The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1876-08-03
The Wooden Industry of the
United States.

NOTWITHSTANDING the general de-
preston in business during the past
few years, the wooden industry of the |
United States has maintained a steady |
advance, and the increase in the de- |
mand for domestic wooden cloths has
been great. The development of this
manufacture has been going on steadi-
ly during a period of ten years, but it |
s only within the last five or six years |
that it has attained its present perfec-
ton in the fabrication of wooden cassi- |
meres. In 1870 the number of sets of !
cards engaged in the production of |
wooden fabrics was 4,139, divided |
among the different States as follows: !
Arkansas, sets; California, 20; Con-
necticut, 421; Delaware, IA; Georgia,
IS; Illinois, 81; Indiana, 121; Iowa,
10; Kentucky, So; Maine, 1854; Massa-
chusetts, Lbs; Michigan, 80; Missis-
sippi. 4; Minnesota, 5; Missouri, "a;
New Hampshire, 155; New jersey, 81:
New York, 395: Ohio, 1873; Pennsyl-
vania, $50; Rhode Island, 394: Ten
nessee, "a; Texas, 4; Vermont, 90:
Virginia, 81; West Virginia, 81, Wis
consln, IS. At that time it was esti-
mated that twenty-five per cent. of this
number were idle. tits stated that there
are now about 1000 sets in this coun-
FRY "a hi, Il
in 1870. An estimate of the quantity
OF cloth manufactured in the United
States may be gained from the state
ment of the treasurer of one of thu
largest mills, that its manufactures
amounted in value to 81 900, 900 year.
Each mill is rated according to the
number of sets it runs. A set consists
of three cards, the first and second
breaker, and the finisher Several of
these mills, manufacturers of eXpe-
rience assert, make casSimeres equal in
quality, fastness of color, and fineness
of finish, to any imported goods of
medium price. 1t is also stated that
although heavy duty is levied on
wool, American caSSimeres can be sold
from twenty to twenty-five per cent.
cheaper than the foreign goods. The
agents of wooden mills believe that if
the duty was taken off wool, American
caSSlmereS would be exported to for
eign countries which are supplied now
from the European markets. During
the last four or five years the importa-
ton of fancy cassimeres has been re-
duced more than one-half. The i'm
portance of foreign cloth is at present
chiefly confined to novelties in black
diagonal wOrsted goods and fine black
cloths of high price. Another class of
cloths, including chinchillas, plain
black and Esquimaux beavers, which
some years ago was almost exclusively
imported, is now manufactured in this
country, of equally as good quality, it
is claimed, as the foreign fabrics The
difference in price has almost excluded
this class of cloths of foreign manu-
facture from the American market.
1t Is only in the manufacture of fine
black cloths that the American manu-
facturers acknowledge the superiority
of the foreign market. They attribute
their inability to compete successfully
in this branch Of industry to various
causes. Some assert that the diff
hculty is i'll the water, which
chemical test might explain. Others
state that in order to make black
cloths equal to the foreign goods
it is necessary that the operatives
should work together in the same mills
for long time, until by habit each
would become as necessary to the 9TH
er as the different pieces of mechanism
III an intricate machine. In European
cloth manufactures the workmen sell
dom change employers, while in this
country operatives are changing about
continually. While this repeated
changing is not detrimental to the
making of coarSer fabrics, manufacture
erS say it is very much 50 with regard
to finer goods. There are, however,
great quantities of black cloths and
doeSkinS made in this country, but
only of tinencss suited to the ready
made clothing trade. Merchant tail
ors use the imported black cloths and
doeskins exclusively in their custom
trade. Some years ago the demand
for foreign goods for rcady-made cloth
ing was i'll excess of the domestic
goods, but at present that branch of
trade is almost exclusively confined to
hOme-manufactureda articles. The stvle.
durability and appearance is equal to
that of the foreign cloth, and the cost
much less. The manufacturers think
that the hard times, which have had
the effect of inducing people to buy
cheaper goods, has had the effect of
completely dispelling the prejudice
against American cloths, and that the
recent stagnation in business will be
recompensed by the increased produc-
ton and general use of American