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

NlcWS.. lie never let conjecture oNeiiluo
fact in his mind and when he returned Ia
the superiniendcncy "t the Howell Creek
factory, his first steps in the adminlSlra'
ton OF affairs showed him tn be busi-
ness man ol no ordinary qualities lie
called the stockholders together and
showed them by irresistible liguie. that
the Rhcos q llowcl mill, were
LOSING MONEY
/ He convinced them thai the protective
/ duly ot l2S 4 per cent on tlanpet>. high
as it MAS. did not compensate ;hcm lor
the offset duty ol SO 2 per cent on fine
wool, and the other taxes that hur,Icncd
their manufacture He pointed them 10
the annual levy made upon them ol SlO.-
| 600 ''tor legislative purposes, an'l sails
lied them that. aside from all moral con
sideralious. this contribution 1" thu cor
ruptlnn fund, which was charged to
profit and loss, should be put dom n
altogether loss since they got no act
ual nor prospective equivalent for Il. The
stockholders proposed to suspend opera
tons, This however, Mr. Rhoes opposed
convincing them That by this cOursS they
would lose their skilled labor and their
old aud we'll established custom. Be-
sides. gentlemen" said he, II mean to
show You that American brains, A. VII
can machinery. and American capi,ai can
dr moru than The same things IN amy
other part u; the world" It was 6ualIy
agrced-Mr Rhees oW uug twO-third> OF
The sluck that he should for the present
rum the factory in hi. own way, simply
guaranteeing the stoCAholdcrs >eN cu per
cent interest on their shurcr This
meeting over. MIR. Rhees summoned the
operatives together and arranged 'ith
them TO continue the factory, working
three quarter time an arrangement they
were well satisfied with, knowing rs
they did that The running st all was more
Tor their own benefit than The profit OF
the concern.
THE CHEMIST IN his LABORATORY.
The remainder oi the narrative will he
derived chiefly from the affidavit of Mr..
Da, id Morgans, the manager ol the mills.
Mr. MorganS says that Mr.. Rhees now
took charge OF the factory in person. &C.
modelled the buildings. machinery, &c,
and introduced SO many modern appli
anccS aud 30 much strict y stem that the
proportion of expenses was very matori
ally reduced. Still The concern was not
Profitable and Mr.. Rhcc: Was not >atis-
fed lie would say:
"Morgans, have conquered Your old.
fashioned tools and Your cumbersome
system; bat lmust do more yet. lmnst
pet upa margin OF economies AGAINST
the bad consequences or Goveumcu, aid
( must find out cheaper processes Yet or
itni, wrrtched system of protection viii
whip mc in spite ol ail
Then he would 60 into hi laho'hlorl.
anl think and study aud experiment un-
I al, Morgans said. he expected TO SC
him blow the factory up some time or
other
rHE VEGETABLE FUNGUS
One day, returning from walk. Mr..
Rhees called MorganS into his study aud
unrnllcd before him strip ul something
/ that wds ike cloth. nigh the third of an
/ inch thiok, gray on one side, greening on
the other, with the texture and something
ri the touch of lclt
What's that ?" said Mr. Rhees.
Morgans shook his head, IT might
ue lhlt6 mlled lannel, but II is-I |
ueyor handled Any cloth like that"
''Ii'< vegetable" said MIR Rhecs.
"It'' coulcrvoid plant. known as water
flannel. and grows on our mil-dams, :
Morgans stared. ..Cott :" said hr, Ill
we could only get Il good crop of that
sort of Thing on the ponds, we could let
the tariff 90 to the devil -
Mr. Rhees did not reply, but placing a
bil OF the cloth under microscope.
showed Morgans that it WAS really veg
etable fungus, made up OF myriads of
joinied threads. woven together. symme-
trically and firmly. So as to have the tex
turc and simulate the actual fabric of II
cloth made by machinery.
FLANNEL MApR OF VEGETABLE FIBRE.
This was still in the early part of 1869,
Morgan's affidavit tells Us; and it was
only few DAYS later that Mr.. Rhees
summoned him again, and submitted TO
his inspection a piece OF red flannel.
which Morgans AYERS was in every re-
speot not less than 20 per cent. above the
standard qualities produced at the mill.
That's English" said Morgans; Il
I know the ieel of it.
That's llowlel Creek and Rhees &
HoweS mill pond p retorted Mr.. Rhees.
'That is made oul OF the piece OF vego-
table fibre showed You The other day."
added he.
/ "tmpossble |" said Morgans.
Il knew that could make cloth out OF
it." added Mr.. Rhees, "'and hare done
! it,
Morgan's affidavit goes on 10 recount
very circumstantially the processes re-.
sorted to by Mr.. Rhees 10 convert the
vegetable fabric into durable cloth, to
keep up the strength and continuity of