The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1868-12-12

n the PHILADELPHIA. United States Gazette

From the Philadelphis United States Gazette
Pliny was certainly trump. The more We
read him the more vehemently We assent to the
assertion Of Solomon, that there is nothing new
under the SUM-" We reviewed, the other. day, Q
work by this grand old gentleman upon the cul'
tivstion of asparagus, and the horticultural mag.
mates Of to-day will confess that six stalks 2of
that esculent, weighing sixteen ounces in the sg
gregate, are entitled TO serious consideration at
every fair ON the part of the committee on
premiums.
Some people differ from our friend Pliny as to
the original OF felt cloth. They claim that an.
other grand old gentleman, st. Clement, placed
9 bunch of carded wool inside his sandals to pro-
tect his feet from fric ion. when starting upon
loog and weary pilgrimage. The Westons and
other pedestrians of to-day do that for money
which the saints OF old did purely as acts OF
piety.
After St. Clement completed his journey, the
mass Of loose wool, placed by him upon the soles
OF bis sandals, came out Of them matted into q
cloth. This was the first fell" ever produced.
providing the Clementine theory stands like q
wsshtub, upon the merits Of its own bottom. The
fact is that wool possesses an sdaptabiity for
working that can be impaired to no vegetable
production. Under microscope every. dlament
Of wool or fur shows barbs along the entire
length, and each of them has larger and a small
end. They literally fit into each other. and felt
cloth that can thus be made from animal fur or
hair that, from the vegetable kingdom, can never
story, and microscope is something that the head
of every family, If he has not already purchased
one, should Immediately secure.
By the polteness of pair Of scientific, and yet
practical busine s gentlemen, we were yesterday
shown these rem 4rkable serrations upon a single
hair. The finest wool shows under q powerful
glass the appearance of continuous vegetable
growth with numerous sprouts, all pointing toward
the smaller end. As many 'stwentyfou hun
dred of them have been counted under this glass.
II b1uB1c inCu or merinO WOOL.
Felt cloth is made by pressing together this wool
or fur until 1t becomes compact mass. Patent
after patent for its production has been taken out
The New York Seamless Clothing Company'
was one of the first and most successful to avail
themselves of the advantages of a material of
which garments could be made In one entire piece
Felt has peculiar properties. Under ordinary cir
cumstances 1t Is for long time water.p proof it
does not wrinkle; while to the eye it presents the
appearance Of the very finest Melton. Having
neither warp nor woof Its surface is entirely even.
From 1t are made every article of wearing apps-
rel, eggings piano and table covers, cloaks, hats
slippers. mittens and other things all OF remarka-
bic strength and durability.
30 rapid Is the process of manufacture, that In
twenty four hours after sheep is sheared his wool
may be converted into q garment ready for wear.
II this is not enough to make . sheep feel proud
and fall back upon his dignity and his fleece. the
question now comes In, what Is! In Lawrence,
Massachusetts,, they make felt carpets that excite
envy in the bosom of Brussels, while as to its
value as jacket for q defective boiler, the old
Guy ice boat will answer all questions propounded
to it.
What Philadelphia has reason to be proud OF is
this: that wide-awake firm of manufacturers at
Germantown have purchased and renovated an
abandoned factory, are giving employment to two
hundred and thirty people, mostly females, and
are making from felt cloth the grand ducses
skirt, table and piano covers, cloaks and various
other articles OF apparel, by a process of which
the patent belongs to Philadelphia, and which is
to a large extent revolutionizing the art of en-
bossing upon this particular fabric. The felt cloth
is made in New England.
Its production is one of the few things in which
Yankee land has distanced us. But we sell back
to them the skirts and other articles thus wonder
fnlly beautifed BY the work of our operatives in
Germantown. The art consists In enclosing up.
on the plain felt garment most beautiful patterns
In raised work, but so feled in with the materials
as to be part and parcel of it. Heat and tremen-
dons pressure are the only agents employed.
gree OF beauty. Our grandmothers would have
stared at the innovation but though there may be
nothing new under the sun. there is q great deal
that is very strange. Our Quaker friends are alike
down upon embroidery and semiquavers. They
look upon indulgence in either as a waste OF time
Philadelphia can now supply the world with in.
Dumeratle articles of felt, all radiant as q flower
garden mo which Dee0Ie never entered, and up
On which paint or pencil never was applied.
The invention is but of few months standing.
IL struck our reporter as coming under the head
Of curious manufactures, and so it does. Il gives
light and elegant employment to at least two hun.
dred young women of Germantown. The factory
operations are conducted with all the dignity and
decorum OF young ladies' seminary. Like some
new discovery in photography or photographing,
the art is at present meeting with great favor.
At the leading cities of the Union some people
now hear of Germantown, Philadelphia who for
the first time understand that it is not in Germany
There are great many things about Philadelphia
that Boston and New York only learn when they
can't help 1t. One Of these things is that Phadel-
phia has taught the world how to produce in any
desired colors, upon ground Of gray, an artistic
oasso relieve representing any design that may be
desired.