Produced by Chris Curnow, Chris Jordan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive) SYKES & STREET, SOLE U. S. AGENTS FOR St. Denis Dyestuff and Chemical Co., (LIMITED.) A. POIRRIER, President. No. 105 RUE LAFAYETTE, PARIS, FRANCE, MANUFACTURERS OF ANILINE COLORS, ARCHIL EXTRACT, CUDBEAR. &c. INCLUDING MANY Specialties for Feather and Silk Dyers French Extracts of Dyewood and Indigo, &c., &c. 85 Water St., NEW YORK, U.S.A. BRANCHES: BOSTON--35 India Street. PHILADELPHIA--43 N. Front St. AGENCIES: R. R. STREET & CO., Chicago. Ills. S. H. FRANK & CO., San Francisco, Cal. [Illustration: GROUP OF OSTRICHES.] THE PRACTICAL OSTRICH FEATHER DYER, BY ALEXANDER PAUL. REVISED AND CORRECTED BY DR. M. FRANK. PUBLISHED BY MRS. DR. M. FRANK, "Textile Colorist," 506 Arch St., Philadelphia, Pa., U. S. A. 1888. _Copyright, 1888, by Mrs. Dr. M. Frank._ _All Rights Reserved._ PREFACE. In the preparation of this work it has been my aim to present Recipes, simple, yet complete in every detail, for dyeing every color and shade of color known. Reliability, practicability and rapidity I claim for this work, and would ask that it be judged not from a literary standpoint, but as a thorough and practical instructor in the art of Ostrich Feather Dyeing, as simplified and perfected by me during years of hard work and research. It is the first work of its kind ever put before the public in the English language, and will, in consequence, receive from those interested close scrutiny and criticism, which prompts the author to offer $1000 to any person who will prove that the recipes herein contained, or any single one of them, will not produce the desired color or shade perfect and in the time mentioned. The old methodical orthodox dyers will find a decided advantage in being enabled to make colors in minutes, that heretofore required hours and days to complete. Technicalities and high-sounding phrases for the names of colors and terms of the dye-house have no place in this work. It is not necessary for a man to be a chemist to be a practical feather dyer, other authorities to the contrary notwithstanding. Good practical common sense and judgment and a knowledge of the nature of the goods you are handling, and throw theory to the winds. ALEX PAUL. TO THE OSTRICH FEATHER MANUFACTURERS, DYERS AND SCOURERS, AND INTERESTED PUBLIC OF AMERICA AND EUROPE, THIS WORK IS RESPECTFULLY DEDICATED, BY THE AUTHOR. _TESTIMONIALS._ The following are a few of the numerous testimonials received by Dr. M. Frank, Manager of "Textile Colorist," in evidence of our method: CHICAGO, Feb. 23, 1885. All I have to say regarding Mr. Alex. Paul's method for dyeing ostrich feathers are just as he represents, and after having taken a course I am perfectly satisfied. I. F. SCHWARZ. RICHMOND, VA., Jan. 20, 1885. Sir,--After receiving a course of instruction of Mr. Alex. Paul, I think he is a thorough master of his art, and fully comes up his promises, and any one who wishes to learn the art could not do better than to engage his services. JAS. F. THURSTON. LOUISVILLE, KY., March 12, 1885. This is to certify that I have this day received instructions from Mr. Paul, in the art of feather dyeing, and I can truly say that I am much pleased with his process, so simple, so quickly done, and produces such beautiful colors and shades. I paid $150 to other parties for instruction in feather dyeing, and I can say that I knew but little about feather dyeing before to-day. P. BARRISTER. MILWAUKEE, Feb. 27, 1885. We take pleasure in recommending the method of feather dyeing taught to us by Mr. Alex. Paul, for the sum of fifty dollars. We think it would be beneficial for any dyer to learn this art. OTTO PIETSCH CO. ROCHESTER, Feb. 4, 1885. This is to certify that Mr. Paul has this day given me instructions in ostrich feather dyeing, for which I paid fifty dollars. I am perfectly satisfied that he has accomplished all that he undertook to do to my satisfaction, and think that it will prove to be money well invested. WM. MAINS. CANTON, O., Feb. 11, 1885. I have taken this day a course of instruction in ostrich feather dyeing from Mr. A. Paul, for which I paid him fifty dollars. The same I consider the most simple and best method known; and is well worth ten times the amount. C. PETER & SON. UTICA, Jan. 31, 1885. I have received a course of instructions from Alex. Paul, for which I paid him fifty dollars, and would state that I consider Mr. Paul a thorough master of the art of feather dyeing, and feel that five times the amount paid him would not be equivalent to the information received. JOHN W. MCLEAN. MILWAUKEE, Feb. 28, 1885. Mr. Alex. Paul has given me instruction for dyeing and cleaning ostrich feathers. I feel satisfied to certify that his method cannot be excelled, and that the instruction is worth ten times the amount charged. I. LEISER. BALTIMORE, Jan. 14, 1885. Sir,--I have received through Mr. Alex. Paul of your method of feather dyeing, and acknowledge that your method is far superior to my most vivid imagination of what can be executed in the art of feather dyeing. I would not sell the information I have obtained, nor would be without it for a great deal more than I paid for it. E. BAUER. ALBANY, Jan. 28, 1885. I am glad to have had the opportunity to learn the art of feather dyeing as taught by Mr. Alex. Paul, and will never regret it. It is the easiest, most economical and the best method known. I paid Mr. Paul fifty dollars for his instruction, but I would not be without it for five hundred. It is, without exception, the finest method extant. JOHN P. MAYER. [Illustration: A, Work-bench. B, Hydro-extractor. C, C, Buckets. D, Boiler. E, Stationary Wash-tub. F, F, Hot-water Pipes.] [Illustration: Steaming Kettle] [Illustration: Curling Knife (Half Size)] OSTRICH FEATHER DYEING. GROWTH OF THE OSTRICH FEATHER TRADE DURING THE PAST TWELVE YEARS IN THIS COUNTRY. The manufacturers of America could have been counted on the fingers of one's hand a dozen years ago. At the present time New York alone can boast of between forty and fifty. Enterprising men in other cities and throughout the country are yearly becoming interested and endeavoring to take hold of this young and profitable business, and we can look to ostrich feather manufacturing at the present time as one of our staple industries. The greatest disadvantage manufacturers have had to contend with was a lack of knowledge of coloring. Our greatest chemists and aniline manufacturers have worked diligently, contributing largely to the progress of wool, cotton and silk dyeing, but the amount of dyestuffs used by the largest feather manufacturers was of such minor importance that it did not seem profitable for them to investigate; consequently the art of ostrich feather dyeing progressed very slowly. Feather dyers a dozen years ago were scarce, and the art (if in those days it could be called such), was controlled to a great extent by the French, who, judging by my experience with them, impressed me as being the most egotistical mortals, and decidedly orthodox in their methods, absolutely refusing to take hold of anything new that might prove beneficial to them, and so jealously did they guard their (as they considered them) secrets, that during working hours every one of them even their employers, were denied admittance to the dye-house. Millions of dollars are at the present time invested in ostrich feathers in all conditions, in the cases of raw stock in the ware-houses and in the flourishing ostrich farms now in existence; and a milliner's window without its rich clusters of ostrich tips and plumes would to-day be a rare sight. They are used not only in the trimming of hats and bonnets, but fashion demands their use in trimming dresses, wraps, etc., and to a large extent they are being used in making handsome and very valuable fans. It is to be regretted that London and Paris markets are supplied with the choicest of the goods that come from the Cape, and America gets the leavings, although our market consumes equally as many, if not more. It is only a matter of time, however, when manufacturers will be importing raw stock direct. THE BIRD, ITS PLUMAGE AND HABITS. Years ago, before the trade had begun to assume its present proportions, the supply of feathers came chiefly from Egypt; the bird being hunted by the natives, and generally killed for its plumage, which was in quality far superior to the feathers which are to-day raised on farms at the Cape. The flues or fibres of the Egyptian were very close and compact and very strong in texture and of great durability, and having a great affinity for color, they were capable of standing a great amount of manipulation without receiving serious injury. A serious objection to them was that one-half, or more, were marked where the bird pecked them with his bill, giving them a moth-eaten appearance, and few of them could be used for white, as they were more or less stained on the ends, a dirty yellow, which soap would not remove and acid would only develop, there being at that time no known method of bleaching them, as the virtues of Peroxide of Hydrogen or Permanganate of Potash as bleaching agents were unknown to the dyers. Enterprising capitalists saw a profitable field for investment in the propagation of the bird, and, as a result, the supply has greatly increased, and the quality of the plumage is far superior in every respect to the wild Egyptian ostrich. A full grown ostrich will weigh about three hundred pounds, and stands about seven to eight feet in height. In the breeding season they will travel in broods of from three to five in number, one of which is invariably a male. The hens lay their eggs in a pit scraped out with their feet, the sand forming a ridge around it. When they have accumulated a dozen eggs or so the male begins to brood, always taking his place on them at night, surrounded by the hens, while by day they will relieve one another. Again, at times the hatching has been left entirely to the sun. North African eggs present a smooth surface, while those of the South are pitted. At the present time an ostrich farm is in progress in California; it is as yet a very young institution, and its success is being watched with interest, but, in my opinion, while the bird will live and thrive, the quality of the plumage will be very inferior to those in their native clime. So much has already been written concerning the bird's powerful digestive organs, and so exaggerated that we will not try to discredit or contradict it. It is hardly necessary to remark that there is scarcely enough substance in ten-penny nails or doorknobs to fatten an ostrich on. BRIEF SKETCH OF DYESTUFFS USED BY ME IN MY METHOD OF DYEING. LOGWOOD. Logwood is met with in commerce in the shape of large blocks, averaging about four hundred pounds each in weight. On the surface the wood is a dirty deep brown red, but within, where it has not come in contact with the atmosphere, its color is much brighter. The tree is a native of South America. It has been known and used ever since a short period after the discovery of America. During the twenty-third year of the reign of Queen Elizabeth an act of Parliament was passed, forbidding its use as a dyestuff, because it did not yield fast colors. This act was repealed, however, by an Order in Council of Charles II., which proceeds to set forth that great improvements have been made as regards the obtaining of fast colors from logwood. The following are the chief varieties of logwood, distinguished by names derived from the localities of exportation: Yucatan, Laguna, Domingo, Monte Christo, Fort Liberte, Jamaica, etc. Logwood is to-day one of our most important dyewoods, as indeed it enters in feather dyeing into all of the dark or staple colors, such as black, navy blue, brown, green, garnet, etc. To extract the substance requires considerable boiling, especially if used in the form of chips; if it is used ground, which is by far preferable to chips in feather dyeing, it requires much less boiling to extract the substance. The dyer will often find logwood, that, although purchased under the name of a most excellent brand, will be far inferior to what he has been using, in which case it is well to look for an adulteration of some sort, which it is not at all easy to detect, only when it does not produce the desired result. TURMERIC. The substance known as turmeric is the under-ground stem of a plant which grows in a wild state in some parts of China and India. It emits a strong, but pleasant odor, and its taste is peppery, aromatic and bitter at the same time. The plant, however, is cultivated in Java and Bengal; the latter country producing the better quality. Although turmeric is rich in coloring matter, its want of permanence is a hindrance to it. It is generally sold in powder, ground down very fine. It should be quite dry; if damp, it loses its color, turns a dull yellowish brown, and dyes flat shades. A good turmeric should show a beautiful lustre. It enters into a majority of the dark colors in feather dyeing, and, although used as a body for colors only, a great deal depends upon it as to the result. BICHROMATE OF POTASH. This dyestuff, known as red chrome and bichromate and often times simply as chrome, consists in one equivalent of potash, with two equivalents of chromic acid. It contains no water, and consequently cannot lose any weight by exposure to heat or dry air. It will not attract moisture from a damp atmosphere. It dissolves readily in ten times its weight of cold water, and is insoluble in alcohol. It forms bright red crystals, and the solution is of a deep orange yellow. Bichromate of potash is a most powerful oxidizing agent, and produces very complex and interesting changes in tinctorial bodies. It is an intense poison. Its most extensive application is now in the production of blacks, along with logwood; indeed, without its aid it would be next to an impossibility to produce a glossy and permanent black on ostrich feathers. In giving depth of shade to all dark colors it is used in preference to any thing else, and I have never found any to contain any adulteration that was perceptible, or that was a hindrance to its good qualities. It is used in ostrich feather dyeing always in a diluted form, in a very high temperature of water. ARCHIL. About the thirteenth century an Italian, Tederigi by name, during travels in the East observed the tinctorial powers of a certain class of plant of low organization, called lichens, and introduced the color into Europe under the name of archil. For this discovery he was amply rewarded by the government, besides amassing a large fortune, as the supply for years came from Florence. At first the weeds were collected on the shores of various islands in the Mediterranean; but on the discovery of the Canary Islands, in 1402, large quantities were obtained from there. Later on they were imported from Cape Verde; and now they are also obtained from Madagascar, Zanzibar, Angelo and Lima and various localities in South America. The weed does not contain any coloring matter already formed, but under the influence of ammonia and the oxygen of the atmosphere gives rise to archil. The manufacture of archil was for centuries carried on in wooden troughs. Two hundred parts lichens were placed in the trough together with about two hundred and forty parts of decomposed urine, and the mixture well worked every three hours for forty-eight hours. Five parts of slaked lime, one part of arsenious acid and one and one-quarter parts of alum were then added, and the whole well stirred and allowed to ferment. The stirring was repeated, from time to time, for a month. The contents of the trough were then removed to casks, and left to stand, thus improving the color. Archil is also one of the most important dyestuffs used by the feather dyer, principally entering into the composition of garnet, plum, brown, etc. Contact with acid will destroy its coloring virtues by turning it a dull brown red. SAFRANINE. It is prepared by treating aniline oils successively with nitrous acid and arsenic acid, and one of an alkaline nitrate at about 212° Fah., for a short time. The product is extracted with boiling water, neutralized with an alkali filtered, and the color precipitated with common salt. Pure hydrochloride forms thin reddish crystals, which are soluble in water and in alcohol, yielding a yellowish red solution. The most characteristic reaction of safranine is that when concentrated sulphuric acid is gradually added to its solution, the color changes to violet, then to blue, dark green and light green. Then, on diluting the solution with water, the same changes of color take place, only in the reverse order. In feather dyeing safranine is used chiefly in making light colors of a pinkish hue; such as pink, terra cotta, and to give a tint to ecru, beige and such colors. OXALIC ACID. Oxalic acid, a most powerful acid, occurs combined chiefly with potash juices of plants of the genus _oxalis_ and _rumex_. Artificially it was obtained by the action of nitric acid upon sugar and starch, but has been prepared latterly by treating spent dyestuffs with alkalies. Oxalic acid forms colorless transparent crystals, which are inodorous, intensely sour, and do not grow moist upon exposure. Should they become damp, some nitric or sulphuric acid, used in the preparation, has not been thoroughly removed. It is soluble in its own weight of boiling water, but requires about eight times its weight of water at 65° Fah. Oxalic is one of the largely used acids in feather dyeing, being used in a number of light colors for the purpose of developing the color. In developing blues it is invaluable. Other colors it will totally destroy, violet or safranine, for example; and it is used in place of sulphuric acid for the purpose of extracting color. INDIGO BLUE. Indigo is derived from several plants of warm climates. In the plant the color exists as a yellowish liquid; but when extracted and exposed to the action of the air it becomes insoluble, and takes an intensely blue color. The cultivation of the plant is carried on chiefly in India, Java, Egypt and Louisiana. Indigo comes in the market in lumps, which, if of good quality, presents a deep bluish purple color, and exhibits a fine reddish coppery lustre if rubbed with a hard, polished body. If very hard or heavy, or when the color is very dull, blackish, greenish or brownish, the quality is below the standard. It is, however, of very little consequence in ostrich feather dyeing, and its impurities would scarcely at any time be noticeable. It should, however, dilute thoroughly in boiling water, and if there remain a sediment of any proportion, the indigo is impure. Sulphuric acid is generally used to develop the color. SULPHURIC ACID. Sulphuric acid, commonly called oil of vitriol, a common, yet very important, acid. Although not used to any great extent in ostrich feather dyeing, it occurs in commerce in various states and degrees of purity. It was at one time prepared by distilling dried copperas at a high temperature. It is now obtained in greater purity from the alkaline bisulphates. It is a clear colorless oily fluid, weighing about eighteen pounds to the gallon. If mixed with cold water, a great increase of temperature takes place. It rapidly destroys organic bodies, depriving them of their oxygen and hydrogen, and leaving the carbon behind, as a blackish mass. If any particle of organic matter falls into a carboy of acid, it is decomposed, and imparts a dark color to the liquid. It takes up water from the air rapidly, if left uncorked, and thus dilutes itself. Its use in feather dyeing is principally to extract colors that are too dark. COPPERAS. Copperas is generally prepared from the soft, white variety of iron pyrites, frequently found to a great extent in the coal measures. These, on exposure to air and moisture, decompose the latter, taking up oxygen, and are thus converted into sulphate of iron. Copperas forms pale greenish blue semi-transparent crystals, containing forty-five per cent. of water. If this be expelled, there remains a dull whitish powder. The crystals dissolve readily in one and one-half times their weight of cold water, and less than half their weight of boiling water. The direct uses of copperas have very much diminished in feather dyeing; as for dyeing black in conjunction with logwood it has been almost entirely superseded by bichromate of potash. In drabs and in saddening down light colors it is, to a certain extent, still used. It is used in quantities so small, however, that there is no serious results to be feared, as it must be used in quantity to injure the fibre. BISMARCK BROWN. Bismarck brown is a product that is used in feather dyeing to a considerable extent, chiefly in a diluted form. It dissolves readily in boiling water. It comes in the form of a powder, of a dirty black hue, and in liquid it is a heavy yellowish red. It makes a fast color, alkali having but little effect on it. Oxalic or sulphuric acid will brighten the color, and turning it more on the red order. In giving a brownish hue to such light colors as beige, ecru, etc., it is invaluable. It is used by some in the topping of dark brown. It has such a great affinity for the fibre of feathers that it is very difficult to remove therefrom. CONCENTRATED COTTON BLUE. This blue appears to the consumer in the form of crystals or coarse powder of a purplish tint. It is not universally used among feather dyers, although it is the most reliable aniline blue in use. It is used in conjunction with oxalic acid to develop. It is fast to light, and possesses a great many advantages of value. It is soluble in water, either hot or cold, and is used in the production of the palest shades, as well as in the darkest navy blues. ROCCELINE. A patented product, that in feather dyeing is capable of taking the place of all other reds. It is the only dyestuff that satisfactorily takes the place of extract of safflower, producing, with the aid of a proportion of oxalic acid, the most beautiful shades of scarlet and cardinal. It is perfectly fast to light, dissolves readily in boiling water, and comes to us in the form of a dull red powder. Its adulterations, if it contains any, have never interfered with its success; in fact, to the feather dyer it contains virtues too manifold and valuable to enumerate. DYEING RECIPES. WHITE. BLEACHING, OR WHAT IS COMMONLY CALLED CLEANING. After stringing your feathers and marking your tickets, prepare luke warm soap-water and wash thoroughly between the hands to remove all dirt and grease. Rub the soap on the feathers, rinse thoroughly in luke warm water two or three times for the purpose of removing all particles of soap, which is very important; just as much so as removing the dirt. For one to one hundred feathers you can use a common porcelain wash bowl. Prepare bath by using one gallon of clear cold water, add to that a small handful of starch, powdered or lump starch will answer. Enter feathers, rubbing them thoroughly between the hands to expand the flues and get them in condition to receive the color, so as to insure an even shade; after which add about one-half teaspoonful of oxalic acid and a drop of diluted violet, just enough to give your bath a pale lavender tint. Enter feathers, and let remain in bath about one minute, keeping them under the surface and agitating by rubbing them between the hands; after which squeeze feathers out of bath and dry. The quickest method for a few feathers is to have a small quantity of clean, powdered starch, and rub them around in it. The starch will immediately absorb all moisture, and you have but to beat it out of the flues, as it dries either on a clean board or between the hands. It is but the work of a few seconds. This method of drying insures an unsoiled color, as the feathers are dry a few seconds after leaving the bath. Great care should be used to bring your violet diluted thoroughly, so that no particles may enter the bath and spot your goods. In diluting your violet use boiling water, and shake well in bottle, and let it stand for a time, when all sediment will settle at the bottom, and will not again mix with your color. It is very important to use only the amount of oxalic acid mentioned in recipe, as a greater quantity would destroy your color by turning the violet a dirty blueish green, and much less than the quantity mentioned would have a tendency to cast a lavender tint on your goods. Should you, by mistake or carelessness, spoil your white, proceed to rinse off all the starch in cold water first; then in luke warm water to remove all the acid from feathers, and then use soap and hot water, and wash well, and rinse. Mix a fresh white bath as directed in the recipe, and proceed this time with more care. BLEACHING LIGHT COLORS WHITE. Old faded light colors, such as blue, pink, ecru, corn, drab, etc., that you are desirous of bleaching white, can be accomplished in the following way. Wash feathers thoroughly in warm water, using soap. Add a small pinch of soda, after which rinse in about three warm waters to insure the removal of every particle of soap. Dilute in clean bowl or basin one-quarter ounce of permanganate of potash in one gallon of boiling water. The water must be as hot as steam or fire can make it. Enter feathers, and let remain in bath about one minute, a few seconds more or less will do no harm, nor will it make any material difference in the result; continually agitating in bath with clean stick, after which you will notice that the feathers have assumed a light, full brown color. Take out of the bath, but do not rinse them; let the loose color drain off for a few seconds, meantime empty bath and rinse your bowl thoroughly; then dilute half an ounce of oxalic acid or sulphurous acid in one gallon of boiling water. The water must be absolutely clean. Enter feathers, and let remain in until all the color has entirely disappeared, gently agitating while in bath. After the bath has become transparent and the feathers white, which will take about two minutes, empty out about two-thirds of the bath, and add cold water to reduce to hand heat; then add a small handful of starch and a drop of diluted violet, and enter your feathers, and let them remain in about one minute, squeeze out and dry in starch. Blue you will generally find the hardest of all light colors to remove for white, the soda and permanganate seeming apparently to decompose the color. The moment it enters the oxalic bath, it generally, to a more or less extent, develops the color again. Such being the case, after rinsing in luke warm water to remove acid, return to a weak soda bath for a minute, and then rinse and return to permanganate bath, rather weaker than the first one; in other words, repeat the first operation all through, only in weaker solutions. This process can be used successfully in bleaching all light colors white. In bleaching natural blacks, however, it would not be practicable. A recipe for bleaching natural black will be found in another portion of the book. [Illustration: WHITE--page 16.] [Illustration: LILAC--page 56.] [Illustration: LIGHT PINK--page 20.] [Illustration: LEMON--page 52.] LIGHT PINK. White feathers are generally used for this color, but all light colors can be made a beautiful shade of pink by first bleaching with permanganate of potash. After washing and rinsing thoroughly in luke warm water, soap to remove all loose dirt and grease, or bleaching, if required. Prepare bath as follows: Take one gallon of luke warm water, more or less, according to the quantity of feathers you have to dye add a small handful of starch. Enter your feathers and rub around between the hands thoroughly to open the flues so as to insure an even shade; add a couple of drops of diluted safranine to bath. Enter feathers, and let them remain in the bath about one minute, or until feathers look about two shades darker than sample; gently stirring them around in bath meanwhile, and keeping them under the surface. Remove from bath, squeeze and dry in the usual way, rubbing them in dry powdered starch, and beat them out on a clean board or between the hands to remove all particles which might adhere. Should your sample that you have to match be a little on the yellowish order, a drop of diluted Bismarck brown added to bath will bring the desired shade; or if a very brilliant shade or rose pink, a drop of diluted violet added to the bath and increase temperature; a little judgment is always necessary; as, for example, should you require a dark shade, you would naturally let your goods remain longer in the bath than the time specified in recipe, or add a little more color, and if a very pale pink is wanted, less time and color should be used. Should you, at any time, find your color, after being dried, a couple of shades darker than your sample, rinse goods in luke warm water, and enter feathers, pass through for a minute, and dry. LIGHT BLUE. All other faded out light colors can be made into a delicate shade of sky blue by first bleaching with permanganate of potash process for the purpose of removing colors. White feathers that are only dirty and greasy must be thoroughly washed and rinsed in luke warm water, after which prepare bath as follows: For one gallon of luke warm water, more or less, according to the amount of feathers to be dyed, add a small handful of clean starch; enter your feather and rub them around in bath for a second between the hands to open the flues, to admit color evenly; add about one teaspoonful of oxalic acid, enter feathers and let remain in bath a few seconds longer; then remove feathers from bath, and add a couple of drops of concentrated cotton blue diluted; re-enter feathers and let them remain in about half a minute; increase temperature of your bath a few degrees by adding some hot water; take feathers out of bath and add thereto a drop of diluted indigo blue; re-enter, and keep them well under the surface of bath to give them an even color, and allow to remain in about thirty seconds longer. Take them out of bath, squeeze out and dry, either in powdered starch or by beating on a clean board or table. Under no circumstances allow feathers to hang wet and motionless on line during process of drying without beating the starch out. The result of so doing would cause the feathers to look thin, shriveled, and injure the color and quality of goods. The same care should be observed not alone in this, but in all colors. In light blues your bath should look about two shades darker than the sample to be matched. Where a darker shade is required, more color can be added; and, through carelessness or negligence, should you allow your color to become too dark, rinse off your feathers in cold water first to remove the starch, and then in luke warm water a couple of times to draw off all acid, and pass feathers a few seconds through a bath of luke warm water with a small pinch of soda in it, which will have the effect of drawing off all surplus color; after which rinse in luke warm water, and mix a fresh bath of luke warm water and starch and one-half a teaspoonful of oxalic acid; enter your feathers and carefully add color until you have obtained the desired shade. ECRU. All old colors, excepting dark brown, bottle green, navy blue, black, garnet, etc., can be dyed a good shade of ecru. Begin an old color by passing them through a solution of hot water, about one ounce of soda to a gallon of water, for about 30 seconds; after which take them out and rinse by passing them through clean boiling water, which will draw off more color than it would seem possible the feathers could contain. If all the old color, or enough of it, be not removed, put feathers through the permanganate of potash process. For dirty white feathers simply wash them thoroughly with soap and hot water, and rinse well; then prepare your bath as follows: One gallon of hand warm water, add a small handful of starch, and enter feathers, rubbing them around thoroughly, and getting the starch rubbed into the flues; then add to bath a small quantity of copperas, about the size of a bean, and re-enter your feathers and let remain in bath about one minute or less; after which add a few drops of logwood liquor and about a teaspoonful of diluted aniline brown, first removing feathers from bath; enter feathers and let remain in bath about one minute, being careful to keep them moving in bath. If found a little too brown to match your sample, a small pinch of turmeric added to bath will reduce the shade. If they are found a little too yellow for sample, a drop of diluted violet will answer. If the dyer, through his own carelessness, should allow his color to get too dark, proceed to extract color as follows: dilute in about one gallon of luke warm water one-half teaspoonful of oxalic acid. Enter feathers, first rinsing off starch in cold water; let them remain in about half a minute, and rinse off about three times in hot water to remove acid. The acid will turn the feathers a bright yellow, and after rinsing off well the yellow color will have entirely disappeared, and the feathers a light shade of dust. Prepare a fresh bath as per recipe, and, using more care, enter feathers and pass through until you have acquired the desired shade. In the first bath, should a very dark shade be required, add a little more logwood and copperas than directed in the recipe, and if a very light color, a little less. CREAM COLOR. There are numerous methods of producing this most beautiful, yet simple, shade. Any yellow substance in conjunction with oxalic acid can be used with more or less fair success. A great many dyers use a few drops of diluted logwood, developed with the aid of oxalic acid. The color this produces is very satisfactory when finished, but no sooner is it exposed to strong light than the color becomes a dirty drab shade, caused by the acid leaving the feathers, the logwood becoming oxidized. The best and most permanent shade of cream color is obtained in the following manner: Thoroughly wash and rinse your feathers to remove every particle of dirt, for it is as necessary to have the feathers clean as if they were for a white, and if they are very dirty or old faded out colors, put them through the permanganate of potash process, and then remove all color. Prepare bath of one gallon of luke warm water and a small handful of starch; enter feathers and rub around in bath between the hands; meantime dilute in about one pint of boiling water a small five-cent package of essence of coffee (commonly called chicory), and boil for a few minutes; then add a few drops of the liquid to the bath, and add thereto a teaspoonful of oxalic acid. Re-enter feathers and let remain in bath about one minute, constantly moving them around; after which squeeze them out and dry, either in starch or on a clean board. The result will be a rich and permanent cream. Should a pink or brownish tint be required to match sample, a drop of Bismarck brown added to bath will produce the desired result; or if wanted a little more yellow, a few grains of turmeric added to the bath will answer. [Illustration: CREAM--page 25.] [Illustration: LIGHT BLUE--page 21.] [Illustration: LAVENDER--page 38.] [Illustration: SALMON--page 71.] SILVER GRAY. A very delicate color, requiring feathers almost a pure white to make a clear shade. After thoroughly washing and rinsing, or bleaching if required, with permanganate of potash, prepare a bath of one gallon of luke warm water, and add a small handful of starch. Enter feathers and manipulate between the hands; then add to bath a small piece of copperas, about the size of a pea, and a few drops of diluted logwood liquor; re-enter feathers and let remain in bath until in appearances they are two or three shades darker than sample; then add to bath a couple of drops of diluted violet, first removing feathers from bath; let them remain in a few seconds longer, and squeeze out and dry in the usual way. The violet gives your feathers the brilliant shade that is so desirable in silver grays. Be careful in drying them not to use starch that has been previously used in drying feathers that have been dyed in acid baths, as it would be liable to spot your color. Should you, through carelessness or otherwise, allow your color to get darker than shade desired, rinse feathers off a couple of times in cold water to remove starch; then dilute half a teaspoonful of oxalic acid in a gallon of hot water, and pass feathers through it for a few seconds, and then rinse off twice in boiling water. After which prepare a bath same as per recipe, using more care, and pass feathers through until you have obtained the desired shade. BISMARCK BROWN. Wash and rinse your feathers, after which prepare a bath of one gallon of boiling water and about one ounce of turmeric and half an ounce of copperas; enter your feathers and let them remain in bath about two minutes, more or less, after which take out and rinse twice in cold water. Meantime have boiling a bath of half a pound of logwood to a gallon of water, and enter feathers at boiling temperature, letting them remain in about ten seconds or longer. Should a darker shade be desired, take out and rinse in cold water, after which dilute a half teaspoonful of aniline brown in a gallon of boiling water. Reduce temperature a little with cold water. Enter feathers and let them remain in about three minutes; then cool off a small portion of the bath, and add a small handful of starch, pass feathers through and dry. If a lighter shade is wanted, add a drop of sulphuric acid to the starch bath and pass feathers through. If the sample to match be more on the yellow order, about twice the amount of turmeric in the first bath; and if desired more on the red, use no turmeric, only copperas, in the first bath. If a darker shade is wanted, let them remain a longer time than that specified in the logwood bath. Any light color can be used to make a Bismarck brown; but if very dark colors are used, it is well to draw off some of the color, doing it in the usual way. [Illustration: SEA-FOAM--page 70.] [Illustration: SILVER GRAY--page 26.] [Illustration: ECRU--page 23.] [Illustration: TRILEUL--page 58.] SEAL BROWN. For seal brown it is not necessary to wash your feathers, nor to bleach off any color. Any old colors, excepting black, can be made a good shade of seal brown. Begin in bath by diluting about two ounces of turmeric in a gallon of boiling water (more or less matters not). Enter your feathers and keep them well under the surface of the bath about two or three minutes; after which take out and rinse in cold water twice. In the meantime boiling a bath of logwood about one pound to a gallon of water. If boiled on fire about fifteen minutes is necessary, and if boiled with steam a half hour is required. Enter feathers in logwood and let remain in about three minutes, keeping them well under the surface of bath, after which take out and rinse; if in cold water about twice, then dilute a half an ounce of bichromate of potash in a gallon of boiling water, and see that bichromate is thoroughly dissolved. Enter feathers and let them remain in about ten seconds, a longer time if a very dark shade is wanted; then take them out and rinse thoroughly in cold water; after which add to your logwood bath about one tablespoonful of extract of archil; bring bath to a boil and enter your feathers; cover up bath and let them remain in about four minutes; a little more or less time, in this bath is of no material difference in color, only to make the shade heavier or lighter. Take your feathers out of bath and rinse in cold water; mix a small handful of starch in about a quart of cold water, and pass feathers through and dry in the usual way. If your color be darker than the shade you desire, add a drop or two of sulphuric acid to starch bath, and pass your feathers through for a few seconds. If found to be lighter than the shade you desire, rinse off the starch from your feathers in cold water; then dilute a quarter of an ounce of bichromate of potash in a gallon of boiling water, and pass your feathers through; after which rinse, starch and dry. Another excellent method for quick seal brown is as follows: dilute two ounces of turmeric and half an ounce of copperas in one gallon of boiling water, and let them remain in about two minutes; take out and rinse, then enter in a strong bath of logwood at boiling, and keep under surface about three minutes; after which rinse; then mix a bath of a quarter to a half teaspoonful of aniline brown in a gallon of boiling water. Enter your feathers and let them remain in bath about three minutes; take out, rinse, starch and dry. If required darker, re-enter into logwood bath for a few seconds. If wanted lighter, add a drop or two of sulphuric acid in your starch bath, squeeze out and dry in the usual way. NAVY BLUE. All light colored feathers can be used for navy blue without first either washing or bleaching out any of the color. But if your feathers be very dirty or greasy, especially the latter, wash them well in warm soap water and rinse. Prepare bath by diluting about one teaspoonful of concentrated cotton blue in one gallon of boiling water; add about a teaspoonful of oxalic acid. Stir around well to thoroughly dissolve aniline; then enter your feathers, and raise temperature of your bath to boiling. Let feathers remain in about three minutes; a minute more will not do any harm, only have a tendency to make your color a little richer; after which take feathers out of bath and rinse thoroughly in cold water for the purpose of removing all loose particles of color and the acid; having boiling meantime a bath of logwood of medium strength; enter feathers, letting them remain therein about one-half a minute; take out and rinse in cold water; dilute about half an ounce of bichromate of potash in a gallon of boiling water; enter feathers, let them remain in about half a minute, and stir them around well in bath; after which take them out and rinse in cold water and starch and dry. Should you desire a darker shade, rinse off starch, and return to logwood bath for a few seconds, rinse off and repeat bichromate of potash bath; then rinse, starch and dry. In this way, by repeating the logwood and bichromate of potash, you can darken your color down almost to a black. Should you get your color darker than your sample to be matched, rinse off starch in clear cold water, and dilute a teaspoonful of oxalic acid in a gallon of hot water almost boiling and enter feathers, passing them through about a half minute; after which take out and pass through a basin of boiling water a few seconds. This will draw off the surplus of logwood and chrome, and then mix a starch bath luke warm; add thereto a half teaspoonful of oxalic acid for the purpose of bringing up the blue. This process will reduce your color three or four shades; then pass feathers and dry. This process of dyeing navy blue produces a rich, even shade that is perfectly fast to light and alkali, and with the smallest degree of judgment by the dyer it is impossible to have a failure. CARDINAL. Years ago the most successful shades of cardinal were produced by taking about equal parts of turmeric and oxalic acid and diluting in boiling water, entering feathers in same for a while; then adding thereto about half a cupful of extract of safflower and about the same amount of extract of archil, letting them remain in until the bath was cold. Not a bad recipe, but very expensive. Prepare your feathers by washing and rinsing thoroughly, after which take about one gallon of boiling water, and add to it about one teaspoonful of oxalic acid, and enter feathers for a few seconds. Take out and add to bath a teaspoonful of rocceline powder, thoroughly dissolved, and re-enter feathers; raise temperature of bath to boiling, either with steam or fire, and let feathers remain in about four minutes. If quite a dark shade of cardinal be required, add to bath about a tablespoonful of extract of archil and let remain in a little longer, or a few drops of diluted violet in bath will answer instead. Then empty out all but a small quantity of your bath and cool off with cold water, and add a small handful of starch. Pass feathers through, squeeze out and dry. The result is a most beautiful shade of cardinal. This color is perfectly fast to light. If your shade to match should happen to be slightly on the yellowish order, a few drops of diluted aniline brown added to bath with rocceline will produce the yellowish tint. It is hardly possible to spoil this color, except by the extravagant use of one of the ingredients. [Illustration: CHOCOLATE--page 75.] [Illustration: CORN--page 64.] [Illustration: MEDIUM BLUE--page 67.] [Illustration: BEIGE] CRUSHED STRAWBERRY. Prepare feathers by washing and rinsing thoroughly in luke warm water; or if old, dark, faded out colors, pass them through bleaching process of permanganate of potash; afterwards being careful to rinse all the acid out before entering bath. Prepare bath by diluting a small handful of starch in about a gallon of luke warm water, enter feathers and manipulate thoroughly between the hands for a few seconds; take out, and add to bath a few drops of diluted safranine; re-enter feathers and let remain in bath about one minute, or until they have assumed a dark shade of pink; then add to bath a few drops of diluted aniline brown and a small pinch of copperas, and enter feathers, letting them remain a minute longer. Take feathers out, and dry in the usual way. If a very dark shade is wanted, a few drops of diluted logwood added to bath at the time you add the copperas will have the desired effect; or a few drops of violet will answer in its stead. Should you find your color too much on the drab, a few drops of safranine added to bath will have the desired effect. Should you find that your color is entirely too dark for your sample, rinse off the starch in cold water; pass feathers through a solution of
{'title': 'The Practical Ostrich Feather Dyer by Alexander Paul', 'source': 'Project Gutenberg', 'lang': 'en'}