Le MeschaceÌbeÌ. [volume] ([Lucy] La.) 1853-1942, 1875-10-09

CubOcIs VI slWCtIdUOISs #A
There are some half . dozen
different firms In this city engaged
i receiving On consignment and
so1tDg moss - , '' - %sssss
These receive consignments
from country dealers and original
shippers. They also purchase all
nnbaled lots which may come in
from across the lake, or the plant.
atiOns near the city
Like cotton going to the cotton
press, no matter who is the pur.
chaser from the city dealers the
moss oil goes from the hands OF
the city dealer to the s,
= CITY Vssssries.
There are but. two factories, and
all moss to be saleable must have
the brand II one Of these factories.
These factories are
The Crescent-Fey-pson & Ha-
berefW Front street, and
Tie Delta-Ciark & Brown,
corner Galvez aud Canal streets.
This factory business for maxim g
machine picked moss, that is gin.
ming it, WAS started q few years
agoby DIR. j. NJ. Ferguson, of the
Crescent Factory, in order to make
uniform grades and equal and re.
gular bales. He is a gentleman of
energy and education and tho.
roughly understands his business.
BY cleaning and preparing the
moss and making unifesm classi.
tications, the moss trade has
largely increased under the factory
system.
The business of the factory is to
open up the rough bales, sort the
moss and gin it, so as to get rid
of leaves, sticks, dust and trash, it
is then boiled by steam in a secret
bath; but the secret may
easily be Guessed. It is sup
posed to be simply copperas or
sulphate of iron, in the water,
which when boiled with the moss
fixes the tannin in the moss aud
turns it into a deep glossy black.
After boiling the moss is dried,
sometimes reginned, and then clas-
sified and baled. It it classified
into four grades as follows: x gray,
Xxx gray and brown, XXX brown
and black, XXXX all black.
These grades are all uniform to
both factories. tits put up in bur-
lap bales of 100 to 12O, pounds,
called quarter bales, and 175 to 200
pounds called half bales. This is
known as machine picked moss.
Very little hand picked mOsses
sent out of New Orleans-nOt
over 1900 bales annually.
These factories each employ from
10 to ID men, aud from 15 to 20
women, and each turns out from
80 to 40 bales a day. They are
about equal in their operations,
and together have turned ont dur.
ing the past year 19, 900 bales.
Some moss is shipped from
Berwick's Bay to Texas, but not
much-not exceeding 800 bales per
year. "a. : ..ssr ps-ar
The receipts at New Orleans
average about GOO irregular bales
per week. The busiest season is
from middle Of January to June,
and slacks of from November to
January, owing to the freezing up
of Northern factories.
The prices are for green moss
in the country, from 25 to 30 cents
per hundred, for cured moss in the
country l to u cents q pound.
City dealers pay for: a
:. Gray and brown. .....3aA :"
.ss brown and black ...-..3S5
s.ss All haack- ......... ...41Y ~. ~
Crescent or Delta brand of ma.
chine picked moss sells at
Grey. s..................7 cents y B
/" Grey and brown. 49,.
sssBrown and black
80 All black. k.................H :.
The total sales Of the past year
have been 20, 800 bales This can
only be estimated as the bales are
irregular. It must be borne that
green moss when piled loses q
large per cent. Of its weight, and
that one pound Of ginned clean
moss takes 4 of green moss.
Moss is seiitsof all parts Of the
United States and Canada, and
LARGE Quantities are sent to France