Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1866-05-02
WOOL MATTERS.
Letter from DR.. Randall on American vs
Foreign BrOadcIOth WOOls-Theil
proper Ienghth, washing, &c.

L Il
proper Ienghth, washing, &c.
r. WASHINGTON, D. c., March %.
Ny. DEAR MooRE:-Last evening l had
a long and interesting conversation with
Horatio n. Slater, of the Slater Woolen
Company Webster, Mass, the principal
broadcloth manufacturer of the United
States. He employs thirty-two sets Of
machinery and annually manufactures
900, 900 pounds of the two highest
grades of Mestiza wool, and $50 900 lbs.
of American wool of the best descri ptions
grown in New York, Pennsylvania and
Ohio. Mr.. Slater commenced manufac-
turing broadcloth in 1899. When the
tariff of 1916 stopped all similar estab-
| lishments, he persevered and kept his
own in operation until 1854. He run his
mills years without any profit. 1t was a
matter of pride and labor of love with
him. He, doubtless, too, hoped for IA
yorable changes, but they we're long in
coming. Three or four years since he
again resumed the business.
| found Mr.. Slater as frank and COM
municative a gentlemen as l ever met
with-as ready to bear witness to the
facts which favor the America wool grow
ers as some manufacturers are to conceal
them; and in repeating parts of the con
versation between him and myself, l wish
you and your readers to remember that,
in all that pertains to this branch of
manufacture, he is concededly the high
est and best authority in the United
States. Mr.. S.. afirms, unhesitatipgly,
that wools can be grown IN the United
eyeryway as well adapted to the manu-
e e LII IN,
any other country in the world. He says
such woods have been grown in our coun-
Try, and that he has worked them and
fully tested their qualities. He men
toned, as an example. those purchased
some years since by John Brown in Wash
ington county, Pennsylvania, and in con-
tiguous portions of Ohio and Virginia.
On one occasion, Brown sent. some of
these to England, and afterwards imports
ed them back. On their return, Mr.. Sla-
ter bought and manufactured large
quantity of them. Browns woods were
classed as x, XX,Eandz xxx. Mr.. S.
says that the x, or third class wool, was
as good as any now put into American
cloths-thst there could not probably be
found at the present time lOO, 1000 pounds
of as good wool in the New York or Phil-
adelphia markets-that some OF 1t might
be finer, but it would be found less uni |
form in quality, and parts of it would be !
run out" !. e. weaker, less regular in
quality, and possessing less felting quail
ties. He says that Browns Xxx wool was !
a distinct grade above x, and would |
make a superior cloth-cloth fine enough |
to meet the wishes of those who wear
the best clothing. That his xxx was
nearly equal to '.picklock" from Germa-
ny. that quarter or third of it-would /
with all these grades, worked as
well, in every particular, as any other
woods, of equal fneness, in the world.
After this decision. and ipdisputable |
testimony, we hope never again to hear
the pretence that the United States can
not grow the best broadcloth woods, fool
ishly or dishonesty put forth by those
who have an interest in keeping the du-
ties low on such foreign woods, and who /
therefore claim that they compete with |
nothing grown at home. 81 /
Mr.. Slater now uses MestiZa wool with |
enough American to compose half the /
warp. In plain broadcloths the warp
constitutes about one-third, and the fill. /
ing two-thirds of the fabric, so that the
of American wool used is one
sixth. The latter is used to give strength /
to the cloth. Mestiza wool is much weak
er. In twilled broadcloth the proportion /
Of warp to filling are as forty-6Ve to ffty-
five. In doeskins the warp slightly pre-
dom mates. In the latter, filling may be
two grades lower than the warp; if there
is any difference between them in broad
cloth, the filling should be the finest
Mr.. SIS statements in regard to the
length of wool admissible in fine broad
cloths, are important to American Wool
growers. Wool for warp may be from one
and three-fourths to two inches long, or
even little upwards. The filling is usu
ally the shorter wool from the same
ieeees, and may be from one to one and
4 half inches long.
Mr.. Slater is decidedly opposed to
growers washing their own wool, consid-
sripg that, as now generally performed,
it is merely covering for fraud. He is
now importing 100000 pounds of Saxon
and Merino Mestiza. and No Mestiza
wool. 1t cost him 134 to l41 cents per ID
of the grower in Buenos Ayres.
Mr.. S. gave me much other valuable in
'ormation, whiah have not now time or
'oom to repeat, and in regard to all the
acts stated by him kindly allowed me
% make use of them as l should see fit,
that he" had no secrets on
such subjects" Yours, very truly.
uENDV PANnATI