A NOTE ON THE POPLIN OR TABINET INDUSTRY. 437 



Though most of the silk used in popHn-making is of foreign manufacture, 

 the Dubhn weavers succeed in treating it in such a manner as to make 

 Irish pophn a distinct fabric. Indeed, though pophn is made both in France 

 and at Norwich, no makers but the Irish seem to be ab^e to produce 

 the softness of texture and brilHance of colouring that is so characteristic of 

 the best poplin. The beauty of the colour of Irish poplins has been attri- 

 buted by some to a peculiarity of the Dublin water, but it is much more 

 likely that it is due to the skill and knowledge of the Irish makers. Though 

 poplin was at first almost exclusively made in the homes of the workers, 

 there are now several factories engaged in poplin-making. The prmcipal 

 ones are those of Messrs Pim, Atkinson, Fry, and Elliot. Messrs. Pim and 

 Co. are the largest manufacturers, and they export large quantities of poplin 

 to England and the Continent, as well as to Asia, America, and Australia. 

 Messrs. Atkinson and Co. cultivate more of a private trade, and are cele- 

 brated for their choice designs in gold and silver tissues and brocades. 

 Though almost everyone admires poplin, the trade cannot be said at present 

 to be very thriving, a fact which is, perhaps, partly the fault of the makers, 

 but which is principally due to the misconception of the public. Many 

 people consider poplin expensive, but it should be remembered that it is 

 almost everlasting and in this sense is highly economical. Black poplin is 

 excellent for mourning, the dark shades being much more intense than 

 those produced in silk. It must of course be acknowledged that poplin 

 cannot, from the peculiar nature of the material, be so variously treated in the 

 matter of pattern and range of ornament as silk can, nor can all the varied 

 " fabric effects " of modern silk-weaving, foulards, etc., be obtained in poplin. 

 None the less, it is a very beautiful material, everlasting in wear and really 

 cheap. It is to be hoped, then, for these reasons and because poplin- 

 making is a manufacture in which Ireland leads the world, that the future of 

 the industry will be prosperous. 



