The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-06-17
ISLAND CITY NEWSITEMS
A Decorticatine Machine that Is Said to Be
a Success.
CAN HANDLE RAMlE WITHOUT CUMMING
Chief of Police May Name His whole
Force--Charbon IL Very De-
structivc In East Texas.

Galveston, Texas, June 16.---Oocupying
modest space in busy factory on Ros
enberg avenue is a little machine, the
adoption of which the inventor claims will
revolutionize the trade Ia jute, hemp and
similar ibrous products.
1t is known as decortlcating machine
1t has been set up at the shop OF Walsh
& Cleary for about week. Daily expert
ments in decorticating the stalks OF ramie
are made, and quite a number OF persons
have become interested.
This is not the first attempt Of inventors
TO build a machine OF this character. Sew
eral years ago large piece OF machinery,
weighing perhaps four tons, was set up
at Lees foundry great deal of time
and lot OF money were spent in trying
TO make the thing practical, but somehow
1t would not work. 1t was finally aban
doned. Samuel b. Allison is the inventor
Of the present machine. 1t weighs less
than ton 1t is very simple, and under
the most eXacting tests has done its work
well. II Will Run continuously without
cumming or touling and is seli-adjusting
to any size stem. II is fully protected by
patents.
Between IL and / o'clock today Mr. AL
lison showed a number OF gentlemen the
practical working OF the machine, The
stems of some ramie were fed through it,
and the hbre came out in perfect condi
ton. The ramie that was used had been
cut several days and was quite dry. 1t
works much better when fresh, but none
could be had here, and Mr. Allison had
to send to New Orleans for the small sup
| ply of ramie he has on hand.
The people OF the coast country hardly
need to be told what ramie is. 1t is one
OF the finest and strongest OF vegetable
| hbres. few years ago an attempt was
made to establish a ramle farm. 1t was
| demonstrated beyond a doubt that the
! plant would grow here, but there was no
way Of disposing Of the product Under
| favorable conditions OF soil and climate
the plant grows with spontaneous exuber-
ance. With little need of cultivation the
roots continue through a life of fifteen or
/ twenty years to yield two or three crops
OF stalks a season. Both the plant and
! the fabrics made OF its fibre repel the
I temporary exposures to flood and drouth,
it can not withstand the blight OF heavy
frosts
Among the widely diversified products
made Of ramio are ropes and cables that
exceed the strength of Manila hemp; ia
hlecloths hat excel the gloss of Irish
line; lace that equals the dellc1cy OF
cotton and surpasses its durability;
pushes that rival the luster OF the seal
skin velvets, damasks and brocades, the
exquisite finish of which embarrasses a
further advancement in textile art. Ramie
is combined with cotton, linen. wool and
silk, and it always adds to the mixed tex
ture an element OF usefulness or beauty.
The success of the Allison machine will
no doubt have the effect of reviving the
ramie industry in South Texas lgain. AZ
present there Is a little grown about Dick
inson and Hitchcock. enough to demon
strate the fact that the plant is indigenous
to this soil and would thrive here. no at
tempt has been made to raise it in COM
mercial quantities. for It was generally un-
derstood that there was no machine that
would decorticate it and prepare the fibre
for market. Experiments conducted by
the bureau OF agriculture show that plot
pounds of ramie may be grown to eact
acre Of land. The selling price varies from
5 to 6 cents a pound With market fol
the product. It is easy TO see what profit!
would accrue.
local company Is forming 10 push the
machine and show to the coast country
farmers what may be done in the way o
raising this crop,