapter OF Trc"
into tho use Of the thing In crude BORN by the h"oS
n old tho chapter futile effort on the part Oh speou
latIve artisans to reduce the Idea to prlctcal shaP'
and tho chapter Of large expenditures on the part
-, cani,ol,sts In the attempt to BACK he
toso,d artisan inventor In his laundering expert
r,.,ts After this there IS usually period OF ais
cust with the whole subject on the part Oh tnc II"
dnstrial world. Volumes have pceh "ntch aoou,
tho historical and scientific researches st'eS are V'
T., every counting room about tho thousands OF donsrs
rt I'm efforts 10 develop the ART and all tho Knowing
,msiness men wag their heads and say Ana VIC
,,orv mo much 70 20 into any such tomfooler mo
,h,r, Is impract lcabe. Go talk "a sOhcpohy ei>o
about IT. - .,,
\. hopt tn,s stage Of the proceedings some patient
investigator takes up the question. lie hnd9 t'a'
one man failed for this reason the ou'er TOT oo'".'
r.ason. and so on. Putting everything together nc
Ill, o,as IN. difficulty. Concentrating all his at
,o,-nr un,n that point he at length conquer' The
uriculty or mass OF difficulties. The last step has
heen taken. and the world is richer by new art
1p.,, was never a moro perfect Instance OF this
than that afforded by the story OF the htuenip'u u"
,roiucron O, ranlc fibre into The manufacture ~
t.xtiIe fabrics Il has been used IN crude way
.,,,,d hv land treatment. In China and the far
t,r centuries Indeed. It Is believed that The d"th
In which the Egyptian mummes were "iHpP'E' wa"
mad, Of II. It's cultivation was recommended Dy u''
dic,t,, Of the Fast Elhila Company In lo-i' II ha'
,.,tlv leon made into more or less valnnhle yarn
,v secret processes I'm Germany. France ana f'-'n''
several hundred thousand dollars have been sunk ln
~, t dovrlop I'm this country method or tTat-
mon, t,r II which would be commercially practcabl-.
Heretofore these investments have all rsnI'u III
lu MN the mere word "ramic7 has the same
effect on the average inhabtant NJ the DRY s0olS us
,1ct thnt a red rag has on buls peace OF mhu' OF
,,o sucrrstlon Of perpetual motion IL an engineer.
p,uIe IS a plant growing from tur 10 seven feet
=, ,i,bt IN the form Of IA stalk. with leaves much
u-o - .nnfoser In the southern states three crops
,u ,ror IN one season. and the land does not need
nlant,ng for thirty years. The fibre occurs between
49,, bark and the woody portion OF the stalk In the
orts ~ Dr. Ozanaue: Ramie hbrc Is longer ana
,a uniform than all the others except SIX. IL j.
49, so,Id has more tensile strength. more resistance
aud tOpe
~ and even than cotton. though the latter can
n mora readily twisted. II is Inferior oniv to sk
dr tlo preparation to vh'f ranic Is submitted IL
an,es the appearance Of cotton. wool, or even six
,hr.,d From It's single or mixed nbreS NAV be woven
- r,rds Of stuns from the finest to the coarscNt.
vI,cd with wool and silk ramie can be MADE INTO
,aa,-,eccnt furnishing materials. Imitation sntins'
,n,. and table linen can also be made ron, H."
In .,,to of failure and prejudice. the enormous In
,o,,ent held out by the protective system - any
ministry which could be maintained on raw material
CROWN I'm this country. and could turn ont
M. .,uct that would compete with imported
a. and silk has kept Inventors prggng
NAV at a solution of the difficulties encountered. One
-, ths. Iuve sugrors came TO the conclusion y'ar
80 o MO that the whole trouble lay in the separation
~ the natural gum from the fibre. When the gum
,e EXTRACTED from the fibre by the usual processes
H., .trnrth Vas taken ont of IT, When the ordinary
coss wns stopped at n point which left the strength
t1a u
would not take up the dye after being spun into yarn
mic Inventor therefore devoted his energies TO the
Iio,erv Of a process which would not rot the fibre.
n ,ound that treatment with alkaline solution con-
.,,,ipc soppnine would effect this result. This was
IN. hcy 10 the greatest difculy When the practical
mart ~ spinning the fibre into yarn WAS taken up
4, ,c.s found that the THREADS became charged with
electricity that they would lie side by side. Some
corefu experimenting removed this trouble also. and
hundreds of pounds Of Che quality of yarn already
described worked up into samples of all kinds, r,
suited from three or four months work.
Manufacturers now engaged IN working up the
warn into all kinds OF thread and harness cords for
loans: into nets hamnocks, belts hose coverings,
hi bands ribbons, nlng for SILK wOo.lcn and cotton
dress goods. towels, linen wear, table cloths, sail
cloths, lace curtains, tapestries. veves, pilshes
hosiery mIttens underwear, carpets, rugs, button
coverings and ,ralds.
The plant cnn be grown In Louisiana, II Is said at
a profit OF nearly 300 10 the planter. The
warn can put the market ut halt the price IF
silk ana linen yarns. The goods exceptionally
count OF the yarn that l. the number Of yards to
the pound Is nearly equal TO that OF silk Thus m
nound OF 40 | yarn, there are $40 yards OF SIR,
40 of worstcd 300 OF linen and 12J Of rame. IL j.
moi InlamTnablc while undergoing the process OF
manufacture The plant T. subject ~ destruction
hv vermin " any sind be harvested with an
ordinary moving machine. and may be decorticated
Iv mnThinery now in use. II grows fast that
,,,cds have anO show ut ALL but are ANONYMOUSLY
killed out ,,, l., a., ,.,,, - J..
have inves, gated every phase Of this subject aud
demonstrated every point Unless they have omitted
aomething from their calculations the commercial
use Of ranic fibre In this country will date from the