Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1872-05-21

make OuI ihIit- ppuNo Nh'thuidCtutO thiS
thing for us rs fast as we want il, and SO
cheap that we can sell it, pound for
pound. and drive eyea unwashed wool
out of the market !"
Morgans looked at his employer as if
he expected to find him tarned lunatic.
He saw instead, handsome, intelligent
face, glowing with fine enthusiasm.
"See here said Mr. Rhees, using his
microscope again; "do YOU see this ?
This cloth is simply vegetable fibre and
starch. Starch is the most readily or
ganizable OF all materials, and il chem
ical synthesis canno! establish the condi-
tons precedent 10 the unlimited produe-
ton of these globues of tccul@ and then
cnwarpping fibre, II ought to surrender
its claims to usefulness already know
now TO MAKE CHEAP CLOTH,
and good cloth, ont OF this fungus, and
| viii find means To induce these mill
ponds of ours To produce The fungus Just
when, how. aud as much AS We want"
What Will become of the poor hands
then, Mr.. Rhc es ?" said Morgans.
Nonsense :" rejoincd his employer,
impatlently; "beioro you can say that
any improved process depivcs man Of
labor yeu must show that something can
cnmc on Of nothing. You cannot 10
that, and you cannot establish the other
lallacy any better. This will sllll be u
manufacture, only 10y u simpler and
cheaper process, auA il will. when once
established, give employment Tor three
hands where We noN have but one TIE
care ol tho ponds, thc handling aud mAr
Artms OF the cloth, The intricate initial
chemical proccsscS-all these vii take
more skilled labor than wo can readily
lind be sure OF that"
Mr.. RhecS WAS nov occupied for more
than Two years IN perteciing and reduc-
ing 10 practice his various and cnmplical-
cd processes. After he had found out
how TO cousummato and regulate
THE PRODUCTION OF THE FUNGUS,
there WAS machinery 10 invent and to be
made that would enable them To gather
it Chcaply, and there were besides great
number ot the subsidiary experiments TO
bc conducted. SO that the inventors time
was full, occupied. Meanwhile the mill
had been steadily working on. doing its
lhrec-quarlcr time with satisfaction to all
concerned Meanwhile, also. there had
been put upon the market from the Rhecs
l. Howell mill, slowly, in small iots, and
with a careful avoidance ut everything
like asking attention Ia Il, new grade
OF flannel, mosty red IN color, thick mill
ed, rather harsh TO the touch, and with
very short nap. but stEeIw wise not pecu-
liar. except that il seemed very fine
rpbAiSs Hio hshiANi htt - itl ttANltAi
ttndc mark ot is own, ani was called
the .lsiccs iHbIic' 1t WAS sold Only
''ior trial. and ut prices averaging tweu-
ty.h,e pct cent. Delow The nltrsoi stand
ard tor similar Qualities, hut always IN
sG."i, ,nts, and Ia different purchaserN,
This goods. distinctly separated from the
common product o! the mills, the parties
who bring the suit claim viii be- specific
all, identified rs the article whose intro.
duction caused them the damages they
ailege. and indeed brought un the ca
ta,lrophs oi tht thccs s. iiowel mills.
THE FATAL RHEEs FABRIC.
Morgans says that il was only in Oct.
1861, that Mr.. Rhecs had finally COM
plcied all his preparations. Even Ihen
he was only able to make The final cx
permeni rpon IL small surface at The up.
pen ond VI ih.5 mill dam, on account ot
the deficiency of help. 1t would not yet
do 10 take thu hands into the secret
Rhccs in fact wanted 10 get possession oi
all the stock first, and then, turning his
factory into II cooperative union, take all
hands iuio business partnership with him
at the same time that ho shaIed with
them tho new secret The operatives
had already suspicious of somelhing,a
were only kept from murmurs and dis
satisfaction by hints which Rhees thre "
out OF his intentions toward them. In
one night, therefore, Rhees and Nor.
gans. using 4 model Of the landing ma,
chinery, brought 10 the shore enough of
the fabric to make about 1900 yards ol
flannel. This WAS loaded into country
wagons hired for the purpose. delivered
at the mill, and stored in an unused
room, and under cover of the darkness.
BY the 10Th of December Rhees and
Morgans working at odd times, had sub.
mitled this 10 the chemical and dire ssing
processes necessary, had prepared il for
market, and on that date, says Morgans,
for the first time. n large consignment OF
"Rhees fabric" was made TO their New
York agents, along with other goods
shipped them rs usual.
THE FIRST CASE OF POISON.
Rhees, following up his plan, had
been actively negotiating with several
holders for the purchase Of their shares
of stock in his mill On the 18th of Jan
uary, 1872, at ten O'clock in The morn
ing, Rhees came into the mill office,
looking considerably disturbed. Nor.
gans asked him what was the the matter
He replied that his child, an infant less