, 1859-11-30
19rca8 4 Tributtt,


The Labor Of Mailing Hoops.
4 correspondent Of the Hartford 1ima gives
the following curious facts respecting the mau-
ufacture Of steel hoops for ladics skirts, ut tie
mill Of Henry S. Wasbbusn, Of Worcester, Mas
sachusetts:
Mr.. Henry S. Washburn makes some Of the
fiaest wire in the world. lie showed US speci-
men Of No. G. iron wire, Gner than d hair. It
weighed only .cfen ounces. and was 6, 200 feet;
or thirteen miies, fifteen rods, twelye feet and
Six inches in length. It was drawn cold from
u piece Of iron one-fourth Of IN inch in diaul-
eier.
Mr. Wnshbnrn u,anufacturestwenty Thousand
yards day OF steel crinoline, or flat wire, which
Is here tempered and coyes cd, Ail ready for the
ladies' skirts. The manufacture Of this kind Of
vie Tor hoops) is immense. Ar. Washburn es.
ttuxte3 that at least five thousand tons Of steel
anl iron arc used annually in this way for the
latlies Of the United S ates, South America and
Nit xico. 1t is sold, when cayertd, a. wholesale,
at about fifty ceuts pound, and about three
quarters Of pound is required for each skirt
lneed, we suppose thai bis estimate Of i've
taousaud sons Of hoep year is quite too low.
in this county ind the South American states
VII wear hoops. Many Of them wear out half
dazen sk'1ts year; suppose the average TO-
be three year. to each, aud that the iron OF
each weighs only half pound we have fifteen
millions Of pounds Of St. ei and iron hbpps used
up by the laties Of the United States ana South
american states every year or seTen thousand
i've hundred mud fifsY. i've tons, costing seEen
M u half millions Of dolllrs.
VOW imsg'ne the amount Of labor, Of money
and Of skill brought into actssc AeEriee by ta,s
fIshiou Of spreading the skirts by hoops. See
tue dusky n,,acrs cutting their ~ay into the
10 ~eis OF TIE earth to bring up the thousands
of tons Of lion ore necessary to make these
Loops; the long train oil Elules necessary to
draw it t. the furnaces where it is melted into
"r'gs;' tile tnuny men and bays employed 10
planl, hoe. NOV, rake and liIch, to produce food
Tor the mules aud the miners, the puddlers and
sa.elt=rs. the ,ron'workcrs and the wire draw
era; and thu machinery, too, recessarE to bring
III: wire into 94,tened shape aud comelE form,
IL temper it, 10 Gt and cover it. Thick Of the
wtar OF BRAIN and the test Of genius, 10 pro.
duce these 1esa1ts-of The utnount Of coal fsnd
here come in The mioers, and tie mules, and
tha producers a.,ain) to keep the boilers steatn.
'n,s aud the machinery running for making this
wire! And tsen again. think Of the force dl.
rcctsv emplo. ed in this skirt-hoop manufac-
turel
Ar. Woshburn a1one employs sixty -seren men
and boys aud thirty ythree females iu straigbten'
lni5, fattening, lcmf cling, covering aud packing
these hoops. And then we must not loose Sight
Of the fact that these, too, must be Ted aud
clothcd-kceplng the tutors, and milincrs, and
80 hoemskers io motion to cover Them, and the
batrher and nillers Us we'll as farmers to pro
| drcc. and the Eridgets in tue kitchen to cool
for item. And tllis IL no, the bali Of it! Like
| the hoop ltself, round and round does this esti
t mate 60, nerer ending, but always putting onc
swelling up, drawing into its folds miners. iron
n'ongers. mechanics, artisans, inventors, far
| ns:rs, Grocere, dTy goods men. aud the mill'
t:tat SUPPLY them, DOCTORS ostler*. cooks. # ait
nrA II, tsA%1. -
1rpn hoop that runs found 2ud rnund tho skirt
of our wives and daughters, put6ng thtna OF
cf proportion, and making it iuconvcaient fo
then, 10 ride in Stage coaches aud tit in cburct
rewE. And whnt IL the product Of The hooI
t"rsef Its influence, not upon the hearts, bu
upon tue muscle Of mankind, is great, and sci
astr u large number Of 1he industrial c14sse
and the :hcn Of Eeniu.. but what does it pro
duce? Why, merely The grand c'itnatcric o
the puff aud bloat Of fashion-th4ta all. Do
Low odd md dreury it would be to see the Ia
| dies nova days without hoops We should a.
of u, iurolunsarily s4udder at the Eight. s.
firmly DOES Fashion thrust and twist her lop
tinsers in our ha!r. turning aud turning the gr
TIL "ur eyes START "ut aud turn up. &c ing 701h
Ins sase beautiful tniata and shadows, vafic.atcL
f'rn, ng into shapes and imaginary substance
tcf"rc onr adni,iug gaze. lndced. now, ii.0
VIC have become used 10 tic hoops, it would b
shocking enough to part with Them So 60 o
AE. Nas5burn-tou and others in tue sam
sork-gp On with yoar furnaces. your triI
hammers. your cos-wtee's, pouderous mach
merry, your hissiug boiess and .,roauny engine
go ou, fill IN y9ur coal buukcrH, keep the mill
running aud tae employees busr-turn out Jor
s:scu urtl i laf millions Of dollars worth al
Eu.'ily--thc ladiea will take them promptly, th
husbands aad fIthtrs wi: pay. and you an
your employees will prosper. Let no mun s.
That t;crs can uevcr any good come out of Ii
hooped skirts. They saell~-tte prosperity
lac country.