Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1859-07-23

the lace which figures so beautifully in the por-
traits by Vandyke, and afterwards by Sir Peter
Lely and Sir Godfrey Kneller. 1t was made Of
fine Aaxen thread, woven on q cushion or pillow,
by wooden bobbins, and the pattern OF which was
worked with the needle. As years
rolled by, many improvements were affected in
pillow lace making and working, but none of
any very extraordinary importance until 1900,
when a new design was introduced ct Honiton, In
Devohshire, so delicate and beautiful as not to be
exceeded by the finest specimens of Brussels lace.
Thirty years previous to the success of the Hon
iton lace, another new description of manufacture
was invented by q poor man, whose motive 10 the
attempt was solely a desire to amend the oircum-
stances OF his family. His name was Hammond I;
he was a framework-knitter. or stocking weaver. at
Nottingham. His loom was a hired one, and con-
sequently he had but o small share of his earn
ings for himself. One day his wife eat near him
while he worked; she held a baby to her bosom,
anu, as she caressed it in oil a mothers deep
love, hammond ceased his work to gaze on them
both. The young mother wore q small mus
lin cap, which as she bent her head; partly shaded
her face from her husband and attracted his at
tention. A thought suddenly occurred to him, that
by a modified action of his stocking-frame, be
could initiate the border; and he knew that if he
did so, independence was secured. He impaired
the idea to his wife, and asked for the CAP. that he
might more particularly examine the lace. She
gave 1t cheerfully, but not without many cautions,
for she had not much hope of his success, and she
would be sorry IL he spoiled her pretty cap, as
she had not n second with lace borders, Ham
mond bid her not fear, for he was determined to
succeed. at may take some Time" he said, "but
will persevera, and try again and again."
Days and weeks passed, and still he toiled on
.cheerfully, till his frame had assumed quite q new
form, and produced neat quilting net instead of
coarse stockings. The first fruits of his labor
were bestowed on his wife, who had never once
uttered q word of Encouragement; but even when
her own heart felt but little, bid him be of good
courage, and 'try again."
As he had anticipated, a fortune was secured to
him by his invention and not to him alone, bu,
to all the manufacturers in Nottingham and its
vicinity. Every frame work knitter forsook the
trade of stocking making and, by degrees, the
retail shops exhibited specimens Of machine made
lace, which were UNNECESSARILY cheaper than any
which had ever been produced by hand, and we're
as beautiful as the choicest which arrived from
the Continent. Hammond's machine is no longer
used in England, but on the Continent it is employ
ed in making the net called tule.
So far back as 1881, it was estimated that tho
capital employed in Manchester, in spinning
thread for the bobbinnet manuracturers, amounted
to nearly one million sterling, and that the capital
employed in various ways exceeded two millions
that the numbers employed in spinning,
marketing, winding, embroidering ,mending, bleach
ing. stitfening and dressing, amounted to more
than two hundred thousand, the raw material
%tcotton and silky used was worth about 'el5O,OO
annually, in the state as imported that this value
was increased to 945O.0oO when spun into thread;
nd that the final value, when manufactured into
net and ready for sale, was nearly two millions
annually, or. including the wages of embroiderers
employed In different parts of England, more than
three millions sterling. Since that period numer-
Gus improvements have been introduced in ma
chinery. by which a larger quantity is produced at
lower rates. 1t is calculated that o clear surplus
of more than o pound sterling is realized uron ev-
er pound weight of the raw material; which is
distributed over the trade in rents, profits and
wages; and this is altogether independent of the
profits arising from embroidcring. in itself a most
important and extensive branch.
Such are some of the results of Sir Henry Dor.
lace's scheme for the improvement of the condition
of his poor tenantry. His success may we'll en-
courage those practical philanthropists who are
laboring to introduce similar domestic Industry
into Ireland. There the problem of finding new
employment for females is in much the same stag e
that it was in Buckinghamshire in the time of Sir
Henry Borlace.