Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1860-1862, 1861-08-27


A correspondent of the Columbus, Geo.
San, writing from Glennviile, Alabama, says:
is perfectly well understood that our
soldiers in Virginia must have blankets this
winter. or hundreds OF them must perish.
Now blankets in quantity are not TO be had,
even for money. But they may be for love.
Thus:
This morning, at merchants counters 1
saw a lady buying calico to make comforts
"You are going to send those comforts to
the soIdiers?, / asked. 'sNo." said she,
am making them for myself. This set me
back little, but went IN again. "And
how about the soldiers!" II am going to
send them my blankets" was the answer,
much to my qualification. Now, it is certain
that we can get along with comforts; aud II
we will part with our blankets there will be
enough and no lack. till England and Franc e
trip up the blockade. go
But why not send the comforts to the
soldiers and keep the blankets ourselves?
Because, 1st. A "cemfort' is too heavy and
bunging to be carried on soldiers back.
ID. Being made of cotton. and very thick,
when once wet through it would require
several days good weather to get them dry.
OfteL a wet spell lasts from ten days to two
weeks, during all of which time the ''com-
forts'' would be more like mush- police than
a bed-spred. The fact is, comforts won't
do for soldiers. You needa't undertake it,
Now, how can a good blanket be made ?
a common blanket can be made equal to
three or four by the following simple pro-
cess:
Take brown paper, not heavy, SO much as
strong and tough. paste the sheets together
to make large sheet the size of the blanket,
1.-THE FASTING breaks the joints, and it is more
convenient to handle one large sheet tnan
half dozen small ones, when you come 10
sew it down , next, varnish the paper with
Copal or Grecian varnish, and let dry
hhOroughLy; next. make sheet of homespun
or calico same size OF the blanket. Now quilt
the three together, strong and fast, the paper
in the middle, blanket at the bottom, and
homespun on top. The quilting need not be
very fine or small stitch; say in rows, six
inches apart. right and left, (or from side to
side.) the rows crossing each other aud form
ing squares six inches to the side. The stitch
es need not be less than quarter of an inch
long as the fewer holes made the better: but
the thread and sewing ought to be first rate.
Lastly, sew up well around the edges.
Oil-silk would b. better than paper. but il
| is not to be had, and is very costly. Some
| think it would answer to varnish the home
spun, and omit tue paper, but it won't. |
| have tried it.
A blanket made as above would be light,
plant and durable, and equal to three ar four
| common blankets not thus prepared. Some
people will laugh at the paper and cry out
that it won't do. But it will, for the blanket
| on one side and the homespnn on the other,
prevents rubbing or strain on the paper, and
| the paper thoroughly excludes the air and
water. In using this blanket, the cotton side
| is the lre1ther Side. If it gets wet, the water
cannot go through the paper and the cotton
| side is soon dried.
Now for the philosophy of the subj ct-A
| blanket depends for its warmth, not upon its
weight or thickness, lat its cloSene>s of tex
ture, and consequent capacity to keep the
cold air from coming in. and the heat of the
body from going out. slept one night Tin
a strait under piano-cover made of cotton
| and coated with India rubber. The night was
| cold, but the piano-eover SON put me in a
perspiration, and / had to lift a corner of it
to admit the cool air.
| Again, why is it that no amount of cover
| will keep you warm, unless 1T be well tuck
| ed in ~ Because, if you leave a crevice, the
cold air comes and soon cbills the air under
| the covering. A good mother always tucks
/ The children in.
One more suggestion and have done. In
vanishing a large sheet OF paper, the best
| plan is to tack it to the side of the house and
| there let the sun shine upon it till dry. One
| hours time is sufficient. One coat only is
| needed-twe makes the paper stiff and brit
| tie, and prevents it from being easily folded
and easily tucked T. w. l..
P.S.-The preparation of the paper might
| be MAIDS business of itself 1t is very in
convenient for individuals to prepare the pa.
| per- many would buy it, if 10 be had, who
cannot take the trouble to prepare it them
| selves.