The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1856-11-05
From the Philadelphia Ledger.
The Cashmere Goat and Shaw Is

The cashmere Goat ana shaw Is.
Ii is not as yet generally known that
the Tbibet goat, from whose wool the ia
nous Cashmere shawls are made, has
been introduced successfully into the
United States. This enterprising under.
taking was achieved few years since. af-
ter many difficulties, by DR.. j. b. Davis,
of Columbia, s. G., at that time employ
eo by the Ottoman Porte, in experiment
ting on The growth Of cotton, in the Sui.
tan's dominions. DR.. Davis succeeded,
at vast expense. in securing eleven of the
pure breed, which, on his way home. he
exhibited in London and Paris Siuce
that period. the goat has been introduced
from South Carolina into Tennessee.
where it is said to thrive. The value of
a flock may be estimated from the fact
that no real Thibet goats has ever been
sold for less than thousand dollars
This enormous price, moreover, is not
speculative Que, for no feesed animal ha,
wnol of such fueness softness and dura-
bility. The wool Of all the Thibit goats 10
Tennessee for example, has been cngag.
cd, at New York this year, at eight dol
lars and half per pound, the purchas-
ers designing to send it to FALSELY, in
Scotland, in order to be manufactured
into shawls
The prices paid for the real Cashmere
sbawls. or those woven in India, have
sometimes been almost fabulous. A full
sized shawl, such as is called in America
long shawl, ordinarily commands in
-,
five thousand dollars, according to the
quality. Scarfs and square shawls, be-
ing smaller, sel for less 1t is mis-
take, however, to suppose that all these
slawls are manufactured in India, in the
shape in which they are sold here. Cen
orally, indeed, the centres aud borders
come out separately, and are put togeth
er afterwards in sizes. aud often patterns,
| to suit purcbasers.--M oreover. large
| portion of tho shawls sold as real India
ones are actually made in France, for =
| Thibct goat was introduced into the coun.
try more than thirty years ago, and tho
| Cashmere shnwls initiated with consider
able skill. Judges of the article pretend
to say, however that the real India shawl
can be detected, by its having less even
| ly woven web, as also from Its brighter
colors 1t is likewise said that the Dor.
dor of the genuine Cashmere shawl is
Invariably woven in small pieces, which
are afterwards sewed together, as the
whole border is subsequently sewn on to
the centre. But other authorities deny
that tho skill of India is insufficient to
Jroche a shawl in other words, to weave
the border and ccntre, in one piece, or
run tie pattern of the former over the
vatter.
Notwithstanding the successful imta
tion of these shawls, fashion and luxury
still prefer the apperantly ruler original.
Just as lacos, woven by hand, bring
price more than five times as great as the
same pattern woven by machinery, so
Cashmere shawl, known to have come
from India, will fetch vastly more than
the cleverest imitation. Probably, how
ever, this is not all. Persons familiar
with both the article and imitation as
sert that the former is softer than the lat
ter, and that this softness arises partly
from the way the thread is spun and
partly because the Thibet goat when ex.
ported from its native hills sens,bly de-
teriorates There is also a shawl known
populaily as the French Cashmere which
is an imitation of the imitation but this
has none or very little of the wool ofthe
imported Thibet goat The animal
from which this valuable fleece is taken
is hardy creature. at least in its origi-
nal locality and their fno curled wool
lies close to the skin, just as the under
hair nf the common goat lies nnder tho
upper hair, Eight ounces for full size
goat is large yield, but the yearlings,
from whom the best wool is taken, give
less. About five pounds is required to
make shawl Of the largest size aud finer
quality but three or four pounds is sulli
c!ent for an inferior one.