ODD CLOTHING MATERIALS.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 10592, 22 October 1910, Page 4 (Supplement)

ODD CLOTHING MATERIALS.

The Russians are manufacturing a fabric from the fibre of a filamentous stone from the Suberian mines which is said to be of so durable a nature that it is practically indestructible. The material is soft to the touch and pliablo to the extreme, and when soiled has only to ho placed in a fire to be made absolutely clean.

Iron cloth is largely used to-day by tailors everywhere for the purpose of making the collars of coats set properly. The cloth is manufactured from steel wool and has the, appearance of having been woven from horsehair. Wool-not the product of sheep is being utilised abroad for the making of .men's elotliink. .This, is known''as "limestone wool" and is made in art electric furnace. Powdered limestone mixed with certain chemicals is thrown into the furnace and after passing through a furious air blast it is tossed out as fluffy white [ wool. When it comes from the furnace the wool is dyed and made into lengths like cloth. A pair of trousers or a coat made of this material cannot, it is claimed; be burned or damaged by grease, and is as flexible as cloth made of sheep's wool. . ■'

An English' manufacturer has suc-r ceeded in making a fabric* from old ropes. He obtained a quantity of old rope and cordage, unravelled it and wove it by a secret process into a kind of cloth.' The resultant material he dyed a dark brown. A suit'of clothes •made from this queer stuff was worn by the manufacturer himself, and it is. said that he has a large trade in this line in the British colonies.

A novelty in dress for women is spun glass, cloth, which may, it is- said, ho, had in, white, greed; lilac, pink and yellow shades. The; inventor of this fabric was ail Austrian and his invention was said to have resulted'in the production of a.material as bright and flexible as silk. " The first lady to wear a gown of this - material was of royal rank. It was of a very delicate shade of pale lavender shot with piink and ibs peculiar sheen reminded her admirers of the sparkle of diamond dust. Paper clothes were worn by the Japanese troops, who found them very serviceable an dmuch warmer than those of cloth. Paper dressing gowns, bath -robes and similar articles of attire are now being turned out by the carload in -England, France, Germany and other European countries. The paper whereof they are made is of the "blotter" variety, and after being. treated by a new process is dyed in various colors or printed s with 'a pretty floral design. Even gloves are made of paper, the principal claim to advantages being that they, are susceptible of being cleaned many- times. ■ ,

Judge: Why didn't you seize the thief when you found him ?• 'Policeman': How could I? I had my club in-one hand and my revolver in the other! Edward"' Ashbee, an {employee' of 'the High Broom Brick Company*,- near Tunbridge holds thi record of. having carried considerably over 40,000,000' bricks-on a wheelbarroW in the past' thirty years. The weight of the bricks is estimated at nearly 130,000 tons, and in the course of his work he has walked nearly 55,000 miles, or'more than twice the distance round the world. Ashbee is a man of fine physique, and looks much younger than his fifty years. Her husband was out walking wjth her,, for the first time since she got her new hat satisfactorily trimmed. "Isn't it a perfect dream of u hat " she remarked. "I said," she repeated, after some moments of silence, "isn't this a dream of a hat?" " Still silence from the man. Then she ventured reproachfully : "Why don't you siay something ?" "My dear," he answered, "you seemed to enjoy your dream so that. I was afraid of . waking you," -