Mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado Co., Cal.) 1854-1860, 1858-03-27
A Yankee in a Cotton Mill.

a raw, StraW-hatted, sandy whiSKereu, SIX
fOotcr-One of the purely uninitiatcd, came in
one day from Greene with load Of wood for
the Factory Company. Having piled his wood
to the satisfaction Of the Oversccr, he baitcd
hiStea with a bundle Of green grass, brought
all the way from home for that purpose, and
then having invested portion Of the wood
proceeds in root beer and gingerbread at
IIam's, he started to see the "city"-iilling
his countenancc rapidly with the gingerbread,
and rs rapidly chewing it as he went along.
lie reviewed the iron foundry and machine
shop, and was just opposite the warp mill as
the hands were going in from dinner. The
girls were hurrying in as only factory girls
can hurry-and Jonathan, unaccustomed to
such n'array of plaid shawls and hood bon
nets, deposited his goad stick on the stairs,
and stalkcd in "to see what the trouble was"
The chattcring machinery and the move
mcnts of the operatives bcwildercd him for
the moments but being of an inquiring turn
Of mind, and seeing much that was calculated
to pcrplcX one whose observation in mcchan-
les had been mostly confined to thrashing ma
chimes and corn shelters, he began to push
vigorous inquiries IN all directions.
In this way he made himself acquainted
successfully with the external and internal
economy of the several machines through
which cotton warp progresses in the course OF
its manuiacturc-thc 'pickcr"-thc "bcatcr," "
'lap.winder," "doublcr," and spccdcr
finally reached the "brcakcrs" and "finSh-
ers," just as the card stripper was going
through the operation, technically termed
stripping the flats" In doing this, the large
cylcndcr of the card is exposed to view, and
is seen revolving with a pretty buzz.
contcntrd with contemplating the poetry of
motion" at safe distance, our hero must
needs introduce himself between the cards,
to get nearer view. This movement brought
his neither hablamentS in dangerous proxim-
ity to the gearing Of the next card, and there
by hangs tale"
"You-lsay! She goes pOoty-dont she
boss :" said Jonathan inquiringly.
"Shc don't do anything else" responded the
Stripper "but you must be very careful how
you move around amongst the hardware
Twas only last week, sir, that II promising
young man from Minot, student ut the Ac-
cademy here, was drawn into that very card,
sir, and before any assistance could reach him
he was run through, and manufactured into
No. IL, supcr-cXtra" cotton warp yarn.
81 s-S-swow! believe you are joking !"
suffered Jonathan.
Fact, sir" continued strippcr, "and his
NISCOllSOitLc IlOtDcT Cullc uONH TWO IlNS HEO
and got five punches of that same yarn as
melancholy relics"
"By the mighty! that can't be true"
"Fact, sir. fact and each of his fellow
student purchased skcin apiece; to be set in
lockcts and worn in remembrance of departed
worth"
AIS that the treuth, now? Was he rally
kccrdcd, spun aud sot in lockctsI"
4 SnnSn Of unrcOnal hn nuor horn IL, ,Ot ocrOcc
our hcro's mind, and he began to retreat pre-
cipitately without waiting for an answer
There was not much room to spare betwixt
himself and the gearing Of the card behind
him. Another step back completed the ccre-
mony Of introduction. Ills unwhispcrablcs
being Of large calibre, the process Of snarling
them up into hard knot was not slow. Jona-
than gave tongue instantcr, and by the twcn-
tieth gyration Of the embodiment of music
was mclodious. Gen. Scott himself could not
have protested more forcibly against "an at
tack upon the rear"
"O-h! Murder! Let go-you h-u r-t !
Blast your picturcs-.lct 60. Amt you
aShamcdy Get cOut!-'taint pootyg Darna-
ton sieze ye, let alone on Inc, can'tyew, dew. "
The gearing by this time had wound up so
that he was Obliged to stand on tip toe. His
hands were revolving vigorously behind him,
though he dare not venture them too near the
" seat of war;" The card strippcr threw of
the belt, but the momentum cylender kept
revolving, and the green un supposing it in
full operation, burst out anew.
"Oh stop her! Stop her, won't you ? Stop
her, dew! amt well, and ortcr be at home.
Father wants the steers, mothers going to
bake. Stop the tarnal mashcen-can't We
Dew! Oh, dear, I'll be keerded and spun and
set in lockcts Je-ru-sa-len, how wish |
was tcw hum"
Thccarl was stopped at last; but Jonathan's
clothes were so cntangcd III the gearing that
it was no small task to extricate him. Like
Othcllo, he twas not easily moved" and it
was only by cutting out the whole Of the in
vested territory, that he was finally released.
"What are you about here" inquired the
overscer, entering
Nothing, sir, only stripping flats, d" said the
StriPpcr.
jonathan, not daring to resume his pur-
suit of knowledge under difficulties, pair OF
overalls were loaned him and he started with
his steers on fast walk towards home, giving
n series of short kicks, with either leg as he
went, as if to assura himself that he had
brought away his full compliment of links
from the "cussed masheen."