The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1874-08-13
Alpaca and Ramie.

ALTHOUGH such large quantities OF
dress goods are sold under the name OF
alpaca and great quantities of silk goods
are sold warranted genuine" few per
sons are aware that of the alpaca good,
but IA small proportion is made of Til,
real alpaca wool, and that large pro
portion of the warranted genuine silk
goods is adulterated with fiber known
as ramie. We will give short account
Of each for the information Of our read
erS.
All through the Andes Mountains, ir
South America, from near the equator
to near TERRA del Fuego, are found -four
species of the camel tribe known as
the guanaco, the vicuna, the llama and
the paco-thc prefix al" being cquiva
lent to "the" The first two arc always
found in wild state and only the las,
two are domesticatcd, the llama being
used as a beast of burden and the pace
being raised for its wool or hair, and foi
food, as sheep are with US
The pacos are mainly raised on the
mountains of Peru, or rather on the
table-lands of the Andes, at elevations
of from 5000 to 10000 feet above the
level of the sea. At these attitudes the
winters, which set in toward the month
Of June, are very severe, the snow re-
naming upon the ground for ut least six
months. The animals range at the foot
of the snowy cliffs, which are called
punas, or over the paran,os, or heaths,
subsisting upon the mosses, lichens,
coarse grass and shrubs which spring up
in such places. They are very grega-
rious, herding closely together, and sci
dom straying away or separating from
each other, the younger members of the
flock being under the control of certain
of the older ones called punteras, or lead
crs. These punteras are frequently Of
great service to the owners of the flock,
being very intelligent, sagacious and vigi-
liant, keeping the younger ones from
straying away, and defending them in
case of danger from other animals; they
are also peculiarly attached to the local
tiles in which they are raised, and will
keep of all intruders Of their own
species, for which reasons they are held
at high values by their owners.
The wool or hair of the pace is very
long, ranging from twelve to eighteen
inches in length, is very fine, and has a
peculiarly silky luster. We have sam
pies Of it in its natural state in black,
brown, fawn-color and white. 1t is
longer than ordinary wool, and finer
than hair, and appears to be intermediate
between the two, and does not cot or knot
up as wool does, and, moreover, is very
free from the attacks Of moths and SINH
lar insects that attack wooden goods.
The natives of Peru manufacture it into
cloaks, stockings, gloves and ponctos
(the blanket surtout), used by the ladies
and gentlemen Of the country, especially
as riding dress. Some Of these are 50
fine and so beautifully woven as to sell
for from $500 to 800 each.
Although Pizarro brought back to
Europe, after his discovery of Peru,
nearly $50 years ago, specimens Of the
wool and the fabrics manufactured from
it by the natives, it did not attract any
until about thirty years ago,
when, q consignment of the wool being
sent from Peru to England, it was found
to be so difficult of manufacture under
the ordinary processes for manufactur-
ing wooden goods that there was no sale
for it until one manufacturer devised
the requisite machinery and processes to
work it up. The great beauty of the
fabric caused its immediate adoption by
the fashionable world, and the manufac-
turer soon realized an immense fortune !;