The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-07-20
WOMEN WEAR WOOD
NEW METHOD BY WHICH SILK is
MADE FROM THE PULP OF TREES.
Already Extensively U'sed-New Material
Costs Less Than Natural Silk and Il
Said to BE Eeautiful-Invented by q
Swiss.

Costs Less Imam NatuT1i BLK ana IL
Said to BE EeautifuI-Invented by a
Swiss.
A process has been discovered BY which
q material closely resembling silk may be
manufactured from wood. Even now wo
men arc walking about the streets of Eu
ropean cities in the most elaborate gown:
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 a native of Zurich, DIR. Lehner 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 silkworn 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-
cd 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 Jute 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-
ing burned in factory furnaces to get it
out of the way.
Spruce sawdust now has market value,
for this as well as the other materials are
digested by a 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 sill1worm that when the
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 a density about
equal to the ordinary strip of commerce.
When in this state, machine of DIR. Leh-
ner's invention, which may be called an
artificial silkworIn, 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 81 hour clock, per-
forms exactly the same mechanical work
that silkworm does. 1t draws from the
liquid continuous, unbroBen thread Of
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 be made of any de-
sired weight or thickness SO that it Will
t,e seasOIiable at all times.
I This artificial silk has been spun in
bradford, England, and worked up into a
Large variety of fabrics. In the dyeing,
weaving and finishing of these no special
treatment has been found necessary. II
has been dyed in all imaginable shades and
colors, and owing to the peculiar qualities
OF the material IL takes dye more readily
and gives more brilliant effect than the
natural article. In texture it is the equal
of the best of Chinese and Italian silks,
being soft and silken to the touch. 1t is
expected that it will be used largely in
combination with natural silk and cotton
for producing brocaded effects. These lat
ter have been SO expensive lately as to be
out of reach of all but the latest purses
The new invention viii greatly reduce the
cost.
It would seem that this new process
would give an immense impetus to the
manufacture of textile fabrics all over the
world, and it probably Will, but DIR. Leh
ner 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 apple ltion for one in the United
States is now on file at Washington, rs
well as in the Patent office Of the Canadian
government. a company with a capital
stock of 81, 800 900 is about 10 be formed
in Montreal to manufacture the material.
There has already been formed in England
u company having Il capital stock of S5i0,
600, the inventor receiving S160, 600 in
cash and 5 Sc 000 in full paid shares, the
remaining $500, 0eo 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 az
Bradford il was found that there was a
prohibirive tariff on alcohol used for man.
ufac turing purposes. For that reason the
plant was located at Glattburg, near Eur
icia, Germany, where there is no tax on al
eohol used III manufactures. From this
place the raw material is sent to England
for IlanufaVrure.-NewY York World.
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