Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1862-04-25


We find in the New York Tribune some
comments on the "Shoddy report" in the New
York legislature. A committee was appoint.
ed to investigate the doings of the state mill
;ary board last spring. There were charges
Of fraud and foul dealings in "shoddy." In
due time this committee made report, which
the Tribune thinks, was far more damaging
in what ii surmised than in what il proved"
And the committee themselves appear to have
come finally TO the same conclusion, for in
supplemental report, they retrSct several of
their charges, and materially modify some of
their statements. 1t is evident that there and
elsewhere, considerable injustice has been
done by outc,ies against "shoddy," based on
surmises rather than facts.
In more cases than one, unquestionaby +,
clothing for soldiers and other people has been
made of what is called "shoddy cloth, with a
deliberate intention to cheat the buyer; and it
is likely that some army contractors have
been bribed 10 accept such cloth, which is it.
self fraud and lie Clothes made of it are
not worth putting on. AS soon AS the use OF
them begins they begin to break away and
fall to pieces, and blanket made of such stuff
is likely to be torn to rags before morning on
the first night it is wrapped around sleeping
soldier. A state prison is too good place for
the knayish wretches who can palm off such
material upon our soldiers in the field Ii is
possible that last spring, in the suddenness
and hurry of preparing the volunteer regi
ments for service, those who had charge of the
business were sometimes imposed on. They
were new to such business suitable cloth was
not abundant; and it is known that in some
cases, even in this state, the fitting out of reg
imets was delayed by waiting for suitable ma
terial to be manufactured AT that time frauds
may have been practiced on those who had so
much important work TO do in a hurry, but
the cases are probably rare, if they exist at all,
in which state military boards connived at
such frauds
There is one fact connected with this
"shoddy business OF which neither the Ls
bune nor the New York committee r III"
mention. The vile stuff e sSssS nnthn ,.o',
by some villai, 81, -
ing la
aaIals.s not made Of genuine shoddy. II haS
sloien the name and damaged the reputation
OF the genuine article without gaining much
advantage for itself Cloth made of real
shoddy is as strong and substantial as any in
the market. il is coarse in texture, and con-
sequently thick and heavy, and much more
suitable for blankets than for garments and,
for camping out, we should prefer blanket
well made Of this material to any other Real
shoddy is no more like the miserable stuff
sometimes called by that name than good
wool is like wheat bran.
The material, misuamed "shoddy," and SO
justly denounced by ali honest people, consists
of old rags, ground as fine as meal. 1t is put
in fullng machines with webs OF woven stuff
made just strong enough 10 hold together, and
worked into them. Alter this process, The
stuff being taken out and dressed, seems TO
persons unsuspicious of the fraud, TO be good,
substantial cloth; but misfortune to him, who,
deceived by this appearance, buys it for use.
Satinets are tomeIimes thiekened and Gin.
proved" by this material. We have before us
specimens Of the true and false shoddy, and
any one in Worcester who desires to be ell.
lightened in regard to the difference, should
call on Seagrave { Fisher, where lie will find
everything necessary to a full investigation of
the matter. They manufacture and deal in
the genuine article.