The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-12-14

water sea, discovered and chrlsteneo
the Alexandra NyanZa by Mr. STANLEY,
could possibly be. This, OF course II
is now clear, has no existence what
ever" And, finally, as the latest mega
tive contribution to geographical know
ledge, we have in the Jackson-Harms-
worth reports from Francis-Joseph
land (recently brought to London by
the vessel of the expedition, the
''Windward') the assurance that not a
trace of the so-called Petermann land
of Lieutenant Bayer could be dis
covered, and that even Lichy land was
merely disjointed archipelago mass
of entirely inconsiderable extent
A FINE NEW FABRIC.
The government of India announces
the positive success of the new CONFESS
process for the extraction of textile
fibre from the celebrated Rhea plant,
which marks the commercial begin
ming of a valuable and likely to be very
extensive industry. The Rhea plant is
a species of the nettle family, which
grows with almost the same luXuri-
ance in India as does the Canada
thistle in this country, and from It's
bark has come a fibre better known
perhaps to the ancient than to the
modern world. Its use in Egypt, India
and China antedates history. Rhea
cloth has been unrolled from the num-
mics of the Nile and unearthed from
the burial grounds of Assam. In some
portions of the old world where labor
is exceedingly cheap it has been manu-
featured for nets and lines chiefly, and
is probably better known under the
name of China grass" Its popularity
in its exceeding lightness and strength.
But the difficulty heretofore has been
to separate the strong silky fibre of
the bark from the outer cuticle and
tenacious gums in which they lie i'm
bedded. Nearly 80 years ago the India
government offered a prize of $4,000
for the invention of a machine or pro-
cess which would do this work. hither-
to done by hand. English, French and
German experimenters have tried vari-
Gus processes, and produced a fabric
which was worked up into a variety of
forms, all the way from ropes and sail
canvass to pushes and dress goods
They failed, however. to produce a
clean. cheap fibre and this is just what
the Englishman, CONFESS, has sue
ceeded in doing. In the latter. zincate
of soda is employed for the elimina-
ton of the resins. and it effects this
without the slightest injury to the
fibre. After the ribbons, or strips of
bark have been freed from dirt they
are placed in weak acid baths over
night. The next morning they are
passed through a mild alkaline bath.
and then boiled in a weak solution of
caustic soda, to which zinc has been
added When washed and dried
by the usual mechanical means,
the fibres emerge as long,
silky filasse, entirely free from
the cuticle and resinous gum. in
which they are imbedded: clean, white
and ready for the cone of the spinner.
They take the most beautiful dyes.
and can be worked into every variety
of fabric. from gorgeous velvets and
delicate laces to cheap drills. The
combined lightness and toughness of
the fibre render it peculiarly suitable
for tents and ship canvas. Ten yards
of Rhea canvas weighs only as much as
six of linen. while its durability and
resisting power to strain is very much
greater. In consequence of the sue
cess of the CONFESS process. a large
demand has sprung up for Rhea bark
and the Indian government is taking
steps to assist the farmers in adding
to acres of Rhea, and also in dissem
mating information as To the best
modes of stripping. drying and baleing
the bark The profit from the cultiva-
ton of Rhea is very much greater than
that from any other crop. and il is
probable that in a VERY short time
Rhea cloth will come into widespread
use. its fibres are exceeded by none
and has been compared to the trunk
of an elephant, which can pick up
needle or root W a tree. The hnal
success of the Indian government in
securing a commercially profitable pro-
cess offers an instructive lesson If
that far away country can find means
to utilize the Rhea plant, 1t would
scent as if an equal degree of enterprise
and persistence would find a way fer
the utilization of the Canada thistle in
this country. The latter. which IS how
the arch enemy of the agriculturist.
might, with a little careful study and
investigation. be converted into Z val
liable and remunerative STAPLE.
\ NEW MARKET FOR AMERICAN
GRAIN.
In consequence of the failure of the
Australian. Indian and Russian grain
dented demand in South Africa for
America cereals which is likely 20 re-
suit in permanent increase of Amer
lean trade of all kinds with the South
African colonies. These colonies have
heretofore depended upon the three
countries named for wheat and corn,
which, with the native CROPS, have
been sufficient for their needs: but they
are now obliged 10 call upon the
United States, and a feet of ten steam
ships. bearing large cargoes of grain,
is now on its way from New York to
Capetown, Port Natal and Delagoa Bay.
Besides cereals. these vessels carry
miscellaneous assortments of nachin-
cry and manufactured goods for the
South African market. Other SHIPS
will follow and the coming year prom
iseS to be notable for the development
of American trade in that section of
the globe So active has this trade
ping houses are unable to charter
enough vessels to carry the cargoes
consigned to South African ports, and
those that are sent are loaded to their
fullest capacity. Among those now on
their way TO South Africa are several
that have been regularly employed in
the South American trade. The only
vessels that ply between New York
and South Africa are English boats
operated by American agents of Eng
fish companies, and they do not run
regularly. The few American firms do
ing business with South Africa have
no vessels of their own. but charter
them as they require them; but if the
greater demand in South Africa for
American goods continues and grows
al the rate anticipated. it may result
in the establishing of one regular
American steamship line between New
York and South African ports.
Whether America will ever seriously
compete with England in the South
African trade is an open question The
principal colonies there are British ana
naturally British trade iS N the