Bennington semi-weekly banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 1894-1902, 1895-06-14
WOMEN CLADIN WOOD
NEW METHOD BY WHICH SILK is
MADE FROM THE PULP OF TREES.

MADE FROM THE PULP OF TREES.
Already Extensively Used-New Material
Costs Less Than Natural Silk and Is
Said to BE BeautifuI-Invented by a
Swiss.
A process has been discovered by which
material closely resembling silk may be
manufactured from wood. Even now wO
men are walking about the streets Of Eu
rOpean cities in the most elaborate gowns
of silk in the manufacture of which the
worm had no part. In fact, the silkworm
has lost its occupation.
The palm for this valuable discovery in
chemical science must go to Switzerland
for u native of Zurich, DR.. LehnCr by
name, is the inventor of the process.
Some years ago he began to make OBJ
servations on the habits and physical char
acteristics of the silllworm and became
deeply interested in the subject He dis
covered the chemical action which took
place in the worm IN producing its cocoon
and at odd times sought to counterfeit the
work Of nature. So convinced did he be-
come of the feasibility of his ideas that he
soon abandoned all other work and devot-
ed his time to this single study, in which
he has achieved signal triumph.
In the process of manufacturing the new
fabric the principal ingredients used are
spruce wood pulp, cotton or jutc waste,
etc, combined with large quantity of al
cohOl. The use of the substantial or solid
materials mentioned creates a market for
what was hitherto Of no use whatever, be-
In hmm in f,,r, tr rynti
out of the way.
Spruce sawdust now has market value,
for this as well as tho other materials are
digcstcd bya chemical process in which al
cohol plays an important part. The mate
rial thus digested is so much like the CO.
coon spun by the silkworm that when tho
two are placed side by side in a finished
state it takes an expert to determine which
is which.
The artificial material at one state is in
liquid state, and Of density about
equal to the ordinary sirup Of commerce
When in this state, machine Of DR.. Leh-
ncr's invention, which may be called an
artificial silkwOrm, comes into play. This
machine, which is very simple in Construc-
ton, requiring so little attention that it
can be kept at work with about as much
labor as is devoted to a "a hour clock, per-
forms exactly the same mechanical work
that u silkworm does. 1t draws from the
liquid u continuous, unbrokcn thread of
even diameter and unlimited length. As
this thread is spun another portion of the
machine takes it up and twists it into any
desired thickness of yarn with perfect reg
ularity.
Thus the fabric can bc made Of any de-
sired weight or thickness so that it will
be scasonable Mt all times.
This artificial silk has been spun in
Bradford, England and worked up into II
largo variety of fabrics. In the dycing,
weaving and finishing of these no special
treatment has been found necessary. 1t
has been dyed in all imaginable shades and
colors, and owing to the peculiar qualities
of the material it takes a dye more readily
and gives Il more brilliant effect than the
natural article In texture it is the equal
of the best of Chinese and Italian silks,
being soft and silllcn to the touch. 1t is
expected that it will be used largely in
combination with natural silk and cotton
for producing brocadcd effects. These lat
ter have been SO expensive lately as to be
out of reach Of all but the fattcst purses.
The new invention will greatly reduce the
cost.
1t would seem that this new process
would give an immense impetus to the
manufacture of textile fabrics all over tho
world and it probably will, but DIR. Leh-
ncr also differs from the average inventor
in that he combines financial cunning
with his remarkable genius, so that every
yard of this new material made will put so
many pennies into his pocket
Patents on the process have been OBJ
tanned in most of the European countries,
and an application for one in the United
States is now on file at Washington, as
well as in the patent Office of the Canadian
government. A company with a capital
stock of $1,000, 600 is about to be formed
in Montreal to manufacture the material.
There has already been formed in England
a company having a capital stock of SOLO,
600, the inventor receiving $50, 600 in
cash and $50, 600 in full paid shares the
remaining 5000, 900 being used as a work
ing capital.
1t was originally intended to manufac-
turc the article in England, but when the
demonstrating plant was established at
Bradford it was found that there was n
prohibitive tariff on alcohol used for man
ufacturing purposes. For that reason the
plant was located at Glattburg, near Eur
ich, Germany, where there is no tax on al
cohol used in manufactures. From this
place the raw material is sent to England
for manufacture New York World.
~,