The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1902-06-04
NO. 43.

) the rise in general wages and the low
ering OF the prices of the commodities
= OF everyday consumption. Since 1906
2 the price of commodities has increased
so much as considerably to upset the
value OF this calculation; at the same
, time it is asserted that the present
prices OF everyday articles are sur
prlsingly little higher than in 1890,
and that the condition of labor is bet.
fer Off today than in that year, al
though times were then regarded as
"good."
Silk manufacturing has probably in
creased more in proportion in the de-
cade under review than any other tex
tile industry. We now manufacture
Lwo-thirds of our total consum otion of
silk goods in this country, and of rib
bons almost our entire consumption.
SILK is immeasurably less of a luxury
now Than twenty years ago; every year
SILK dresses are worn to greater ex-
tent by persons of moderate means,
and this has been largely brought
about by inventions which have enabled
manufacturers to use what was former
ly waste. Reeled silk used to be made
oil the waste cocoons. and it was con-
sldered product of relatively little
value. But now machines have been
devised for converting these cocoons
INTO very durable material for fabric,
by system of opening and carding.
Ramie fibre has been often suggest
ed as possible rival of the future for
linen. Naturally it Is one of the most
beautiful fibres of the vegetable world,
possessing long staple and a highly
mstrous quality, resembling silk. The
reason ii is not utilized is the cost of
preparing it for spinning. More than
thirty years ago the British govern
ment offered prize of .e5 900 to any
one who would invent Il machine for
decorticating the ramie fibre of India,
but that prize has never been award
Ell. The process aimed at is the sepa-
ration of the woody or ligneous stem
from the base which contains the fibre.
Various attempts have beeen made in
France, in Belgium and by our De-
partment of Agriculture, but as yet
with no resulting process which is sim
pie enough to make ramie CONNER
cially available to any large extent.
Ihe mercerization of cotton fibre has
brought cotton into a certain competl-
tlon with silk in the lower grades of
goods. This process was discovered by
j Ohm Mercer, in the forties, and first
attracted attention at the London EX-
position of 1851, but was never practi-
cally utilized until within the decade
now under review in the Census Office
bulletins. 1t was not a commercial
success till machines were invented
for keeping the cotton-yarn III state of
rigid tension during the process, show
ed tendency to shrink the lang warn
and thus make its manufacture un-
profitable. 1t is this very tension
which gives the yarn its ustrc. This
fabric is really o high-price cotton
cloth, with some of the appearance of
silk. Much of it Is used in woven
fabrics in connection with silk and
with worsted.
But cotton is taking the great lead
of all other libres as a world product.
III is used in all attitudes and al lands.
The fleece lining process has increased
its sale In cold countries and for winter
wear. The soldiers of this country
and of England now wear cotton khaki
whereas during our civil
war nothing Of the kind was thought
of, although the campaigning was IN
warm regions. The army is also using
an immense amount of cotton under
wear today.
While the United States has not yet
made great headway in clothing the
rest of the world, its progress in textile
Industries appear remarkable when it
is considered how large a part of the
worlds clothing we wear right here at
home. We have one.iifth of all the
cotton spindles of the world, and con-
sumo nearly one-third of the worlds
product of cotton, as Census Office ex-
perts compute. In silk, of which we
consume all that we manufacture, we
use more than any other single coun-
try, and the value of what we spin is
exceeded only by France. While France
does nOt'use quite 80 much material as
we do, the greater amount of labor
employed in the finer grades which she
manufactures brings her product to
a figure above our own. We do no
import much wooden cloth, or muC,
cotton; what we do bring in each lin
is chiefly novelties and few fine.
grades. The amount of silk imported
has already been alluded to. Our ex-
portatlon of cloth is practically limited
to cotton. 1t is thus apparent how
near we come to clothing ourselves
QUESTION OF CONSCIENCE.-Am man
was tolLyinO IN bis fnIInY, t,ayolo,a - .