Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1859-02-04
N.Ishnm sIills--Brook,s ThreAd.-How Made

be as familiar to all. An American colored |
woman, the educated, intelligent, and talented |
] ULIA GRRFITHs is now in England, and in a
recent letter to Fred. Douglas Paper she gives
an interesting account of the Meltham Mills and
the manufacture of Brooks Thread" They
are the model Mills of Yorkshire, and stand in
the valley at the foot of what may be called the
backbone mountains of England. The village
of MeItham lies half mile higher up, upon the
edge ofthe wild moorland country which ex-
tends, with but slight interruption, into North
Britain. Nearly all the population of Meltham
and its enVirons are employed at the cotton or
silk mills ofMessrs Brook.
Egyptian cotton is used and mixed with sea
island, or New Orleans cotton, or any other
kind of cotton which will unite to form the best
possible threads; and after speaking of their
price, culture, &C., the writer very pleasantly
takes the reader through some of the rooms of
the great establishment of Metham Mills. We
quote;
After looking at the Cotton Store, in which
are many bales of cotton, brought together from
many parts of the world, we come to the first
cleaning room, in which is a curious machine,
which men and boys are feeding with the dirty
cotton we have Just seen. The cotton is opened
up partially freed from its encumbrances, rapid
" carried forward to another roller, cleaned fur
ther, driven into great basket, and hurried OF
to the next department of cleaning. The room
(strange to saw is free from dust, in conse-
quenee of the successful working of very in
gerious contrivanee which carries up the dirt
from the machine into cylinder placed in the
roof. In olden times cotton dressing was a
most unhealthy employment. Next come we
to the second department of cleaning-then to
the third, where the b,Ol0ing machine is, around
which are men busily employed When next
we see the cotton, it is freed from most of the
dross, and is in the form of web, wrapped
round roller. These rollers are carried off to
another wonderful machine, and thence, even,
smooth and white, they are taken to the eGrding
room. What a wondrous sight bursts upon us
as we enter the carding room This room runs
the whole length of the building, and is full of
wondrous machinery. Perpetual sound inces-
SAINT motion and yet perfect order Hundreds
of hands (most of them girls) are busily engaged
here in watching and feeding the machinery,
and joining the broken ends of cotton. The
wonders of the clrding room seem to run end
less; and as try to understand respectively the
breaker, the lap machine, the fnisher, and the
dralcing frame am too much amazed and bewil-
dered clearly to comprehend what am told, that
| in passing through all these, the cotton has
been doubled Is6, ,624 times, and yet it is of the
same weight and thickness it was at the COM
mencement of the (almos.) miraculous process
A little time ago the cotton looked rough and
coarse, now it assumes silky hue, and lies
smooth and straight on the cards. But it must
! - ,,,,,ch and means eff he 11cad
to make it hold together, so, it is carried into
the slasbbing machine, and here another world of
wonders opens up before me, as l look at I" fly
ers," ironing" " and "bobbinS," and am told that
| the rowing of this bobbin has been doubled
746 496 times since it left the bag, and yet it is
eight times smaller than when it left the cards
A little time since, there were one hundred
Yards to the pound ROW there are $40 yards to
one pound The bobbins are next carried TO
another machine, finer and smaller in its parts,
then to another, and still another, until, by tie
time they have passed through the last machine
in the carding room, every pound is made into
thirty hanks, containing rs, 200 yards of rowing
which has been doubled 3,9sI,3l2 times =
Next we come to the spinning room, and find
ourselves surrounded by spinning-iennIes. The
self acting spinning-jenny is one of the greatest
wonders here it is at full work, with no one to
help it it is never tired, and never makes a
mistakei and no manual labor can compete with
it for exactness. Here the yarn is spun, and
twisted and rolled on the spindle then it car
reed away TO another part of the works and un-
dergoes some process of steamins: next, by new
or ceasing machinery The yarn Is turneo INTO
thread, and we are looking at many hundreds
of spindIes, superintended by the nice, healthy
looking, and well dressed girls Then we
are shown the reeliRg room, where the thread
L. nLe. arI mo 70
the bleaching works, whence, after passing
through several processes, and being subject
ed to hydraulic pressure, it is carried to the
Sto1e, where you see it hanging upon poles
to dry, looking literally " as white as snow"
But the cotton is not yet quite completed /; it |
is again taken to the mills, and regularly ironed
by machinery. In this department greAt
many girls are engaged, and hand after hanki |
drawn forth, straight and glossy; then it IS sep
arated into small parcels, neatly doubled up, |
tied and labelled. In the same large room |
number of women and girls are winding the |
thread upon the spools, or reels, and very pref
ty sight it is to watch their busy fingers, NOV
ing so rapidly, yet so steady. Then man is
constantly patrolling this room with ,nleasur-
ing machine, 20 see that the proper number of
yards is on each reel, and "NoTIcE"is conspicu-
GUS on the wall, threatening to fine icinders who
are careless as to the quantity of thread they |
put on the spoos. Those who purchase |
'BRooK's THREAD may therefore be sure of full |
measure, and am inclined to believe of an |
excellent sewing cotton. Time fails me to tell |
of the bobbin department, where one man and |
one machine make thousand reels (or bobbins) |
IN an hour. The general aspect of the people |
employed in Metham Mills is most pleasing, and |
satisfactory. The men, women and girls look
healthy, neat and clean. Everything possible
is done to secure good ventilation to the rooms,
and the comfort of those who are employed.-l
Improvements are constantly going on; fine
new building is being erected, which will con-
tain spacious dining hall for the work people,
and lecture OF concert room for their use
They possess a band of musicians oftheir own,
and fire company also. A pretty little church,
founded and endowed by C. ]. Books, Esq, de
ceased,) one of the best of men, meets your view
as you enter the village; near to it stands neat
looking parsonage-house, and not far off is
fine village school-house, where the children of
the mills are educated, and where every atten-
ton is paid to their moral and religious culture
The Rev Mr. Ince, the incumbent of Meltham
Mills, is one of the most thoroughly Christian
pastors it has ever been my privilege to con-
verse with One day in each week he pays a
visit to the mills, and delivers an address to
such of the people as like to hear him. There
is no compulsion in the matter. Mr. Charles
Brook (the leading proprietor) has just erected
number of pretty, new cottages for the work
people, and now he is laying out park for
their benefit. The responsibilities involved by
those who (humanly speakiDg) hold the desti-
nies of so many of their fellow-beings in their
hands, are, doubtless, very great; yet, when we
see great wealth commanded, rightly employ
ed, and widely diffused, as it is by such truly
benevolent and Christian men as the Brooks,
the Crosleys, and Mr.. Edward Akroyd, we feel
that they are at once g blessing to their people,