The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1865-11-18
The Origin of Cotton.

The great staple, upon which so much of
commercial stability and physical comfort
depends, has remote origin. and we are
dependent for it, as for many other articles,
in the East. Prof Draper's new book fur
3nishes this information:
''To the Saracens we are indebted for the
cotton manufacture. Through their in6u-
ence that art was extended from Japan to
the Gulf of Guinea, from the Pyrenees to
the equinoctial line. They spread the use
of that material which, at this day. consti-
tutes chief source Of the wealth of man.
ufacturing Europe and agricultural Ameri-
ca. AS in the ces-mathematics, as
tronomy, chemistry, &c.-they have left an
'ihdelible impression, of which such words
as algebra, almanac, alcohol, and many 9TH
5ers that might be mentioned, are the endur-
ing "reminiscences, so in this branch of indus
try they are like witnesses; not few Of its
terms that have been incorporated in our
speech are of Oriental origin. The word
cotton " itself is Arabic; muslin is so call
ed from Mosul, a city on the banks of the
Tigris, where was once the chief seat of its
manufactures Calico from Calicutt in India.
! The undergarment worn by ladies passes
under u name which shows from whom they
derive it, for chenlise is an Arabic word.
The cotton manufacture was commenc-
in Spain by Alderman III, A. d. $50, a
period during which attention seems to have
been particularly directed by the Moors TO
the Improvement Of agriculture and manu-
factures, while the rest of Europe was fall
ing deeper and deeper into barbarsm and
night. Tim Khalf introduced Into the Pc
ninsDla the sugar cane, rice, aud the null
berry tree, with many improvements in such
arts as tanning and the manufacture of silk.
Cotton was carried into Sicily by the Sar-
acens on their occupancy OF that Island,
and, indeed, from Spain the use of it spread
more or less all over the north and east OF
Europe. One of the Mohammedan appli-
cations of this. vegetable product was des-
tined to be of the utmost value it was the
invention of cotton paper The real merit
of the invention of the art of printing lies
mot, as is commonly supposed, in the con-
itrivance of the press and types. bat IN the
making of paper. The process Of multi
plying impressions by seals aud stamps
which is essentially a printing process, had
been known from the remotest Antiquity
but such operations could never be made
available for the extensive dissemination oil
knowledge until something more abundant
I and cheaper than papyrus aud parchment
was discovered. This want was Supplied
by the Arabic cotton paper.
eE 1t was an ancient Butternut, with
grizzled head unshayed, his coat was torn
and tattered, and his hat was badly caved.
His raw-hide boots did bear the brunt OF
Johnstons last campaign, and his hollow
cheeks were tanned by the sun, and wind,
aud rain, and brick, and eyerytime he OPEN
ell his mouth it ended with hic !" One
arm around a lamp-post af1ectionately twin
ed. about the "nigger meetin " our hero
spoke his mind "Ish mosh awdashus
bishness (hic) for a low, (hic) blasted Mig
ger. to INSULT our (hic) noble stockracy, BY
cutting such figure. It's gainst the Con-
stitution thic) and the Dred (bic) Shot de-
cision, and the police ought to clean 'em
out, and lock EN- up in prshun, A nigger's
(hic1 no right to work, unless his master
makes him; COS (hic) be isn't civilized un-
tia horse-whip breaks him. The Bible
SAYS that heaven was made for (hic)the Sax
on race, and (hic) religion tells US make the
niggers know their place, Unless we make
'em- (hic) feed US, they II (hic) all go to ruin
land then our consciences will say we've
been (hic) their undoin. .H =
| So spoke the seedy Butternut in accents
sad and low, till in the gutter down he drop
ped. and sumbered of his woe.-NashUllle
Press. ~ a1re~ aE Cos raGt9u- D III