The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1896-06-05
RAMII.
FUTURE OF y GREAT AMERICAN
INDUSTRY ASSURED.

INDUSTRY ASSURED.
The History, CpS and Possibilities of
the Most Valuable of Textiles-Far
Superior TO Flax-hdvance
iN Machinery.
One of the most important industries
begun i'll the United States for Il great
many years will soon l." established in
this city. This will hc Il plant for the
purpose Of treating r1,mic fibre for the
manufacture of all sorts of textile fabrics.
The movement, if successful, and accord
ing to the representation of responsible
men, there is no doubt of its success, will
i'll short time, completely rcvolutioniZc
the textile fabric industry in this conn
try, as well as of Europe. The plant to
be established will, by Il secret '',eg,lm-
ming" process recently discovered by "a
New Orleans chemist, making it possible
to produce ramie yarn AZ Il commercial
cost much less cheaper than any raw ma
terial now in use. And herein lies its
wonderful value, for there is little doubt
that in time it will most seriously affect,
If not i'll some instances drive out, flax.
Noteoit oiRA III llic
product from the markets OF the world.
TO all people familiar with textile fab
RIGS there is nothing new concerning the
possibilities of ramie. IL has k,en used
for years i'll an extremely limited way.
and is even now commercially profitable
III the markets of Europe, but not to such
al, extent us the American Product will
make it, when the new process is in full
operation.
While the textile world understands its
use, it is doubtful if there is one person
in Il hundred in the lay void WHO has
the slightest conception Of rs,yNie, its orr
gin, usee or possibilities. TO Go hack to
the beginning, ramie is KNOWN as Chiu,l
gT1tsS. 1t is not, however, Il grass, but a
plant that grows as bush. In China
it reaches height of from four ta six
feet, and has wide, spreading hNvss4, lin
tho Southern States and trIntu:;es of this
country ramic grows 10 4 similar height.
but It's stalks are Straighter and con-
tains more fibre than the Oriental I!aut.
Both plants have Il prolific growth of
leaves, which can bc 50 treated Is 10 pro-
duce the highest grade of ha!tinolc and
writing papers. China has cultivated
ramic for centuries: il was ruown i'm
Egypt rs long ago rs i,,G,sl years From
specimens of the woven cloth found an
old Egrtian tombs, it is certain .ht.t the
ancient Egyptians, as well a& ti,e Chinese,
understood the cheap process of dcgum-
ming, lost i'll modern times until Samuel
IL. Allison of New Orleans. after work. ~
ID years continuously finally brought his
cheap degumming process to projection
less than year ago.
The attention of the textile wuyi,i ie,S
been drawn to this wonderrvi Yarn only
within the past QuaE!Sr OF :; century.
Today II is eyritliig more interest than
HrlelOre, but ever since 1865 the United
States government hts been urging
Southern planters to cultivate the iamic
as Il profitable diverSitication from cotton
and other crops indigenous to the South
Ramie cannot he grown north Of ii,c frost
line. y few Southern rl;;;,terS have acted
upon the advice ,f Prof. (hlrles Richard
Dodge III The last few wears. anti have
snCcelded III making great progress in lis
culture and development. There are ut
present perhaps G,DOOac under JuItiva-
ton in the South, but just ;ls soon ;iS
Il number of the new process mills are in
operation many wealthy Southerncrs who
have for some time been experimenting
in small way will begin It's production
extensively.
ADVANCE ~ \tIlINEEN.
lii 1893 Il st. Louis Inventor succeeded
in invcntinG dccortiatmg machine for
the sepaltion of the fibre of the plant
from the stalk. 1t was the first kind
ever patented, and the invcEtcr las Sl-
ready found sale III E,urvl,, and some
South Amcgic,.u countries, where um;e
yan has tor the mst three years been
produced.
Another machine. one for successfully
weaving the yarn, followed this inven-
ton, so that gradually the way las isen
cleared step by step for ,l,, attest i'm
pr0Vemcnt, that v, chemically "deglm-
ming, ,no fibre at Ill expense hirthcrto
unheard of.
GREAT SAVING IN PROSPECT.
In speaking of the new colarauy's
plans recently, Mr.. parnenter, who is
interested Ill tho nt.w venture said:
we VIA i've Incorporated within the
next lew weeks, and will then ba ready
to give the details of the business. Now
! do not want to appear to he working
eNtraVagant claims, bu; wllcn say that
nearly all, if not all, textile fabrics can
be manufactured at Il much cheaper
price than from cotton wool or flax, with
our process as Il basis, | am unly statiug
What can Inc scientifically aad mcchani-
cally dem"nsiyasets 10 every textile fabric
.,tauulctMrcr in the country. Allison
usas only simple chemicals that can he
purchased chcaplv, and do no; iniurc the
strength of the fibre in any way. The
few European processes. on the otl.by
hand. are much more expensive AID re-
duce materially the tensile strcrgth of
the yarn. The New York chemist whom
we have With us has already perfected