Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1861-09-26
From the New York Hera Id
SEODDY.

furnished to the soldiers, has started numerous
enquiries as TO what "sho!dy" really is and
how it happens that clothing is made out Of ma
terials in reality worthless A morning con-
temporary has thrown some light upon the sub
jet, which shows that it is nothing more or less
than rotten rags worked up by machinery and
mixed with just enough wool to deceive the
public, and thus manufactured into cloth The
cloth when made into garments, lasts about us
long ms the wearer is purchasing it, provided,
however, he absiaiDs from all exercise and sits
as though his lite depended upon his remaining
perfectly quiet. 1t is one of the myste' les Of
cheap clothing and big profits of dealers. 1t
originated in the competition with manuactur-
ers Of CLOTH who resortcd to this mode to COM
pete with their neighbors, sell their products At
a lower price, and at the same time continue
their high profits. At present the shoddy trade
is quite extensive, originating we believe in
John Bulls dominions, but now extensively
carried ON in this country, there being several
mills engaged in its preparation in this State.
The invention of machinery to prepare the
rags ard mould them into "shoddy,' has result
cd in the refuse wooden rags, which were for
mcrly rejected by paper makers as worthless,
or fit only for manure, becoming suddenly in
demand at from seven to ten dollars per ton
\ The black clotl "shoddy" is the most valuable,
and is used in the manufacture Of clothing such
as was furnished to portion Of the volunteers,
about which so much has been said. Our con.
temporary states that these refuse and worthless
rags are assorted into whites, carpets, shawl.
stufs, shirtngs, lnseys and black cloth. When
thus assorted and baled, they are sold to the
"shoddy" manufacturer, who takes all the
woolens, carefully asserts them and passes them
through the rag machine, which is a cylinder
set with teeth; this, revolving at great speed,
tears or pulls the rags to wool. When thor.
oughly pulled apart and reduced to soft wool it
is saturated with oil or milk, aud has the ap-
pearance of balls about the size OF pea, The
common 'shoddy' requires securing in heaters
filed with chemical matter; when thus com.
pleted it is mixed with new wool. ia as large
proportions as possible to escape Detection
The simon pure 'shoddy" is made of soft wool.
lens; but the hard or black cloths when prepared
in the same way, will produce what is called
"mungo," an article used exclusively in super
fine cloths which is usually finished in way
that will deceive the best judges Many per.
sons have no doubt been surprised at the accu-
mutations between the cloth and lining of their
rubbed out of the cloth. and will be found the
sequel for the sudden falling to pieces Of their
garments.
The recent dsgraceful developments in
} "shoddy" cloth made into soldiers uniforms, We
presume will injure the "shoddy" trade bat in
the meantime it has extended into other matters,
especially into the political world The polti-
cIl managers of this State are at present extern
sively engaged in this line, and are pressing
parties out Of the rotten rags and debris of the
late political parties, which they imagine they
can palm off upon the public as genuine. Thus
we shall have "shoddy" republican party and
"shoddy" democratic party in the field, both
claiming to be composed of pure material but
in reality the flag ends. rotten rags and debris
Of the old parties. Their organizations will in
fact, be ''shoddy," from one end to the other.
and if the public accept them they will be
hundredfold worse cheated than we're the poor
soldiers with their ''shoddy uniforms" We
advise every one to beware of, and not put their
faith in any of the "shoddy" political parties or
''shoddy" manufacturers.
VINO ARE TIE DIsUNloNIsrs?- repnbli.
can papers are just now very fond of quoting
Judge Douglas, and he must be good authority
to an item of testimony from his pen. The
Albany Atlas ard Argus. an able Union paper
which advocates vigorous prosecution Of the
war, charges that "there is class of republic
cans who DESIRE and are actively at work 10
bring about dissolution of the Union, and
the erection of Northern Government bounded
by the line of $50 30'. These men look to the
annexation of Canada to compensate them for
losses Of Southern territory; aud the avowals
Of the leaders have alarmed the British Gov.
ernment to such an extent that il is not Only
alienaed from the Northern cause, but it is fill,
ing Canada with troops for defence, or for at.
tack if the case shall provoke it," In proof O.
the disunonsm of black republicauisms, il
quotes an extract from one of the last letters
written by Judge Douglas to his intimate per.
sonal and political friend, the editor Of the Hi
nois State Register, as follows
1.-The fact can no longer be denied that
many of the Republican Senators desire war
and disunon, under pretcxt of saving tho
UuIon. They wish to get rid of the Southern
Senators. in order to have majority in the
Senate to confirm the appointments; and many
of them. think they can hold a permanent r..
publican ascendepcy in the Northern States, but
no, in the whole Union. For partizan reasons.
therefore, they are anxious to dissolve tho
UoioD. If it can be done without making them
responsible before the people"
The Argus we'll remarks upon this that Mr..
Douglas knew at m early day tina. the South
ern secessionists had corsp'red against the Gov.
erment, as events have since proved. He real.
lied afterwards that the aboltionists of the
North were playing an equally desperate game,
with equal Indifference to the safety Of the
Union.-N H. Paaioi.
"Abolitionism is the Lion that dsturbs the
North /; Secession agtates the South When
the Union men here separate themselves from
Abolitiouists and the Union men Of the South
separate themselves from Secessionists, it will at
, once bs obvious that between vast muisrities in
oh rnnIinn nE TIN IIn;np .Ln.o :. 49, Ii ... Ii