The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-02-18
NEWS HND COMMENT

A very curious report comes 10 the
state department from Consul Franken-
thai. at Bcrne, on the manufacture Cf
artificial silk from gclatine. The consul
says that his information Is from Profes
sor Hummel, of Yorkshire college. in
Leeds England, who is the inventor of
the process, and who has submitted spec"
linens of his product to Swiss silk manu-
factuTers. The accuracy of the state
ments contained in the report must be
gauged by this standard. The SClatinC to
be turned into silk is heated at a certain
temperature which Keeps ii continually
in liquid form. The reservoir containing
this liquid has cover with innumera Dle
small openings through which the gela-
tine oOZeS in very fine streams. These
tiny threads are discharged on an endless
strip of linen cloth running over pulleys.
When the strip has travelled far enough
to dry the gclatine the threads are
picked up automatically and wound upon
SpoOlS. The whole apparatus is said 10
require NcYy li,tle attention, a single
workman overseeing enough machines 10
produce 10000 yards of thread per day
! equal to the productions of 2i,0GQ cocoons.
| 10 make the gelatine threads proof
| against being dissolved in water or any
| other solution, they are lightly wouni
| ON drums and subjected to the fumes Of
| formaldchyde in close room for SeNeTa!
| hours. ColOIinE matter added in very
]
produces any shade of thread desired.
| This artificial silk is said to be extremely
brilliant and very uniform in thickness.
| The greatest drawback to its usefulness
| is its low tensile strength. But this, II
| is said. can be overcome by mixing the
| gelitine fibre with real silk. fine linen or
| cotton. The statement Is made that this
| silk can be produced at Nl5 per pound.
| COllOdion silk now costs about S2.1N per
| pound, while natural silk is worth S6.2j
| "'rhe sovereign tendencies of our race
| SAWS Senator-elect BeveridGe. of Indiana
| ''arc organization and government. We
govern so well That we govern ourselves
| We organize by instinct. Under the nag
| of England our race builGi an empire
| out OF the ends of Garth. In Australia it
! is today erecting nation out Of frag-
| ments. In America it wove out of SegIe.
| gated settlements, that complex and won
| derful organization called the American
| republic Everywhere it builds. Every
| where il governs, Everywhere IL admin
listers order and law Everywhere it is
the spirit Of regulated liberty. Every
| where il obcHs that voice not to, be de-
| niod which bids us strive and rest not.
makes of us our brothers keeper and ap-
| points us steward under God OF the civ
| niZatiOn of the world. Organization
means growth Government means adj
ministrati0n. When Washington pleaded
| with the states 10 organize into con-
sOlidated people, he was the advocate of
perpetual growth. When Abraham Lin
coin argued for the mdivlsibility Of the
| republic he became the prophet of the
| greater republic. And when they did
both they were hut the interpreters Of the
| tendencies Of the race That is what
made them Washington and Lincoln. Had
| they been SCparatistS and contraction
| lists they would not have been Washing,
ton and Lincoln--they would have beer
| Davis and Calhoun. they are the great
Americans because they were the su
preme constructors and conServcrs OF
| orGaEizeu government among the Amer
lean people and today William Mckinley
| as 0lVincly guided as they, is carrying
to it's conclusion the tremendous sylo
gism of which the works of Washington
and Lincoln are the premises"
Representative Curtis, of Iowa, has been
having a barrel of trouble. says the Wash
ington Star. Mr. Curtis went over t'
, New York few days ago on some bust
ness, and while stopping at the Waldorf
Astoria received a telegram from his u
year-Oid boy, who is ont i'm Iowa Il
school. which read as follows: els it pos
sible for me to accompany you to Cuba
| Before he had finished pcrusing this ct
, fort Western Union messenger boy witt
, | four tclegr2 ms and a Postal boy with IN
| same number entered the room. Mr.. Cur
It's wondering why he was thus delugod
| opened them all Immediately and foun
r | that they were from personal friends 4
, | different sections of the country, cac
: | requesting to he put in on the Rroun
[ floor For concessions i'm Cuba, Yer
! , much perpleXed as To what this meant
, | Mr.. Curtis rushed to the long-distanc
telephone and called up his private soc
= retary I'm Washington: what I'm IN
e dickens docs all this mean" said Nj
: Curtis. why" said the secretary 81
was given out at the white house thi
afternoon that George NJ. Curtis, Of Iowj
n had been appointed a member of IN
I board to consider concessions I'm Cub
= aud other commercial affairs relating
l | the island" Mr.. Curtis was very muc
n | surprised because he had no idea