The Charlotte journal. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1835-1851, 1845-05-02
CHAPTER VII.

H0hbJdctHTeS IN SCUM CGr0tIHd. ia
William Gregg. -CoNTINUED.
CHAPTER VII.
| will now undertake. to show tho cause
oil failure IN cotton spinning, in this State,
and the measures that mus, be adopted, to
prevent similar results hereafter. 10 these
efforts. trust il will be proved tia, no fair
experiment, or even an approach 10 il, has
YET been made. The Saluda and Yaucluse
Manufacturing Companies siandiog foremost,
shall be first noticed
These companies were formed in the
year 1893, and there can be no doubt thu
they were stimulated to action by the hes
and most patriotic motives but, however
praiseworlhy the motives, the result has
been the cause of more harm 70 South Car.
lima than can be repaired for many years 10
come. The failure of these Companies, is
brought 10 the view Of every one who turns
his attention TO the subject, and tho eiFec,
is, TO dampen ardor, and wither all such
enterprises in the bud. These two estab-
llshments stand like rocks in the ocean, TO
warn the mariner Of the approach Of dan.
ger; but il 10 hoped, that on nesrihS,,he
objects, they vii! be found 10 be mere de-
| lusions.
The original proprietors Of the Saluda
mill were company formed, with the ex
peclailon of running 10000 spindles, to
make osnaburgs, shir,ngs, drills, musIins,
fine yarn, coarse yarn, IN fact every thing
that might be desirable, TO fill the shelves
of a Columbia merchant. They seemed no,
10 anticipate the necessity Of looking 10 any
other market for the sale Of their goods.---
They employed man wholly ignorant of
such matters, Zone who did not even know
the difference between lhrostls and mule
spindle to lay out the establishment; and
get up the machinery, which was made by
Mr.. Alfred Jenks, Of Bridesburg, near Phil
adelphia. 1t is fine machinery, bot better
adapted for making muslins than osnaburgs.
This machinery is SC arranged as to render
it imprac,icabe 10 adap, 1t TO the Masses
chuseits system, and cannot, without many
alterations and additions, be made to turn
off, with given number Of hands, more
than one third the quantity stated as the
product Of the Lowell mills, no,
more than one half, with th6 very best
management. The dlfferen, Eentlemen,
who have been interested in thiaesablish
ment, have attributed ts want Of success TO
the bad management Of agents but the Sc
crel lies beyond the reach ofoyerseers, and
until many dollars are expended in new, or
in altering the present machinery-and a
new system, both as TO the production and
sale of their goods, is adop,ed-they may
not expect 10 realize profit.
Now, in the outset, if this company,
composed o! gentlemen Of sufficient in.
leligence to carry on any enterprise
had gone TO Boston for advice, they would
have been warned against the course they
pursued, as being one that must inevitably
lead 10 failure. They would have been cd
vsed TO undertake the making of but one
article, either osnuburgs or coarse sheetins;
TO get all their machinery Of the same de
scrption adapted to the particular article
they proposed making to nail their colors
TO the mast, taking i, for better or for
worse TO hire carder, spinner, dresser,
weaver, and an active and skilliul young
man as an overseer-iakinG the best talents
that Massachusetts could afford. These
men get from 81 so TO 50 per day, and, by
adding 25 or 80 cents more, they would
have offered inducements that would have
commanded the very best. They should
have employed merchant, in Columbia 10
purchase their cotton and receive their
goods, who, after supplying the Columbia
oIo,,IJ hnua ShippaA tho halapCp
to Charleston, where there should have been
but one agent. The merchant at Colum-
bia should have been mede 10 clear his
shelves of all similar goods, andpot to ofiar
them for sale in broken packaAesz-to sell,
in Columbia, qusptites not less Than hive |
bales, at the Charleston prices--to keep
set of books, and make monthly exhibits TO
the stockholders, showing the number of
pounds of cotton sent TO the mill, aud the
number of Yards and pounds Of cloth return
ed. Had this system been pursued, II would |
have teen only necessary to keep up cor
respondence with the Lowell and other
companies, receiving monthly statements to
BIO compared with their own, IN order to
know, at all times, whether the mill was
turning out its proper quantity. Every |
member of the company would soon have
become so well acquainted with factory de-
tails, as 10 enable him 10 Judge what guam
tty of cloth q given number Of spindles
ought 10 turn out, and the proof would, at
all times, be at hand, whether the agent
was doing his duty or NOT. There would
then have been no chance for iedks-the |!
books of the Columbia agent would have
shown whether sufficient number OF pounds
of cloth bad been returned for a given guam
tty Of cotton, after making reasonable
allowance for waste. The Charleston
agent should have had entire control of prl'
ces. II a discreet merchant, he would not
have allowed the goods to accumulate, nor
would he, by forced sales, have brought an
undue pressure on this market; tho prices
in which, do not now, but should always
range up TO the New. York market. II
should have been this merchants province
10 find markets for the goods in New York,
Baltimore, New Orleans, Mo-
bile, and other places.