The morning call., 1893-04-15
THE RonANCE OF oRCHlLLA.

The fortune accumulated by the late
Joseph P. Hale was the legitimate reward of
one who did not follow the herd to sneer at
everything that is new. Mr.. Hale went to
Lower California some twenty odd years
ago to study what could be done with the
lichen called orchlla which is found on its
shores. II was not a new plant. 1t had
been found in Angola in Africa, on the
Cape de Verde Islands and on the coast of
Peru; and its uses were known. Out of the
Roeeella Orchil liquor and paste had been
made which produced the finest purple dye
used in the manufacture of woolen cloth; 1t
was also employed in the production OF
litmus paper, which Is SO extensively used
In chemical tests. The trouble was that
the supply of the Itch en- was limited.
Mr.. Hale found that it abounded on the
whole coast OF Lower California from Mag
dalena Bay to Cape St. Lucas. He expert
mented with it, found that he had the right
lichen, and obtained from the Government
OF Mexico the exclusive right of gathering
ii from long stretch of coast. When he
began operations the story was started in
this city that he had discovered new El
Dorado, scarcely inferior in value to the
gold diggings, and number Of persons
prepared to fit out poacbing expeditions in
QuCob VI OlCullld. IhE1 NlOBpCu Ol4
after time, aud Mr.. Hale was left in sole
possession of the industry. He has prose-
cuted it ever since. 1t has proved profta-
bic, though nothing like as profitable as
common report alleges.
The orchil lichen, when treated with
ammonia. yields fine purple dye-proba-
bly, the very dye which was used by the
Phenicians in the beginning of history.
By mixing 1t with an alkali it yields fine
blue, which competes In the dye market
with indigo. On wool and silk the shades
produced are beautiful, but not very per-
manent; and even in purple. o better effect
is produced by treating silk with indigo.
and then with cochineal red.
Like all other vegetable and animal dyes
| the orchil dye received its death blow when
the aniline colOrs were discovered. Perkin
had invented his famous mauve before Mr..
Hale had begun to harvest orchil in Lower
California; indeed, the famous magenta,
which revOlutionized the art of dyeing, was
| in existence before his concession was
| granted. Luckily for him the world was
| slow to believe that the brightest and
| showest colOrs could be evolved out OF SO
very opaque a substance as coal; while it
was learning he was making his harvest
| His heirs will have the consolation of re-
ntGLlHB llldb uC lul utu W dCGUuII LOT kHbiT
| benefit product which was valueless when
| he found it. This, with the satisfaction
they must feel at the progress of science.
will doubtless reconcile them to the in
| exorable law which supersedes natural
| products, like cochineal, indigo and orchil
| by artificial products which are evolved by
! the genius Of man. There is no color, how
ever bright and delicate, which cannot now
| be made out Of coal. Orchil will still COM
mand a market, as indigo does, but its
| value is waning, and exclusive concessions
| to gather il are not worth more money
| than the derelict indigo plantations of
! British India.
A few colors still remain to vex the in
genuity of dyers. Connoisseurs assert that
| brilliant and fast eolors which are found
! in ancient Persian rugs have not all been
| reproduced by the moderns. The true Titan
red defes Imitation, even by the most ex-
! pert handlers Of the aniline dyes. But it Is
| evident that cur modern failures result
from imperfect experiment The day will
come when every color which was exhibited
in the shops at Tyre or Damascus will be
| equaled and surpassed by chemical conn.,
binatiUns. In some of these the old dye
| material, such as cochineal and orchi. may
be utilized TO furnish ingredients. Curi0usly
| enough, while manufacturers of aniline dyes
| have succeeded in producing all the shades
of red. blue, purple and violet, they have
not made much progress in inyenting q good
black for use in textile manufactures. The
black silks which are so extensively used in
this country, and which are now made in
| New jersey, equal in quality and nc
dearer than the foreign silks. rely for their
color upon the old gall nuts and salts OF
iron, as the black wooden clothes one dyed
with logwood. Some day an aniine black
will be invented which will supersede the
vegetable dyes-probably from a new COM
bination Of aniline reds. yellows and blues.