Wilmington daily commercial., 1873-03-10
FIRST EDITION.
300 p. M.
MOROCCO MANUFACTURE.

morocco man ufacturing interest is one in which
her citizens are deeply Interested, and challen-
ges admiration. The iron steamships built In
Wilmington plough the waters of every ocean
the Wilmington Railroad car is known as far as
the skill Of the engineer has laid the iron rail
the Wilmington coach is not only found in every
city of the Western Continent, but is now being
introduced into European nations, and forms
part Of the equipages Of Emperors and Kings
and Wilmington'e morocco is known and appre-
ciated all over the Continent.
wilmin gton, in proportion to her population,
stands without rival in the manufacture oi
morocco. in regard to quantity and quality, and
also IN the amount OF capital invested in the
business. Am ongst the many large morocco
manufactures OF Wilmington there may be 9TH
ers Of larger extent but we feel certain there are
none that are more enterprising. or have been
mo re successful in the prosecution OF the busi-
ness, than has been that OF John u. Baker. Dir.
Baker is true type of persevering and sue
cessful business man, who has not yet reached
the meridian Of life, but who, II success crowns
his efforts in the future "a 1t has in the past bids
fair to become the morocco king OF Wilmington
Starting in the business early in life with a
captal OF less than $4,000. he has now invested
in the business over S1OO,OOO. This amount.
though not apparently large to millionaire. is
nevertheless creditable to the energy and perse-
as a successful business man.
In order to give some idea Of the process OF
the manufacture of morocco, we were kindly
allowed to take a ramble through the large man
ufactory of Mr., Baker, and while doing 30 were
enabled to throw together few rough notes,
which have materially aided us in giving the in
formation contained in this article.
MIR. Bakers establishment is located in
Fifth street below Spruce, is five stories
| high, with the following dimen-
sions-Length on Fifth street 10 feet, breadth,
20 feet a wing running back to Lord street. Is
| 148 feet long aud 28 feet wide, and fronting
thereon 81 feet long by 3S wide; 1-story boil
er room, "a by 16; a 1-story stating room, 80 by
| 16, and q coloring house "a by 80 feet. The
sizes of the different departments are as fol-
| lows / store and office, 60 by "a finishing
rooms, each 55 by "a; and third one ~ by ~,
| shaving and sewing room, 90 by "a l beam
| house, 110 by "a tan house, 14o by 2o; l
boiler house. "a by 16; coloring house, "a by
| 80 slating room, 80 by l6; steam drying
room, 148 by 2S; stock room. 2S by 30; dry
ing lofts (by weather., ITO by "a and two other
/ drying lofts, each 15i by %. 1t will be seen
| from the foregoing that there are about 35,OOO
i square feet of room in daily use.
| Mr. Baker commenced buainess in this estab-
Iishment (but not so large then as 1t now ls) III
/ 1867; and at that time manufactured 90 skins
Il per day. He now manufactures nearly 90 doz-
en- per day, and during last year made aoont
i 100000 goat skins into the finest morocco,
/ which Is shipped to all parts.of the Nortn, East,
| and West and some to the South
The motive power of Mr.. Bakers establish
i merit consists of Babcock and Wilcox patent
| tubular boiler, OF 90 horse power built by y
Morton Poole & Co.. of this city, which drives
| 3O-horse power slide valve engine built by IL H.
Barr 4 Co, (now Hilles q, ,Jones) also OF thls M
| city This boiler also furnishes the steam ioi
heating purposes by the aid of pipes. which per
maate every part of the establishment. Ihe
| driving rooms already noted are furnished with
heating pipes, which, in dull wet weather. IaciI'
tates the drying process, and causes no ih'erruP
| ton OH account of weather. A.,
Mr. Baker employs about 80 hands in the
| prosecution Of his business, and pays out week
iy about $500. The only part OF the work on
which females can be adyantageously empioyeu
| ia in sewing the skins together, which, with the
aid of -four Patent Excelsior Sewing machines
furnished by George W. Baker, keep ABOUT iou
The skins are received principally from Mexi
| oo and are received in dry tate, lOO IN
bale, and weigh about 215 pounds each. In
D frat process Is to soak them in pure SOFT whte,
Y | about "a hours, after which they are mnleu
> which is done in Mr. Bakers eetablishment Dy
wash-mill, of VIM. Adamson,s patent 9i s;s, eaeu.
| of a large tub about 90 feet in diameter an
feet In depth, with an upright shatt with 60
g gearing in the centre, around when ls urlven
cone shaped roller by lever attachmeht' i Whic
7 lin its revolutions travels over the skins, Wnle
. | are ooyered with water. This process complet'
2 | ly softens them--in fact returns them TO t1
condition as nearly as possible to green rklns
They are then ready for heshing, Wnicn
performed by placing them upon beam an
working OF with beamer's knife all the nss
and fat' They are then ready for the lime UGt
2s in number, each holding $50 skins. :, II
" usual way of making lime nqu
IL by puth M from 2 to bus els OF u
~ nlacIed lme INTO a vat but manufacturers va
ad in this as they do in many other matters; ~
IN skins In the lining process are haueu w.
~ or four times in order to drain the liquors o
az of them, as we'll as TO stir the hmes, anu ~
- / itv fot tina work.
0s e In about two weeks. the skins will give u
ba hair, when they are again put upon the bsau
~ | the hair worked out and all rough corners 81
M | ends cut off an sent to the glue STOCK phe
~, IL, The skins are then washed in pure soft wat
his | and are ready for the pure oath, maae VI
nv manure and warm water. FMS iiqnlu coma "a
~ | a chemical property, that the trade mas not DC
be- able to hnd as yet ~ any o osn1, n;,,ht and Wi
,go | first put in they will sink to tho bottom ol
~ tub. but iu the morning they will be found hC
| ing upon the top, provided everything 10 rig
10 INT ii the skins do not float, the slater mas
W. dava work before him. The skins in this col
! in ton are in very critical state being haple
lra- be spoiled, without the most careful attehl
~. upon the part OF the slater Gas the SKIN IS
ha, tender in ieed) in working with his slate TO
Ia. ns' tbe skin fine and the ground hair out. WI
~ this operation is performed, they are then "a
Rrat | to the sewing machine room, already oescrlp
!. ~ where they are sewed into bags, whlch, WI
owo | allied with liquor or inflated, very much res
ons | bles the goat minusthe hair
~ Ihe skins are now reldy for the tanning
tad cess which ia performed by putting "a pou
ons Of the best Sicily sum Acin tchskin anu eueh
80 | king them undergoa process invented Dy
IN | Baker aud patented by him in 1865. Ihls
tda piog process is done in four large watts, eacl
NJ; feet long by 8 feet wide, and "a feet deep
~. +, means OF whoh the skins eau be tanned In a.
s,a hours this being great saving OF time Ia
49, | and material AMI pro tucing. 1t 10 generey
a.Ven aa mitted better article of tanned leather
self | by the old methods. Loa.
son son, THE sumac used by Mr.. Baker is the best
yvho | ported Sicily its cost being ne Tly one huu
Mno ner cant more than the. domestic In ma
'n1y, tbe finest grades OF stock. the domestic SUI
a,,ar | are not considered 30 good, and 90 no. Bl'
a - | fair a color or as much heft and meho"i
eu 81 and IN consequence are not used in the Q
y - - | I,shment by MIR Baker, who aims to manuta
nothing but the best line OF goods
o,.rd II is due to the trade in general to say,
1an- there is a vast difference OF opinion an
,st;on | manufacturers, in regard to the material
r,IH and the quality of the latter produced, pu'
20" 90" b. contends, by analogy. that as molesses
A'i sugar ale both sweetening matter, 30 su
both foreign and domestic, are tanning ma
OF ., INT astheTe is wide comparison betWeei
aee1 results produced by the best sugar or tne
ourhA molasses in cup Of coffee, the compariso
tween the best and worst sumae Is eqna
Chlca- great. ,.L.us ~
ustody After the tanning process, he bags, OF
'oners slkins. are ripped open, washed and lau ~
icide." watts over night, when they are ready
~ In | i,strnclk ont which operation is perform
- 4t,a,,n douvr, fat m n stOuo stable