Without such material for
curtains and cushions the automobile business would have been sorely
hampered. It promises to provide us with a book binding that will not
crumble to powder in the course of twenty years. Linen collars may be
water-proofed and possibly Dame Fashion--being a fickle lady--may some
day relent and let us wear such sanitary and economical neckwear. For
shoes, purses, belts and the like the cellulose varnish or veneer is
usually colored and stamped to resemble the grain of any kind of
leather desired, even snake or alligator.
If instead of dissolving the cellulose nitrate and spreading it on
fabric we combine it with camphor we get celluloid, a plastic solid
capable of innumerable applications. But that is another story and must
be reserved for the next chapter.
But before leaving the subject of cellulose proper I must refer back
again to its chief source, wood. We inherited from the Indians a
well-wooded continent. But the pioneer carried an ax on his shoulder and
began using it immediately.
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