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

We need not expect, IN the outset oil
Manufacturing, 10 compete with the North
ern people in shapes and colors. We fire.
quently hear complaints from Southern
manufacturers engaged in making woolens,
that they cannot sell their honestly made
Linseys in competition with the trash that
is brought out here and sold under the
name oil kerseys and Linseys; the warp
Of which is composed of the most inferior
cotton thread, and the filling Of greasy
cotton waste, being from It's short staple
and DIRT, wholly unfit for any thing else.
This is dyed and mixed with refuse wool,
such as cloth shearings, &C., aud there IS
but little doubt, that IN many instances,
the wool does not constitute l-20 of the
fabric. As an evidence Of our gUfi.b;hfy,
many persons among US are simple enough
to do their negroes The injustice of clothing
! them in this trash, while II would be far
cheaper for the owner and better for the
slave, TO have a good, sound article, made
entirely of cotton. The frauds which are
continually praciisel upon US, should teach
us a lesson, warning US 10 encourage a
system, which shall render us Independent
of foreigners, for such articles. IL we
have not the men now among US, who can
work mixtures, shapes and colors, they
will soon make their appearance when we
shall have got fairly started in the alanu
iacturc of Cotton; and when manufacmr-
Ing capital becomes popular for investments
in South Carolina, thls class of men will
be found emigratlng 10 our State.
Heretofore, Cotton has been so costly a
staple, that its price forbade the idea of its
taking the place Of Hemp, in the manufac-
ture Of Bagging; consequently, there new.
er vet has been any machinery made, with
the express intention of manufacturing it /;
recently, however, il has become subject
of great interest, and has elected much at
tention il Lowell and the other manulac-
turing towns at the North. Our Northern
friends would, probably, engage in the
manufacture Of this article, but for the
fact that the Southern States have turned
their attention TO the making of coarse
cotton fabrics, and they, being fully aware
of our advantages, we'll know tina, the first
attempt on our part would suppaut them
in this article as we have done in that OF
Osna burgs. For, be it remembered, that
deficient as our Southern factories arc, in
Tho essentials for successful competition,
they have notwithstanding, long since driv-
en- out Of this market the article Of North
ern Osnaburgs. | think | may venture
the assertion, that there has not been a
bale of such goods imported into Charles
ton, from the North, for the last two years;
and were il not that we are so deficient in
enterprise, il would be just as absurd for
the people Of the North to undertake this
species of manufacture, as it would be 10
import Hemp, TO compete with Kentucky
aud other places in the manufacture Of
Baggng.-
TIE facility with which cotton can be
! worked by machinery, makes II much ca
} ser TO handle than Hemp, and it will Ger
taIny cost much iess TO manufacture il
1t has already been shown that cotton
Cloth, weighing half a pound 10 the yard
is manufactured for q cts. per h., and
there is no doubt in the mind OF the writer
that Bagging weighing from J TO lbs
per yard, could be made with half the la
Dor and expense, that is, for cent pr h..
and that upwards of IA bales to the hand
might be converted into Bagging, per an.
mum. The machinery requisite for thi.
species Of manufacture Is Of the simplest
kind, and cetaJnIy susceptible of being
worked by negroes. The manufacture OIL
Kentucky Begging is performed by negro
hand labor, no machinery having ever been
successfully applied to it. The carding
machine now in use in Cotton Factories,
would answer for the first part of the pro.
cess Of making Cotton Begging. The
looms, which should be wider, would not
differ much, IN other respects, from the
ordinary osnaburgs looms, and should turn
out, i well hanged, from 100 to l25 yards
each, per day.
Having no knowledge of the cost Of pro.
ducing Hemp Bagging IN other countries,
shall confne my remarks TO our lmme-
date competitor, Kentucky. Hemp is an
article that has huctuated in price almost
as much as Cotton-the range being from
SO to Sill per cwt. Ii kept pretty stead.
lily, however, for many years previous TO
1910, at an'ayefage of So, since then al
81. The manufacture OF it into Bagglng
Is, as before stated, performed by hand,
and although great Improvements have
been made in the mode Of handling it, vet
1t is still tedious operation, requiring on
an average, 5 hands TO each loom-thrce
men and two boys. The hacking, &C.,
being heavy work, requires able bodied,
active men. Ia well managed factories
the bands are so iasted as TO produce, in
the summer season 400 yards per week to
the loom, and in the winter season 300
yards. | am now speaking Of The best
Since tho above was written, gentleman
informed me that had committed error in
stating that " not a bale OF Northern Osnaburgs
had been imported into this market for the past
two years. az he had purchased, only the day be.
fore, balo Of yard WIDE from OF the larges.
aud most respectable commission houses in this
city, engaged in the sale Of Domestic goods.
made immediate application to this house for in.
formation, in order that this error fone had been
committed, might bs corrected. 1t seems that
the last shipment, (till recently) made 10 them,