LINEN 



3450 



LINEN 



Linen is famed for its durability. Specimens 

 still well preserved are occasionally found in 

 Egyptian mummy cases over 4,000 years old. 

 Both the Egyptian and Jewish priests wore 

 linen garments at their religious ceremonies, 

 and the use and manufacture of the cloth 

 passed from Egypt to Greece at a very early 

 date. Greek men were wearing linen tunics 

 when Homer composed the Iliad and the Odys- 

 sey. The Romans, true to their habit of bor- 

 rowing whatever seemed worth while, acquired 

 from their Greek neighbors the use of linen 

 cloth, though it was not until the later years 

 of the republic that its use became general. 

 The fabric was also employed as a writing ma- 

 terial, as evidenced by the Roman libri lintei, 

 or "linen books." In medieval times linen 

 clothing was quite generally worn throughout 

 continental Europe, while the art of linen 

 weaving was practiced in Great Britain as early 

 as the Anglo-Saxon period, the fifth or sixth 

 century of the Christian Era. 



Manufacture. At the present time the pro- 

 duction of linen takes high rank among the 

 textile industries, both in point of extent and 

 in output. The modern manufacture of the 

 fabric dates from 1787, when two English in- 

 ventors, John Kendrew and Thomas Porthouse, 

 secured a patent for a "mill or machine upon 

 new principles for spinning yarn, from hemp, 

 tow, flax or wool." From this invention was 

 developed the perfect system of machinery 

 which equips the modern spinning mill. 



The preliminary process of preparing the flax 

 for the mill is as interesting as it is important. 

 The seed capsules must be removed, and the 

 separate fibers must be combed out, untangled 

 and placed in smooth, parallel rows. When 

 freed from all impurities the flax is of snowy 

 whiteness, lustrous and silky. The flax threads 

 are spun into yarn, which in turn is handed 

 over to the weaver to make into cloth, proc- 

 esses which are described in the articles SPIN- 

 NING and WEAVING. 



The introduction of modern machinery was 

 the death blow to the fireside manufacture of 

 linen, and the old-fashioned spinning wheel, 

 once a familiar furnishing of peasant cottages 

 and the colonial homes of the early American 

 settlers, is to-day but an interesting relic. But 

 how much it has been a part of the life of the 

 people for centuries past may be judged from 

 the prominent place it has in painting, song and 

 story. From the Greek Fates (see FATES) spin- 

 ning the thread of human destiny down to 

 George Eliot's hermit weaver, Silas Marner, 



literature is rich in allusions to this symbol of 

 human skill and thrift. 



Fabrics. Linen fabrics show in a wide di- 

 versity, both in kind and in quality, ranging 

 from the heavy sail cloth that equips the masts 

 of a sailing vessel to the lustrous damask that 

 beautifies the luncheon table. The heaviest 

 manufactures include sail cloths, canvas, tar- 

 paulin, sacking and carpeting, made principally 

 in the Scottish towns of Dundee, Arbroath, For- 

 far, Kirkcaldy and Aberdeen, and in Barnsley, 

 England. Medium weight linens find very gen- 

 eral use, serving as tent covers, toweling, men's 

 outer garments, linings, upholstery work, etc., 

 and appearing for the trade as duck, hucka- 

 back, crash, tick, dowlas, low sheetings and low 

 brown linens. Plain bleached linens are 

 chiefly for shirts, collars and bed sheets. Undt 

 the head of twilled linens are included dimity 

 for household use and damask for table linen. 

 Cambrics, lawns and handkerchiefs are in- 

 cluded in the fine linens. 



The linen industry in England is centered at 

 Barnsley and Leeds, one of the factories in 

 latter town having one room which covers tw< 

 acres. The finest linen manufactures of Gi 

 Britain are chiefly in Belfast and other to\ 

 in the north of Ireland. France, Belgium anc 

 Holland are renowned everywhere for theii 

 superior linens, and France is without a rival ii 

 the manufacture of lawn and cambric. In the 

 United States the production of linen fabric 

 until 1914 was practically confined to the mak- 

 ing of thread, twine and toweling, but the 

 manufacture of finer linens received a great 

 impetus when the War of the Nations broke 

 over Europe and closed the markets. 



Special Characteristics. Because of th< 

 delicate structure, durability and length of 

 flax fiber, linen fabrics are in several respect 

 superior to cotton. Linen cloth is smoother 

 and more lustrous, it soils less easily, and, beii 

 less spongy than cotton cloth, it does not at 

 sorb and retain moisture so readily. Indeed, 

 white linen is generally associated with cleanli- 

 ness and purity, an idea occurring frequently ir 

 Scripture. A typical instance is found in Reve- 

 lation XV, 6, which speaks of the "seven angel 

 clothed in pure and white linen." No oth< 

 fabric leaves the hands of the laundress wit 

 quite the same spotlessness, gloss and smooth 

 ness, and the thread spun from the flax, fir 

 and strong in spite of its delicacy, is used 

 make the rarest and finest lace. 



It should be noted that many fabrics now 01 

 the market as linen are not pure linen; manu- 



