Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1916-05-20

washington, -. ~, Nos ~. W wa
is now scarce and positive shortage
of the fire will probably exist within
two years. This prediction has Gre
, ated alarm in the American textile
trade, and caused scientists IN all
parts OF the world to renew their In
vestigations of the vegetable and min
eral kingdoms for a substitute.
Every time a man in the trenches
discards his WOODEN uniform 1t Ia
burned and new one supplied him.
This is a tremendous tax on the pro-
duction OF wool-a fabric that was
none too plentiful when the war start
ed.
Fabrics Of all kinds have been more
or less affected by the war. The large
flax fields of Belgium were wiped out
lust as the demand for linen in hos
pital supplies became enormous. Only
cotton has survived the war strain
with anything like an increase. and IN
this country even it's production has
been curtailed by the introduction OF
diversified crops in the south.
Goats hair and cameis hair nave
already helped us through couple OF
winters and provide possible an.
swer to the problem. Camels and
goats are not so numerous as sheep
however so that the real answer must
come from the vegetable Kingdom.
Nettles, pine needles. seaweed and the
leaves and stalks OF various plants are
being experimental with by European
scientists in the hope of discovering
new fabric that will! have the
warmth. the impenetrability to damp
ness and the close soft weave OF wool.
At present there are seven textile
fibres on the American retail market,
including cotton, wool linen. SILK,
ramie. lutte and artificial silk. Cotton,
the cheapest of these. has short fbres
with a peculiar spiral twist which are
adapted to spinning. but produce a
fuzzy thread preventing luster in the
cloth. This disadvantage is in part
overcome by the E1ercerizing process
introduced about decade ago. when
imparts to cotton cloth a luster seen
in some inferior grades Of silk.
Silk is the most valuable OF fabrics,
owing to the length Of its fibre. often
over hundred yards. While the null
berry tree upon which the silk worm
lives may be grown successfully In
the United states, the amount OF
labor required in raising and hand
ling the cocoon precludes the proba-
b;lity of orr ever developing a raw
product industry here. In removing
the long silk fibre from the cocoon
much short fibre Is also detached
which is made up into fabric known
as spun silk" having somewhat
fuzzy thread and without the usual
silky uster. 1t is for the most part
used in backs of satins, satiny silks
end velvets. being as serviceabie as
tho long fibre but not so beautiful.
Pongee, imported in large ouanti-
ties from China by American textile
manufacturers. is wild silk, obtained
from uncultivated worms that feed on
oaks and other common trees. This
silk is darked in color and OF gum.
NV substance noticeable In the cloth.
The original pongee Is ALWAYS dis
tinguishable bv its unique odor,. In
herited from the Chinese quarter in
which it Is prepared.
American chemists have anticipated
2 silk shortage by inventing syn
thetic substitute now filling a popular
demand in the textile market. 1t is
collodion-like substance obtained
from cotton or wood fibre and chem.
ically treated so as to appear lustrous
and at the same time Withstand all the
practical tests ofIreal silk Fortunate.
'ly. the chemical process does not re-
quire great quantities of hand labor
which prohibits the Introduction and
growth Of raw fabrics In the United