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THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY 



is trifling, though it comes so far. By the 

 opening of direct routes to Asia, our silk 

 comes more quickly, thus diminishing the 

 cost of insurance, of interest on capital, and 

 the risk of change of price while on the way. 

 Our importation was greater last year than 

 ever before, being 1,690,666 pounds. The 

 market for silk goods is little affected by 

 the fluctuation in price of raw silk. 



The manufacture of silk thread has 

 reached a point with us that defies compe- 

 tition. The superiority of our spooled silk 

 over the foreign was apparent at the Cen- 

 tennial Exposition, and the Europeans have 

 lost their trade here. At first our sewing- 

 silk was made in skeins, but the sewing-ma- 

 chine has revolutionized this branch of the 

 business. Our silk thread did not at first 

 permit the shuttle to pass through the loop 

 that was carried down by the needle ; but 

 after many experiments it was found that, 

 by twisting the strands from right to left 

 instead of the other way, it answered the 

 purpose perfectly, and this is machine-twist. 

 The most sedulous care is taken in the man- 

 ufacture and dyeing. " There is still some 

 difference of opinion in the trade as to 

 whether one ounce of dye to twelve ounces 

 of pure silk, or four to twelve, will give the 

 most serviceable thread. The two kinds 

 are known as thirteen-ounce or pure dye, I 

 and sixteen-ounce or standard dye. The 

 standard of purity is closely adhered to, and 

 has helped us to win in the struggle with [ 

 the foreign thread. Few European threads i 

 equal our own in purity. In making colored | 

 silk thread, we have reached a high point of 

 delicacy. If we depended for this upon Eu- 

 ropean mills, the color desired would be out 

 of fashion before the thread arrived. 



As to the weaving of silk, it is said that 

 we are obliged to import the very best raw 

 silk, owing to the high price of labor here — 

 poor silk requiring great cost in labor. " It 

 costs five times as much to tie a knot here 

 as in France." In the best silk, the thread 

 is not lumpy ; but, in weaving the lumpy 

 thread of poor silk, the weaver is constantly 

 busy picking off the imperfections. This is 

 in hand-weaving, which is the prevalent mode 

 in Europe. We use power-looms. In the 

 manufacture of plain black-silk goods we 

 have a system of our own which has grown 

 up in this country. We quote the following j 



method of testing the purity of silks : Ravel 

 out a few threads and pass them through 

 and over the fingers. " In heavily dyed silk 

 the particles of dye will make the threads 

 feel rough and lumpy to the touch. Then by 

 wetting the lint, the goods weighted by dye 

 will be readily distinguished by the dye com- 

 ing out under pressure. Another simple but 

 effective test of purity is to burn a small 

 quantity of the threads. Pure silk will in- 

 stantly crisp, leaving only a pure charcoal ; 

 heavily dyed silk will smolder, leaving a 

 yellow, greasy ash." One of our most san- 

 guine manufacturers declares his belief that 

 within ten years the dress-silks of this coun- 

 try will bear a higher reputation than those 

 made anywhere else in the world. 



In figured dress-silk goods, raw material 

 bears a greater proportion to labor. Our 

 designs are original, changing in color and 

 pattern with the seasons. They are mostly 

 made on power-looms, are firm, serviceable, 

 and very cheap. The Jacquard machines 

 on which they are woven came at first from 

 England and Fraqce; but they are now 

 wholly made here, and adapted to our re- 

 quirements. They are the same in principle 

 but run more smoothly, and can be applied to 

 more intricate patterns, and obtain a higher 

 speed. In making satins and grenadines we 

 have also produced great improvements. Al- 

 though these goods are so unlike, we were the 

 first to make grenadines with satin stripes, 

 and have added a brocaded pattern that 

 permeates both. We do not yet succeed with 

 silk velvet. Eefinishing is a large business 

 here. Heavy calenderiug-machines of 300 

 tons' power are used, and the pressure can 

 be varied from five pounds to 60,000. Some 

 goods go through hot rolls and some through 

 cold, and the surface of the roll may convert 

 plain silks into striped ones or into moire 

 antique. The proper pressure gives to bro- 

 cade definiteness of outline, and to satin 

 its full luster. Damaged goods acquire 

 freshness, old fashions are changed to new, 

 and "hard silk" to soft, by the finishing 

 process. In the matter of umbrellas we 

 are at last achieving success. Some made 

 here, from ferule to handle, have survived 

 the storms of successive years, and are still 

 fit for service. 



Spun silk is made from " waste " silk. 

 The sources of waste silk are, cocoons of 



