which stops the sewing while the hole is being cut, and again stops the
cutting movement to give place to the sewing.

[Illustration]

This ought to be a great and successful invention.


SILK MADE FROM WOOD-FIBRE.--A new process of making silk has just been
put on the market, and if it is as successful as is claimed for it,
silk may soon be as cheap as cotton.

The secret was discovered by a Frenchman, but it was no accidental
discovery--he only achieved his success after forty years of patient
study.

This Frenchman, Count Hilaire de Cordonnet, had watched and studied the
work of the silkworm, and had long thought that there ought to be some
simpler process of spinning silk than the tedious and complicated method
employed by the worms.

The Count had noticed the preference silkworms have for the leaves of
the mulberry and osage-orange trees, and, after experimenting with these
plants for some time, he decided that if he could reduce them to pulp
and treat them in certain ways, the result would be silk-fibre. But the
result was not altogether satisfactory. He found that something was
wanting to make his silk like that the silkworm produced.

He studied their work again, and found that they covered the fibre with
a kind of gum, which gave it gloss and strength.