The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-05-22
SILK MADE our OF WOOD.
4 New and Curious Industry of
Which EngInnd HIS Grent Hopes.

New and Curious Industry of
Which England Has Grent Hopes.
In his cable dispatch to this paper pub
lished on May 3. Mr.. Harold Frederic re-
ferred to the establishment in Lancashire
Of a wholly new manufacture, in which in
dustrial England was intensely interest
ed As the matter is one of not less mo-
ment to this country. the article in which
the London Times describes and explains
this curious undertaking is here reprinted
The Times says:
There will shortly De started IN Lanca~
shire a new industry of a character so
novel that the mention of it may appear
10 be suggestive of an absurdity rather
than of sober truth. II will be one for
nothing less than manufacture OF SILK
out of wood pulp. QuiXotlc as the idea
seems II has already been established
that silk or, rather, artificial six, can
be so made; that IL can be used for tho
many purposes for which natural silk Is
used and others besides; that ii Is es-
pecially suitable for working up with nat
ural silk cotton or wool for dress matte
rial, ribbons, trimmings, church decOra-
tons vesrmeats, etc; that the artificial
six can scarcely be distinguished from
that for Wn.ch we have hitherto depend
ed on the silkworm. and that 1t can be
sold a prices very much lower and still
leave a substantial profit.
Dress and other fabrics made from this
wood silk are, indeed. already being sold
extensively in London as among the lead
ing features of this seasons Paris novel
dies through the appearance of them is
so close to that Of the ordinary silks, and
50 little has been said of the new discov-
cry. that neither the ladies' VINO nave
bought them nor the shopkeepers who
have sold them have realized the change
that has been brought about IN the pro-
cess Of manufacture
At present the wood-silk comes from
France large works have been establish
ed a Besancon under patents granted
10 Count Halaire de Charlonnet, CheVa-
lier of the Legion of Honor who discovered
the process. and first established in 1893
the fact that fl might be made into a COM
mercial success Since then the demand
for the new commodity has Tar surpassed
the existing powers of manufacture, and
some months ago the idea was mooted
Of adding to the number OF our own in
dustries by arranging TO make the arti-
fetal silk IN England as well. The pro-
iect seemed 10 be especially desirable in
the interests of Lancashire, whose com
mercial prosperity has been seriously
Threatened Of late, while 1t was pointed
out that Lancashire Weavers are much
more skilful than the French in work
ing up these textile combinations for
which the artificial silk IS particularly
though not exclusively, adapted.
A number Of silk and cotton manufac-
turers met to discuss the question, and
finally sent out 20 Belancon a deputation
consisting of some of their own number,
an engineer, a chemist and lawyer, to
Investigate the subject thoroughly. This
was done and the outlook found TO be
so promising that certain concessions have
been secured and q company is now in
process Of formation. and, to begin with,
a factory, which will cost 10000, is to
be built near Manchester for the manu-
facture Of artificial silk yarn from wood
pulp, for sale to weavers, who will work
it up by means Of their existing machine
~ Inasmuch as six weaving firms have
already arranged to take the total out
put of the factory even before a single
brick has been laid, and as others are pro-
posing to put down plants of their own,
10 be worked on the royalty system, there
IS evidently some good reason for the ex-
pectation that Lancashire is on the eve
Of some important expansions in her tex
tile trades.
The prospects are the most satisfactory