the secret of everyday things

8/3/2019 The Secret of Everyday Things

1/89

THE SECRET OF

EVERYDAY THINGS


2/89


3/89

THE SECRET OF

EVERY DAY THINGS

BY

JEAN-HENRI FABR E

TRANSLATED FROM THE FRENCH

BY

FLORENCE CONSTABLE BICK NELL

YESTERDAY S CLASSICS

CHAPEL HILL, NORTH CAROLINA


4/89

C Y C, LLC.

Tis edition, frst published in 2008 by Yesterdays

C, Y C, LLC,

unabridged republication o the work originally published T C C . F

listing o the books that are published by Yesterdays

Classics, please visit www.yesterdaysclassics.com.

Yesterdays Classics is the publishing arm o the Baldwin

Online Childrens Literature Project which presents the

complete text o hundreds o classic books or children ...

ISBN-: ---

ISBN-: ----

Y C, LLCPO B C H, NC


5/89

INTRODUCTORY NOTE

Te clearness, simplicity, and charm o the great

F than in this work, which in its variety o subject-matter T S-

Book o Science, already a avorite with his readers.

Such instances o antiquated usage or superseded

easily win our indulgence because o the literary charm

q .

Translator


6/89


7/89

CONTENTS

hreadI. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

PinsII. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6

NeedlesIII. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

SilkIV. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18

WoolV. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23

Flax and HempVI. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29WeavingVII. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35

Woolen ClothVIII. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39

MothsIX. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45

NaperyX. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

CalicoXI. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57

Dyeing and PrintingXII. . . . . . . . . . . . .63

DyestusXIII. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71

Heat-ConductionXIV. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .78

Human HabitationsXV. . . . . . . . . . . . . .83

ClothingXVI. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .88


8/89

Ashes PotashXVII. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .93

SoapXVIII. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .99

FireXIX. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .105

MatchesXX. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .110

Wood and CharcoalXXI. . . . . . . . . . . .114Coal and Coal-GasXXII. . . . . . . . . . . . .120

CombustionXXIII. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .125

HeatingXXIV. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .130

LightingXXV. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .137

Kerosene OilXXVI. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .142

GlassXXVII. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .149

IronXXVIII. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .155

RustXXIX. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .160

in-PlatingXXX. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .163

PotteryXXXI. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .169

CoeeXXXII. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .174

SugarXXXIII. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .182

eaXXXIV. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .189


9/89

ChocolateXXXV. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .195

SpicesXXXVI. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .200

SaltXXXVII. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .205

Olive OilXXXVIII. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .210

he Double BoilerXXXIX. . . . . . . . . . . . . .216Little PestsXL. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .220

FliesXLI. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .227

he hree States o MatterXLII. . . . .233

DistillationXLIII. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .239

WaterXLIV. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .245

WaterXLV. (continued) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251

VinegarXLVI. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .255

he Grist-MillXLVII. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .260

BreadXLVIII. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .264

Other Wheat ProductsXLIX. . . . . . . . .269

Strange Uses o StarchL. . . . . . . . .274

RiceLI. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .279

ChestnutsLII. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .282


10/89

CodishLIII. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .288

AirLIV. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .295

AirLV. (continued). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 301

Impure AirLVI. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .307

GermsLVII. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .315he AtmosphereLVIII. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .323

EvaporationLIX. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .332

Humidity in the AtmosphereLX. . . .338

RainLXI. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .344

SnowLXII. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .348

IceLXIII. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .355

PebblesLXIV. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .359

he Force o SteamLXV. . . . . . . . . . . . .364

SoundLXVI. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .371

SoundLXVII. (continued) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 376

LightLXVIII. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .382


11/89


12/89


13/89

1

CHAPTER I

THREAD

UNCLE PAUL resumed his talks on things that growand things that are made, while his nephews, Julesand Emile, and his nieces, Claire and Marie, listened to , ,

time to time asked him a question or put in some word .

Continuing the subject o cotton-manuacture, hecalled his hearers attention to the number o processes f ,

and to the countless workmen that must, rom frst

to last, have been engaged in its production and in

f .

T I , M,

cloth would be very expensive i all those workmen are .

O , U P , price is kept down to a very moderate fgure; but to


14/89

2

THE SECRET OF EVERYDAY THINGS

,

. T

.

You know how thehousewie spins the tow that

is used or making linen.F

belt the dista, made outo a reed and bearing at

its orked end a bunch o

tow; then with one handshe draws out the fbers

by moistening them a little

with her lips, while with theother she twirls her spindleand thus twists the loose

fbers into a single strand.

A

the spindle, and then proceeds to draw out another .

M A ,

C. I . B .

F , U P ,

. O is brought into contact with a rapidly twirling hook,

Spinning Wheel for Flaxa, ; b, ;c, -

; d, ; e,

; f, - -; g, ;

h,

, , .


15/89

3

THREAD

lengthens little by little at the expense o the lock o wool,

the latter being all the while held and controlled by the

f. W ;

. I ; , M A ,

cloth made rom thread spun in that ashion would

. W, , ? W to machinery, and in vast establishments known as

cotton actories we set up hundreds o thousands ospindles and bobbins, all moving with perect precision

.

It must be wonderul, remarked Jules, to see all

those machines spin-ning the cotton intothread so ast you cant

.

Yes, those ma-chines surpassing in

delicate dexterity thenimble fngers o the

most skilul spinner, cleverest inventionsever produced by man;

but they are so compli-

lost among their in- . I

Spinning-Wheel for Woola, ; b, b ; c, -

, k

; d,

-, e

- f; g, - - h; i,

.


16/89

4


,

.

F o cotton into fne strips or ribbons, just as MotherAnnette cards the wool she is about to spin on her wheel.T , ,

f . O

, pass over it in such

the wool and drawout fne locks o it,one aer another.

In this ashion,

too, the cards incotton actoriesplay their part.

On leaving the f ,

twisted, and then . N -

jenny takes the partly spun cotton and twists it into

thread more or less fne according to the purpose it

. F f - , ,

, cant admire too much or their perect shape. You have

doubtless observed with what precision, what elegance,

Hargreaves Original Spinning-Jennya, ; b, ; c,

e -f

( ) - ; d,

,

( f-

) .


17/89

5

THREAD

-

f .

What human hands would have the steadiness, whatf ?

I I ,

M; j I .

No one, depending only on his hands, could ever , U P . ,

.

T

fneness, the higher the number the fner the thread.Every skein and every ball being o the same length,its weight increases as the fneness diminishes. We

, , ,

it takes one hundred and fy to make up the same

.


18/89

6

CHAPTER II

PINS

AFER thread, come the needle and its companion . I f, , .

Te things most oen used by us are not seldom

. W more convenient, more oen used, than the needle

and the pin? What could take their place i we were

deprived o them? We should be reduced to Claires

a thorn rom the hedge. We might also, as do those

savage tribes that have no manuactured articles, shred f - . W f .

Tat would be a unny sort o gown, exclaimedM,

; I f .

Yet there are even to-day savage tribes that have


19/89

7

PINS

nothing else; and oen the great ladies o ancient times ;

or little splinters o bone. Advance in the manuacturingarts has given us the pin, with its pretty round head, at a

price so moderate as to be almost negligible, the needle f

use, and thread o remarkable strength and fneness.N .

Pins are made o brass, which is composedo copper and zinc. Copper is the red metal you are , z - - -. M , .

Te frst step is to reduce the copper to wire thez . T -,

q , . A . I , , metal rod becomes correspondingly thinner and longer.

It is then thrust into a still smaller hole and again drawn

out, becoming once more thinner and longer in theprocess. Tis operation is continued, passing rom onehole o the draw-plate to the next smaller, until the wire

q f.

While we are on the subject note this actthat , , , ,

are made in the same way: namely, by being passed -.

T


20/89

8


, ,and then, with a strong pair o shears, cuts them all into

.Tese pieces must next be sharpened at both

ends by means o a steel grindstone which has its- f,

with the prodigious velocity o twenty-seven leagues . T ,

, , -. H

in his fngers rom twenty to orty pieces, spreads them ,

branching tip-ends simultaneously into contact with ,

fngers so that the tip is worn o equally all around and

. T .

B f

the rough, so to speak; the sharpener retouches and

f f . F

. E , , .

T

. O , smooth and slightly larger than the pins, a thread o

, is removed, leaving a long corkscrew with its turns . A


21/89

9

PINS

this delicate work, which demands at the same time

,

, j . E .

T

them haphazard, pointed end frst, into a wooden bowlull o heads. Te shank is drawn out with a head strung

, f unpointed end. He immediately places it on a little anvil

f; means o a pedal moved by the operators oot a hammerprovided with a similar cavity comes down, strikes fve , f f.

As a fnishing touch the pins have still to be

coated with tin. o this end they are boiled with a q

dissolving it and depositing it in a thin layer on the. A ,

, f .

It only remains to stick the pins in paper inregular rows. A kind o comb with long steel teeth

pierces the paper with two lines o holes. Work-womenknown as pin-stickers are charged with the delicate tasko inserting the pins one by one in these holes. A skilled

- f

.Including some details that I omit, the manuac-

ture o a pin requires ourteen dierent operations, and


22/89

10


consequently the cooperation o ourteen workmen,

.

Nevertheless the manuacture is so rapid that these .

1 Since the oregoing was written automatic machinery hasbeen invented which greatly acilitates the manuacture opins. Pointing, heading, and papering are now done with , - .Translator.


23/89

11

CHAPTER III

NEEDLES

AKE rom a case one o the fnest needles, exam-ine its sharp point, its tiny, almost imperceptibleeye, and note fnally the polish, the shine. ell me i this

pretty little tool, so perect in its minuteness, would

not seem to require or its manuacture the superhu- f .

N f that do this most delicate work. And how many workers ? ? F , I ,

;

q twenty, each o whom has his special work. And yet the .

Te metal o needles is steel, which is obtained by

adding carbon to iron heated to a very high temperature.Under this treatment iron changes its nature a little,

incorporating a very small quantity o carbon and , brittle. A needle must be very hard in order not to bend

N f .Translator.


24/89

12


under the pressure o the thimble orcing it through the

, blunted, but always retain the same power o penetration.S, ,

ulfls these conditions o resistance; neither copper

nor iron nor theprecious metals,gold and silver,

could replace it.A gold needle, orexample, in spite o

its intrinsic value,would be useless,

becoming blunted

using up its frstneedleul o thread.

Steel alone is suited to the manuacture o needles,though unortunately this metal is brittle, and the more

.

But I should think, Marie interposed, that

.

Y . H opposes to being cut, scratched, worn away by another.O

,

cut. Steel, which scratches iron, is harder than iron;in its turn glass is harder than steel, because it can

cut the steel without being cut by it. But a diamond

Needles

V z .


25/89

13

NEEDLES

is still harder than glass, since it scratches glass and

glass cannot scratch it. In act a diamond is the hardest

o all known substances: it scratches all bodies andis scratched by none. Glaziers take advantage o this

extreme hardness: they cut their panes o glass with

.

I have heard, said Claire, that a diamond

the blows without breaking and penetrates into the iron , .

T , U P. A

diamond breaks like glass, and he would be very ill-

proo o a hammer. At the frst blow there would benothing le but a little worthless dust. You see by thesedierent examples that hardness and brittleness are

. S , , diamond the hardest o all substances; nevertheless

. T

, ,

f.Now I come to the subject o manuacture, rom

.T -

plate; then this wire, several strands at a time, is cut , j -

. T , f ,


26/89

14


f, . I

glass reduced to an impalpable powder and you will

. Tf ; .

Te pieces thus pointed at both ends are cut into

two equal parts, each one o which is to be a needle.T f f

f , ;

. I .

B j , U, M ,that good steel is brittle, the same as glass; yet the

workman attens the head o his needles with a hammer .

Your remark is very timely, or beore goingurther we have to take note o one o the most curiousproperties o steel. I must tell you that it is only bytempering that this metal becomes hard and at the same

. - q .Until it undergoes this operation steel is no harder

; , , be hammered, orged, and in act worked in all sorts oways without risk o breaking. Once tempered, it is very

. Aneedles are not tempered until near the end o the


27/89


28/89

16


perect accuracy the blow o the hammer, and open

the imperceptible orifce that my eyes can scarcely fnd

I .Tere are needles so small, remarked Marie,

that I really dont see how anyone can manage to make .

Tis incomprehensible achievement is mostly

the work o astonishingly skilul children. So skilul,

, .

Ten the needles eye, said Emile, which seems , .

C , q

. A .

easier to handle in the process o manuacture, they

must be placed so that they all point the same way;

, one workman to another, they become more or less

disarranged, it is necessary to arrange them in orderagain, all the points at one end, all the heads at the other.

F ; . T , ,

that is enough; order is reestablished, the heads are

, .

Te eye completed, the next process is tempering, q . T


29/89

17

NEEDLES

-,

on red-hot coals. When su ciently heated, the needles

q . T , .

As a fnishing touch the needles must be polished

. I f

and wrapped up in coarse canvas tied at both ends.Tese round packages, these rolls, are placed side by

.W

and orth over the table unceasingly or a couple odays. By this process the packages, drawn this way and , , ,

rubbing against one another, are polished by the emery .

On coming out o the polishing machine the

needles, soiled with reuse o oil and detached particleso steel, are cleaned by washing with hot water and soap.

It remains now only to dry them well, discard those that

, f , , have no deect. Te most celebrated needles come rom

E, F, A O.

S F , , , .Translator.


30/89

18

CHAPTER IV

SILK

HE culture o the silkworm having been explainedby Uncle Paul in one o his previous talks,1 henow confned himsel chiey to the structure o the

.

Te cocoon o the silkworm, he began, iscomposed o two envelops: an outer one o very coarsez, f . T ,

obtained the silk thread so highly valued in manuactureand commerce, whereas the other, owing to its irregular,

.

Te outer envelop is astened by some o itsthreads to the little twigs amid which the worm has taken

, openwork hammock wherein the worm seeks seclusion

. W, , f

S T S-B S.


31/89

19

SILK

threads and proceeds to raise and bend its body, carrying

its head rom one side to the other and emitting rom its

, quality, immediately adheres to the points touched.

Without change o position the caterpillar thus lays one which it aces. Ten it turns to another part and carpetsthat in the same manner. Aer the entire enclosure has , ,

f . I , until the store o silk-making material is exhausted and .

F that the thread o silk is not wound in circles, as it is in a

ball o cotton, but is arranged in a series o zigzags, backand orth, and to right and le. Yet in spite o these abrupt

o the threadrom three hundred to fve hundred

metersthere is never any break in its continuity.

Te silkworm gives it orth uninterruptedly without

suspending or a moment the work o its spinneretuntil the cocoon is fnished. Tis cocoon has an average

, f , .

E ,

f ,

an irregular surace, and composed o three distinct , . O


32/89

20


, .

F,

zz f .

As soon as the caterpillars have completed ,

o heather. A ew o these cocoons, selected rom those ,

the completion o the metamorphosis. Te resultingbutteries urnish the eggs or seeds whence, next

year, will come the new litter o worms. Te rest o

the cocoons are immediately subjected to the actiono very hot steam, which kills the chrysalis in each

j

orm. Without this precaution the buttery would break

through the cocoon, which, no longer capable o beingunwound, because o its broken strands, would lose all .

T f

up or the purpose. First the cocoons are put into a

together the several courses o thread. An operatorequipped with a small broom o heather twigs stirs

f z , motion. Under the tension thus exerted by the machine,

the thread o silk unwinds while the cocoon jumps

. I o the unwound cocoon there remains a chrysalis, inert, .


33/89

21

SILK

Since a single strand would not be strong enough

,

, f , ;

.

As it comes rom the pan the raw silk o thecocoon is ound to have shed its coating o gum,

; ,

frmness, its elasticity, its color, oen o a golden yellow.In this state it is called raw silk and has a yellow or whiteappearance according to the color o the cocoons romwhich it came. In order to take on the dye that is to

enhance its brilliance and add to its value, the silk must

f . T

causes it to lose about a quarter o its weight and to

, its original color. Aer this puriying process it is called

washed silk or fnished silk. Finally, i perect whiteness , ,

I j .

Cocoons that have been punctured by the

buttery, together with all scraps and remnants thatcannot be disentangled and straightened out, are

carded and thus reduced to a sort o u known as

-, - ;


34/89

22


f

is urnished by unwinding the cocoon. It is used or

abrics o inerior quality, or stockings, shoe-laces, and-.

Te silkworm and the tree that eeds it, the

mulberry, are indigenous to China, where silk-weavinghas been practised or some our or fve thousand years.

-, z

, C J . S-

E A C

with mulberry plants and silkworm eggs concealed in ahollow cane; or it was strictly orbidden to disseminate

.


35/89

23

CHAPTER V

WOOL

W E , U P, our domestic animals. Te ox gives us his, , ;

. T , , ; when death overtakes them they leave us their skin

. T

, . B , , G , , , ,

. B

.From wool are made mattresses, and it is

also woven into cloth such as merino, annel, serge,cashmere, and in short, all the various abrics best

ftted or protecting us rom the cold. It is by ar the

most desirable material or wearing apparel, cotton,

, ,and silk, valuable though it is, being very inerior inrespect to serviceability. More than with anything


36/89

24


innocent sheep; our fnery comes or the most part

.But wool is very ar rom beautiul on the

creatures back, commented Claire; it is all matted

, f.

I ,

M,

.

Yes, indeed, very many, rejoined Uncle Paul.

I have already told1 you how sheep are washed and,

nature. White wool can be dyed in all possible tints , ,

brown or black wool can take only somber hues. White, , ; ,beautiul as it is when reshly washed and relieved o all

impurity, it is still ar rom having the snowy whiteness . I

a very curious process which I will now describe to.

You have all doubtless observed that when , - ,

f .

Tat must be what we smell when we light a

S O H H.


37/89

25

WOOL

, C . I

, .

O I , E.

Yes, that is it, their uncle replied. Sulphur,

in burning, becomes an invisible substance which is q.

I, , , that we know merely as a disagreeable smell constitutes

nevertheless a real substance the existence o which

cannot be doubted by any one who has once been f . I

sulphurous oxide, a new name to you and one to be . I

, .

S , , M,

; nor elt, but that nevertheless does really exist. Whoeverbreathes it is immediately convinced o its existence bythe penetrating odor and by the ft o coughing that

.

o what possible use, continued Uncle Paul,can we turn this disagreeable gas, this invisible sub-

stance that makes you cough worse than i you had the-? I . D

q,

. A - . G .


38/89

26


T

. T U P

, f, , ,

over the umes. In a ew moments the owers, attacked , . T .

How curious that is! exclaimed Jules. Just

, .S ; , .

L , U P, .

A

, j the violets had aded, giving place to white, much to the , .

Tat will su ce or the present, Uncle Paul

resumed. What I have just shown you with violets

and roses might be demonstrated with innumerable , :

turn white on being exposed to the sulphur umes. You , , ,

, able to destroy certain colors and hence to act as a .


39/89


40/89

28


f ,

raised chiey in Spain and known as merino sheep.

F, A, C, eece o extreme fneness, an incomparable wool romwhich the most costly stus are manuactured. Tis

, ,

shed every spring. At that season the animal is combed

.


41/89

29

CHAPTER VI

FLAX AND HEMP

HE ,as I have already told1 you, is composed o longflaments, very fne, exible, and strong, which are used . F

f , , z, laces o various kinds; hemp urnishes us stronger

, .Flax, as you have already learned, is a slender plant

with small owers o a delicate blue. It is sown and

, F, B, H. T f ,

E, M P, in their sepulchres more than our thousand years.

So careully, indeed, were they embalmed and then

wrapped in linen and enclosed in chests o aromaticwood that to-day, aer the lapse o centuries upon

,

S T S-B S.


42/89

30


Egypt, o the Pharaohs in other words, are ound intact, .

B , jC, !

Mummy Case of Kha-Hor, .

(B M, C, E.)

For that reason, replied her uncle, they were not

buried; they were laid away in orderly rows in spacioushalls hollowed out o the solid rock o mountains. Tese , , ,


43/89

31

FLAX AND HEMP

,

E.

Uncle Paul next took up the subject o hemp,relating the history o its cultivation in Europe romearly times and describing its appearance, with its small

. H , , f , ,

which is used as a avorite ood or certain singing-birds.From the seed are obtained hempseed oil and hempseed

, .

A ? E.

From the seeds o ax,

,

oil, which can be used or light-ing, but is chiey employed in

painting. For culinary purposesit is almost worthless, being o no

use at all unless very resh, and .

Its principal use, as I said, is inpainting, because o its quality

o slowly drying and thus orm-

. T , ,

woodwork o doors and windows is made o linseed , ,, . W

FlaxB

-.


44/89

32


axseed is ground it yields a powder much used or

poultices, being o an unctuous nature soothing to

.When hemp and ax are ripe they are harvested

and the seeds are detached either by threshing orby passing the seed-

bearing ends o the

stalks through a strong

iron-toothed comb. Tecomb is set up across themiddle o a bench onwhich the two workmenseat themselves astride,

one at each end, acing

the comb. hen, by

turns, they draw eachhis handul o ax orhemp through the comb,

thus separating the seeds .

Next comes the

operation known as retting, whereby the fbers othe bark are rendered separable rom the rest o the

stem and rom one another. Te gummy substanceholding them together has to be disintegrated either byprolonged exposure in the feld, where the ax or hempis turned over rom time to time, or, more expeditiously,

by soaking the stalks in water, aer frst tying them

. T f. D, , f

HempM () ()

. a, ; b, ;c,


45/89

33

FLAX AND HEMP

o the stem and their reduction to a condition in which .

I f , , . Tf f tow, spun on the wheel, makes a thread nearly one

hundred and fy meters long. Nevertheless, this ,

f, compared with what is urnished by the caterpillar andthe spider. Te highest degree o delicacy attainable

by our fngers with the aid o the most ingenious . A

single gramme o the silkworms thread, as we fnd it in

the cocoon, represents a length o two thousand meters, f f.

But even the slender flament spun rom the

,

the very sight o whom evokes rom you senseless .

, , , . T q

spiders body and is orced out as required through

f , , being perorated with many tiny holes, the total number


46/89

34


o which or a single spider is reckoned at about a

thousand. Hence the spiders thread as it leaves the

insects body is not a single strand, but a cord o athousand strands, although we commonly consider it o

almost infnitesimal minuteness. Our fnest sewing silk , the thickness o ten twisted spiders threads or, in otherwords, o ten thousand combined elementary flaments -. H f

thread that needs to be multiplied ten thousand times in q z! T

that live in woods weave webs o remarkable amplitude,requiring each at least ten meters o thread, or ten

thousand meters o the elementary flament emitted . B

q, to weigh a gramme. What machine o human invention

f f!


47/89

35

CHAPTER VII

WEAVING

EXAMINE a piece o cloth, woolen, cotton, orlinen, and you will see that it is composed o two ,

passing alternately over and under a transverse one. O , ,

, .

T . I - -,

-. A

wooden ramework supports a cylinder in ront and

, . T , within reach o the operator seated ready or work, ; ,

fxed at the opposite end o the machine, is wound withthreads in regular order side by side. Tese threads

,

whole length o the machine. Tey are divided into two, - ,


48/89

36


- .

the two sets and keep them separate without possibility

o intermingling. A heddle is a series o very fne metal, , z .

Te heddles are those two gridiron things in the

? C.

Modern Power-Loom

P. A , , , . N

notice that by means o two pedals or levers placed

. I

they draw by turns, up and down, one the even threads

.

While the warp is thus slightly open, all the even

threads on one side, all the odd on the other, the operator


49/89

37

WEAVING

. T ,

, , the middle, and providedwith a cavity that holds a

f very mobile axle. Tis thread

the throwing o the shuttle,

. T ,

the threads that were above passing below, those belowcoming uppermost, and the shuttle sent in the opposite

. T

rom right to le and rom le to right between the .

S , M, , ,

right to le and then rom le to right, interlace the

.

Tat is the double movement the operator has to and the sending o the shuttle rom one hand to the

other. But in order that the cloth may acquire su cient

frmness, with no open spaces between the threads, . A-

Shuttlea, ; b,

d; c,

f; e, e,


50/89

38


or press close together the threads o the woo aer

, , .

Such, in short, my dear children, is the process by

threads are made, cloth, linen, taeta, calico, and a .


51/89

39

CHAPTER VIII

WOOLEN CLOTH

I HAVE just given you a general description o theart o weaving. Now I propose to add some details .

A f .

Woolen cloth is woven o woolen yarn. As it

comes rom the spinning wheel or spinning-jenny thisyarn has certain surace irregularities, little bristlingfbers standing up and crinkling with the natural

. I would check the easy gliding o the shuttle, which must ; work would be rendered laborious and the woven abric

wanting in evenness o texture. Te surace must bemade as smooth and uniorm as possible, the uattened and held down the whole length o the thread.T

coated. In this preparation are glue, which holds down

, , .T , ,

is badly soiled, carrying as it does a coating o glue


52/89

40


and ill-smelling oil. Beore these impurities become

,

. T out in a ulling-mill, which consists o a series o heavy

. T trough continually sprinkled by a jet o clear water.T ,

. B ; , not the oil, which is more tenacious and on which water

. A, , f , . I .

Tat rich earth could be used then or taking ? q M.

I . A to cover the grease spot or a while with a layer o ullers

earth made into paste, and the grease will disappear,

being absorbed by the clay. In many countries it is used

.W ! C .

I . W ?

I , , polish when smoothed with the fnger-nail, and mixing

readily with water, to which it gives a soapy look. In

France the best-known ullers earth is ound in the I, I, A.

B


53/89

41

WOOLEN CLOTH

-,

. S- f

f .But the part perormed by the ulling-mill is not

; . Ithis connection I will call your attention to a precaution

. B

garment she is careul to wet the cloth so as to shrink it . I , f .

Tat is what happened to Emiles linen trousers,said Jules. Tey came out o the wash so short they

.

A , , , M. O, , -

yard shrank so that it pulled out the hooks it was .

Tat reminds me o a little anecdote, said Uncle

P. W , ,

can even li immense weights. It is said that Pope Sixtusthe Fih, when he was about to erect in one o thepublic squares o Rome an obelisk brought rom Egyptat great expense, ordered under pain o death the mostproound silence during the operation, so anxious were

weight to be moved. I will tell you, beore going urther,that obelisks are tall, slender, our-sided columns


54/89

42


f

. T ,

and fne-grained stone called granite. Teir height, not , f ,

f . J,then, whether the erection o this ponderous mass upon .

o operate in perect unison the numerous, ,

piece, absolute silence was necessary so that not a wordshould distract the workmens attention. Te square

exertion o mechanical power. Complete silence reigned,

. B

-, enormous stone reused to go urther and remained

leaning with all its weight on the ropes. Everything

-. T , resources, saw their gigantic task threatened with ailure,

when suddenly rom the midst o the crowd a mansvoice rose at the peril o his lie. Wet the ropes! he cried.Wet the ropes! Tey wet the ropes and the obelisk soon

stood upright on its pedestal. Te tension o the cordagewhen soaked with water had o itsel done what an army .

A

? E.

T , . B j .


55/89

43

WOOLEN CLOTH

You can now easily understand what happens when

this cloth is wet. It is made o crossed threads, each

, , , . T . O ,

, ; , held in position by their interlacing, are not ree to slip.T -,

, f , f .

Te two sides o a piece o cloth are not the

same: one, called the wrong side, shows the crossed

, ; , ,

is covered with a fne, even nap,all lying the same way. Tisnap is obtained by means o

the thorny burs urnished by z, z.

eazel lives rom oneto two years. Its stalk, whichattains the height o a man,

is armed with strong hooked

, , ,

in which rain gathers. Growing rom the main stem

Fullers Teazela, ;

b, .


56/89

44


,

elongated head or bur composed o hard scales sharply

fhook. Te plant is cultivated expressly or its burs,which are used in great quantities in cloth-manuacture.

I , give the same degree o needed stiness and suppleness. F

side so as to orm a brush, which is drawn over the clothalways in the same direction. Te thousand hooks o thez, f , , z f

, , , . T

.

But this nap is still imperect: its tiny fbers areo unequal length, some long, some short, at haphazard,

j z . , ; , -

used to pare down the surace o the cloth so as to leavethe nap all o the desired length. Tis completes the . S, L, E - F.


57/89

45

CHAPTER IX

MOTHS

IN our houses, continued Uncle Paul, wehave a redoubtable enemy to woolen cloth and

in a very short time will reduce a costly garment to

ravager. Tereore it is worth our while to make the

acquaintance o this devourer o woolen goods, thisdespair o the housewie, in order that we may hunt

. Y ,

light, and singe their wings in the lamp-ame. Tey

are the ravagers o woolen abrics, the destroyers o

.But those little butteries, objected Claire,

.

A ;

. B f ,

caterpillar is endowed with a voracious appetite that


58/89

46


, as wool, urs, skins, eathers, hair. o the caterpillar and

.T , ,

? M.

Tere are only too many o them, was the reply.O , into a pretty little buttery all powdered with silver dust,

would east right royally on your woolen rock; andanother would fnd much to its taste your ur tippet, .

Tere cant be much to taste in a mouthul o ur,I , .

I dont deny it, but those caterpillars have

, . A eats ur and digests hair knows nothing in the world so,

j , , , . E

, , f

in substances apparently ar rom nutritious. On themoths bill o are are skins, leather, wool, woolen cloth,, . T materials, but it also makes rom them a movable house,

a sheath that covers its body, leaving the head ree, and

.

All butteries o the moth class have narrow


59/89

47

MOTHS

. O

:Te woolen moth has black upper wings tipped

, .I , , ,

.

T - . I , , .

F, , , .

I .

Te moth most to beeared is the one that eeds on

woolen cloth. Let us discuss itshabits more in detail, or in spiteo its ravages you will admire,with me, the skill it displays in

making itsel a coat. o protect ,

the grub ashions or itsel a teeth. In thus cutting down theseupstanding hairs, one by one, the

worm shears the cloth and makesa threadbare spot. Te shearman himsel could not

have operated with such nice precision. But there is

Clothes-MothW

. (C

z.)


60/89

48


nothing so disfguring in new cloth as these shorn spotsshowing here and there the warp and woo o the abric,

f. F, f :

,

worthless bundle o rags. Te bits o wool thus cut away -

, .

Tis latter is most dely put together, consisting

on the outside o tiny bits o wool astened together

with a little liquid silk emitted by the worm, and on

the inside o silk alone, so that a fne lining protects the .

Just think o it, exclaimed Jules; the detestable !

And that is not all, continued Uncle Paul.T

colors. Its coat takes the hue o the cloth in process

o destruction, and thus there are white coats, black, , ,

o the material. I this latter happens to be o variegated, , q f z.

Meanwhile the worm continues to grow and its .


61/89

49

MOTHS

: q

. B ?

I I had to do it, Claire replied, I should run my , I .

Te ingenious insect seems to have taken counsel C, , U P.

W

. S insertion made, so neatly are the seams sewed with silk, f

.

Tese moth-worms must be very skilul, I

, M, I

practice their art on my clothes. How are they to be?

o protect garments rom moths it is customaryto place in our wardrobes certain strongly scented

, , . B q,

the sun. All moths love repose and darkness. Garments ; j snug retreat they are looking or, the ideal abode or the

. G

your wardrobes very oen and shake, air, and brush ; . V . F,


62/89

50


kill all the little white butteries you see uttering about

.

B , , j E. I .

rue enough; but those butteries will lay , . T

means thereore deliverance rom some hundreds o .


63/89

51

CHAPTER X

NAPERY

HEMP and sacks, and even into fner material or, , -, . F is obtained still fner goods or the same purposes.

Sometimes the same material contains both hemp andax. Tus the goods known as cretonnes, manuactured

at Lisieux and its environs, have the warp o hemp andthe woo o ax. Sometimes, again, it is cotton that

is mixed with hemp. icking, or example, is a very

close abric used or making coverings or bolsters andalso mens summer clothes. Generally it is all hemp, . S

three kinds o vegetable fberhemp, ax and cotton , gives goods o greater variety and better adapted to thef .

Goods o this sort generally bear the name o the

:

Brittany, Laval, Valenciennes, Saint-Quentin, Voiron.Others are named aer their inventor, as Cretonne, , C,

-


64/89

52


manuacture. One kind o linen, very fne and close,

used or handkerchies and various articles o attire,

such as veils, collars, and cus, is called batiste in B C f

this material, and who introduced its use about fve

.

Material composed only o hemp and ax, , .

C q .o a delicate skin they have a cool and soothing

eeling, whereas cotton, owing to its nap, which isslightly rough, produces a kind o tickling that may

. T

irritates nostrils that have been made sensitive by a

;

same objectionable quality. And again, or dressing ,

, f, , increase the irritation o the wound by its rough contactwith the quivering esh. Finally, hemp and linen as used

is very agreeable in the heat o summer, but which may . Lperspiration be checked, let the body, poorly protected , q,

. C, , , ,

. I respect it is preerable to linen and hemp. But I will

j I


65/89

53

NAPERY

q

.

As soon as hemp has been spun into threadby the long and patient labor o the dista, it is sent , ,

, I explained to you, each oot pressing in turn one o

the pedals that operate the warp, and the two hands, ,

threads. A good washing cleans the cloth, removing

the preparation I have reerred to and all impurities . B

to produce the beautiul white cloth that the housewie

. H , ,naturally o a light reddish tint, so frmly fxed that

;

.

A f ,

- f, weeks it remains exposed to the daylight and to the

damp night air. Te prolonged action o air and sun,

dryness and dampness, at length ades the reddish color, q , , f .

T very slow. Moreover, when the operation has to becarried on uninterruptedly and on a large scale it is very


66/89

54


costly, because it renders unproductive considerable

stretches o land. Consequently in hemp, linen, and

especially cotton actories recourse is had to means .Y

,thus generating a gas called sulphurous oxide. It is

hours to the action o this gas to give them the dazzling

.

Is that the way hemp, ax, and cotton are? M.

Not quite, although the method employed . S ,

, , . S, , .

But that sulphur smoke is pretty strong; it pricks

, .

Y . T

, ,

time a visible gas, or it has a light greenish color. Itis called chlorine. I you breath a whi o it, you are

z

would never get in winter, however cold it might be.

T , , .


67/89

55

NAPERY

Y , ,

.And what does it come rom, this gas that

strangles people i they breathe ever so little o it? C.

I ,

. B I

it is not ound all by itsel; it is mixed with another , .

Once reed rom this partnership it is murderous, a

. I I you its astonishing power in destroying colors; but

nothing prevents my telling you about it. Imagine a

. N this into chlorine gas, and writing and ink-blots all , . S, ,

chlorine into a bottle o ink. Te black liquid adesq .

Aer this you can understand that the material tobe bleached has to be subjected to the action o chlorine f.

I q,

remarked Marie, the pale reddish tinge o hemp or

.

Wool and silk, Claire observed, ought to be : q.


68/89

56


Te manuacturers are very careul not to ollow

any such method, was the reply. Tis gas corrodes

, .And yet cotton, ax, and hemp can stand it,

C j.

Y, q , . T

cloth o this sort is used, and what severe treatmentit undergoes: repeated washing with corrosive ashes, , , , ,and rain. What then are these substances that withstand

, , , , remain intact when all around them goes to decay, thatbrave the drugs used in manuacturing and emergerom these maniold tests soer and whiter than beore?

T , , ; .


69/89

57

CHAPTER XI

CALICO

I now remains or me to tell you about the . F ,which has a frm and close texture and a smooth surace,

and is much used or shirts, curtains, covers, and . O , .

Percale, diminutive o percale, as its name shows,is a abric o inerior quality and o transparent texture,being very loosely woven. Its thread is at and its surace -, round and the surace smooth. It lacks frmness and

. I .

Common calico is less fne, less frm, and

cheaper than percale, but is used in general or the .

Muslin is a very fne, so, light material, the mostdelicate o all cotton goods. Tere are some muslins that f ,

a piece several yards long could be contained in an egg-. A , , S .


70/89

58


Cotton has a decided superiority over ax

ornamental design, the dyes being quickly absorbed, , .Who does not know these admirable goods in which the

most varied and brilliant colors are artistically combined

perection? Some o these prints are decorated with . C

, being absolutely inadequate. Cotton goods ornamented

with colored designs are called prints, and they frst

came rom India, where their manuacture has been

known or a very long time. o-day the actories o

Rouen, Mulhouse, and England supply these goods

. I - . H , , inexpensive dress? Tat is what I propose to tell you

.

First the abric is bleached with the greatest careso that no dinginess o its own shall dim the brightnesso the colors to be received. Energetic washing, overand over again, and the powerul bleaching agent I j , ,

.

Now comes an operation that would fll you

: operation o singeing. I must tell you to begin with

that all cotton thread, however perect the spinning


71/89

59

CALICO

,

- f

standing up by their own elasticity. At the time o o glue, so as to leave perect reedom or the play o the

; , interere with the setting o the colors, has disappeared , . W, ,

flaments, the colored designs would not take well;there would be unevenness o tint, ill-defned outlines; , . T . I -

impossible to obtain with shears such as are used

q . A custom to have recourse to the use o fre. Te material j , without in the least damaging the abric itsel. Nothing o calico or percale or even muslin passing through the

f.

And who would not be surprised! exclaimedMarie. I should think the delicate abric would certainly f.

You would think so, but there is no danger i thematerial passes quickly along and does not give the heat

time enough to penetrate beyond the u. Let us dwell , .


72/89

60


Y

o a piece o cotton thread into the lamp ame. Te

, fre spreads no arther and goes out just at the point .

W : . T

and ax and hemp on the other act under the inuence . C :

hemp, on the contrary, oer only eeble resistance to itsspreading. I will not say any more on this point now, but

.

T I

. I f q ,

, all the u without injuring the threads themselves,

.

o banish once and or all your incredulity I

experiment which, indeed, has no close connection

with the calico-printers art, but which illustrates

the dierent degrees o inammability possessed by . W I tell you that live coals can be placed on the fnest muslin

?


73/89

61

CALICO

I should say, Seeing is believing, answered

C.

Ten you shall see, Miss Incredulous. ake apiece o muslin, as fne as you please, and wrap it tightly

.

.

Now take rom the open fre a live coal and apply it

with the tongs to the muslin that covers this kind o .

Claire ollowed these directions with scrupulous

care: the live coal was touched to the muslin, and, , .

Go still arther, commanded Uncle Paul. ake , .

C , -

, , q .

W, ! . H ?

What protects it rom the fre, replied her uncle, . T ,

,

, to heat. But i the delicate abric were by itsel, it would f .


74/89

62


Several times during the day Claire repeated this

experiment by hersel, each time more astonished than

.


75/89


76/89

64


. T ways, notably with ink, the same that we use or writing.

W, liquid it would come out black, but the color would . A

remove most o the ink, and the small amount remaining , . I , ,

f , f ; .Under these conditions the black, made on the spot and

f , q f . L , ,

, .

here are ound

growing on oak-trees cer-

about the size o a billiardball and with the appear-

ance o ruit. But they are

not really ruit; they havenothing in common with,

. T

-. T or tender twig with a fne gimlet that arms the tip- ,

Gall-FlyF. z;

b, f


77/89

65

DYEING AND PRINTING

deposits an egg. Around this egg the sap o the tree

, f

. T , . W

strong enough it pierces the wall o its abode with asmall round hole through which it escapes. Tat is why they all to the ground toward the end o autumn. Tese

round excrescences are called gallnuts or oak-apples, , .

T . A druggists you may have seen a substance looking

. T . I dissolving iron in an excessively corrosive liquid known . T q,

,

as easily as water dissolved salt or sugar; and in this, , . I z ,

substance having none o the dangerous qualities o

, , . T

.

Tat is all that is needed or making ink. Let us

; obtain a pale yellowish liquid. Also, let us dissolve ,


78/89


79/89

67

DYEING AND PRINTING

, ,

. W, , !

It will be the color o the gallnut water, answeredC; , .

R; , ?

T , . Tcopperas, fnding gallnut dye on the surace and in

the texture o the cloth, all through it in act, willimmediately orm ink, which will color the percale.

And more than that, added Marie, the dyewill penetrate the goods evenly in every part, since

.

Yes; and so you see that in this way the black dye

, . T , .

A , , ,

, , . F a solution that will develop the desired color, or make it

spring into existence, on encountering another solution,

itsel. Tis preparatory substance which in a second

and fx the color is called the mordant and varies in ,


80/89

68


the mordant dierent colors may be obtained with one .

I j , M, . I .

T . I

. C these blocks, which are sometimes veritable masterpieces

; -- q.

o take a simple example, let us suppose the

workman proposes to put a black design on a whiteground. On a large table in ront o him he has the

piece o percale which unrolls as he needs it; in his

-. T , ,

with a fne solution o gallnuts, and then applies the

block to the goods. Te parts thus touched are the only

ones impregnated with this preparation, the rest o the . H ,

the gallnut preparation, until the piece o cloth has .

Tat done, all that is necessary is to dip the goods

in black, since the ink orms wherever the wooden


81/89

69

DYEING AND PRINTING

,

.

It is simpler than I had thought, said Claire, and -, I f .

Te operation can be made still simpler. As a

rule the coloring matter and the mordant, that is to say f ,

. A, process is as ollows. Te two ingredients, mordant and , fne pap with which the engraved surace o the block is

.Te preparation thus deposited gives only one color, onealone, determined by the nature o the mordant and

. I , , . T

or red, again or black, a third time or violet, in act as

, .

It must be a very delicate piece o work, remarked

M, with the various colors joining perectly and never

.Te calico-printers skill makes light o this

di culty. Te design comes out as clear as a painter


82/89

70


could make it with his brushes. o complete the

description in a ew words, when all the colors have

, where it receives a steam bath. Heat and moisture aiding,

each dye mixes with its mordant, which incorporates it , - .


83/89

71

CHAPTER XIII

DYESTUFFS

C OULDN you tell us, Uncle Paul, saidM, goods are obtained? Tere are such beautiul reds,

blues, violets, that real owers can hardly compare .

Yes, I willtell you. Let us frsttake madder, the

most valuable odyestus on accounto the beauty and .

It is the root o aplant cultivated inFrance, chiely inthe department o

Vaucluse, and oabout the size o a

large eather, reddishyellow in color.

Te preparation it

Madder

, ;, z; a, ; b, ;

c,


84/89

72


f

.Madder by itsel imparts absolutely no color

, , , , . O

; . F

.

No doubt it needs what you call the mordant,

f , j .

Tat is it: it lacks the mordant. In the case o - ,

. I f ,

boiling water containing a proper amount o powdered

madder. I the quantity o alumina is small, the resultingtint is simply rose-color. Tus by varying the proportion

o the mordant any shade can be given to the abric,

.

W - q

. A q

o rust gives black, a small quantity violetalways with, . F,

mixture o alumina and rust the color produced is a


85/89

73

DYESTUFFS

, ,

. Y , , , ,

is easy to obtain a numerous series o tints rangingrom dark red to pale pink, rom deep black to delicate

, .

Let us suppose the calico-printer has stamped thedierent mordants on the goods with his printing-block

q . T , , - dirty yellow, while the alumina, being colorless, remains

invisible. But as soon as the piece is plunged into a

the coloring matter dissolved in the water, incorporates

it, and with it orms such and such a color according toits nature. Te reds, pinks, blacks, violets, chestnuts, all , f q.

I you had not explained this curious operation,said Claire, I should have been astonished to see

those magnifcent printed bouquets taking shape all .

Ten it is in that one vat, added Jules, containing

, , , ,the chestnuts or the bark o the branches, and the


86/89

74


blacks or the shadows. Te bouquets lack only the .

Madder does not give green; another substanceand another operation are necessary to obtain that color.Nevertheless, who could ail to perceive the importanceo madder, that one substance which urnishes so manyhues, so remarkable not merely or their beauty but also

or their unequaled permanence? No other dyestu

q.A ,

? M.

T is the product o a plant calledthe indigo-plant. It is too cold

in our part o the world to , ,

I. I used. Tey are green at frst,

to decay in water containing a

little lime, a substance havinga superb blue color and called .

A very beautiul yellow

prepared rom a plant that

grows around here and is known as woadwaxen or dyersgreenweed, bearing owers closely resembling those othe mignonette, so amous or its sweet odor. By mixing

Woadwaxen orDyers Greenweed


87/89


88/89

76


In the frst place you should know that illumina-ting gas is obtained by heating coal red-hot, in large iron

vessels to which no air is admitted. Te heat liberates atthe same time gas or lighting and tar which is set asideby itsel; there is then le a kind o coal, light, shiny, ull

, . L

the tar only, which despite its disgusting appearance

manuacturing world. By treating it frst in one way,

then in another, and aer that in still another, there areobtained rom it a number o very dierent substances, --

fshes, others white and powdery like fne our, and

an aromatic ragrance. When this separation is com-plete, we have at our disposal various substances whichurther processes will transorm into colors o all kinds.O -, f , z

f ;another, at frst a oury powder, reproduces exactly

; q , ,

. B

somber coal: hardly any o them can stand the leastwashing without injury, and even light alone ades them

q.Colors that are really ast, those that last as long

T .Transaltor.


89/89

DYESTUFFS

,

stand light and soap, are particularly the colors obtained

rom madder, the browns and blacks into the making owhich gallnuts have entered, the blues rom indigo, andthe yellows o woadwaxen. Beware o a dye that charms

f f .

the secret of everyday things

Documents