The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1868-11-19

Calico Pri.tiBg In France.

We are 90 accustomed TO liberty In every kind
OF enterprise. that we find il hard TO realize the
actual restrictions, amounting to almost insur.
mountsblf obstacles, that 10 olden times aud 10
older countries retarded almost every branch OF
industry. tIn old times, the tyrannical exactions
OF the feus lords gave rise to secret societies FIR
mutual defense, which, as they increased in num-
bers and appearance, became corporations. copy.
ing the vesy tyranny they had resisted in others.
This courks of action, which has in measure
chung Though many ages even to enlightened
statement powerfully affected the business of
calico printing in France, for on the first intro
duetion ossuch goods, the corporations OF weavers
and dyers, alarmed for their own trades, by their
clsmor ana influence, induced the government to
issue DEGREES strictly prohibiting the printing OF
calico in France. The demand, however, for
these forl' idden goods increased, and the heavy
duties exasted for their importation caused an
amount OF smuggling 90 alarming that the Council
of Trade stlength proposed more liberal measures,
and after tiolent opposition, royal decree was
issued In 1853, permitting the printing OF caicoes
in France:
individual enterprise was thus set free, and q
Young &c IMAM, named 0berksmpf, who had just
learned t5e art in Switzerland, and combined
much int iigence, industry and ambition, secured
q small hvnse, with q field attached, about fifteen
miles frotl Paris. leased it for nine years at small
rent and with one brother and two workmen laid
the founo stion Of one of the most extensive and
prosperors manufactures in France. Their mouse
was 90 eis all that the large kettle used in heating
colors ba9 TO be placed in the yard and the print
ing tablea erved the additional purposes OF their
dining tsyle by day and bedstead at night. In
this frugt. manner, and with but three others to
assist him, Oberksmpf printed 10 May, l16O, the
fret pieeh of calico In France, and IN two months
had priiaed enough to send to market. Twice
was be deceived and overreached by partners in
whom be- had confidence, and lost all that by
strictest;. economy he had saved. But, never
daunted by misfortune, he continued his labors.
Cotton cloths had been printed in India from
time inf emorial, but the outline OF the design
alone wss printed. and the colors had to be filled
in by ths hand. In Europe the printing OF colors
had been attempted, but as chemistry had made
but litths advance, the process was expensive
The design was drawn on as many blocks of wood
as there we're colors, and then all but the color
used in each was cut away, and the block pressed
on the cloth left the imprint of the color. An
other block bad to be applied TO produce an
&. other color. The loss of labor and materials. by
want of. precision, can well be imagined. Ober.
kampf secured the services of the best workmen
to be found in Germany and Switzerland. and met
with so much success that he enlarged his prem
ises and finally erected new building, digging
canal for the cleansing Of cloth, establishing
washing mill TO replace hand labor, adopting de-
signs engraved on copper for the fine work, and
adding every new Improvement as speedily as he
could embrace it. His prosperity soon extended
TO the village Of Jouy, where he lived, and where
in spite of tie alarm that the influx Of Swiss
workmen had excited, new houses were rapidly
put up TO supply the increasing population at.
tracted by the enterprise. In l7S2, Louis XVI
conferred upon these print works the title Of
ROYAL Mandatory, and four years later granted,
without solicitation patent Of nobility to this en-
terprisipg German artisan. In 1889, the company
had made 81 500 600.
At this time, chemistry began to confer the
benefits of its science upon active industry, and
eminent chemists were employed to deliver lee
lures TO the workmen of the establishment The
system Of bleaching with chlorine was first ap-
piled here, and laboratory established to pro-
duce it, 0berksmpf, again overcrowded, erected
an immense building. one hall of which was light
Gu s;- 49,. - $1,000 80 v..-.-
ing. He tided over the dangers of the revolution,
which threatened ruin to all his enterprises, and
in 1887 revived his operations by the introduction
of the invention of calico printing with rollers.
The new machines performed the work Of forty
five printers, and further improvements soon fol.
lowed. Oberkampf was urged to become q
French senator, but his simplicity Of character
desired no such honor. Napoleon and Josephine
visited his establishment, and the emperor with
his own hand detached the cross of the Legion Of
Honor which be wore, and placed it on the breast
of 0berkampf, declaring that no one was more
worthy to bear IL. Oberkampf lived to the age
of seventy five, honored alike for his energy Of
character and the simplicity and integrity Of his
life. The impulse given by this estinsbe man
has been fully sustained in the progress that has
steadily been made In this branch of industry
philadelphia Ledger.