Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1879-12-31
CASHMERE sHAWLs.
How the Famous and Costly Shawls
are Made.

How the Famous and Costly shawls
are Made.
Travellers say that for once poetry may
be taken as sober and correct descrip
ton of the reality, that the lake OF
Cashmere, with its fairy isles, set with
arbors and large-leaved aspen trees, slen.
der and tall, as described in the delight
| full pages of Lalla Rookh, is faithful in
every detail; the sloping hills, covered
with pleasure gardens, the roses bloom
ing everywhere in the delicious air-the
"Feast of the Roses" continuing the
whole time of their remaining in bloom.
Small wonder the Mogul emperor Jehan-
guire became 80 enamored of this happy
valley as to declare he would rather lose
all the rest of his empire than lose Cash
mere.
1t is, however, neither to Feramorz
nor to roses that Cashmere owes its in
terest to the ladies, but to it's universally
known and admired shawls. Superb
examples of these queenly wrappings
are shown at the holiday openings, the
rage for oriental fabrics having restored
them to fashionable favor. Sixteen
thousand looms, each giving employment
to three men, are kept busy in the Hap
py Valley making these shawls. The
material is not of native growth. The
wool of which the shawls are made is
imported from Thibet, and certain parts
of Tartary, in which country alone the
goat which produces it is said to thrive.
In its raw state this wool costs in Cash
mere from ten to twenty rupees the
turruk," about twelve pounds, English
ofrh hn NH 20
But it is the labor costs, and not the
material, that makes the expense. Of
the best and most worked shawls, not 80
much as quarter of an inch is made in
a day by three people, the usual number
employed on one shawl. 1t would take
three years to make handsome shawl
in one loom. For this reason, and be-
cause {" the moth doth corrupt" and has
special fancy for the cashmere fabric,
shawls containing much work are
made in separate pieces and
then joined together. An exami-
nation of the pieces shows that
they rarely correspond in size. On
plain shawls but two people are en-
ployed, and long, narrow, but heavy
shuttle is used. Those of which the
pattern is variegated are worked with
wooden needles, separate needle tor
each thread of different color. The PEG.
pie at the frame, or loom, are under the
vigilant eye of an "OostaUd," or fore
man, who, in his way, is an artis with
fine eye for color ana ornamental desi gn.
When a new design is in hand the
oostaud explains to them the figures.
colors, and threads which they are to use,
while he keeps before him the pattern
drawn upon paper. During the whole
operation of making. the rough side of
the shawl is uppermost on the frame,
Notwithstanding which the too staud
never mistakes the regularity of the
most figured patterns. The workmen
learn the patterns "by heart" tni the
same designs, unique and beautiful, re-
peat themselves continually, and are de-
scended from father to son since the time
of Joseph's coat and those Babylonish
garments. Merchants entering largely
into the trade hire numbers of families,
which he collects in place under his
own eye. The foreman, or head work
man, is supplied with thread previously
spun and colored, and explains the
colors, quality, and patterns desired, and
the work goes On at their own houses.
When the work is completed the mer.
chant carries the shawls to the customs
Office, where each is stamped, and he
pays certain duty according to the
value and quantity of the piece. This
official seal is sacredly preserved as q
proof of genuineness. Our leaders will
remember the curiosity with which these
seals attached to some very superb
shawls were examined at the recent
openings. The merchant, if q famous
one, sometimes has his name in curious
Oriental characters, wrought in the bor-
der, and ladies knowing in such things
are at some trouble to keep the signature
this side out with care.
Most shawls are exported unwashed
and fresh from the loom, and the seeds
of dire disease are said to lurk within
them. The average woman will, how
ever, risk not one, but the seven historic
plaques sooner than forego camePs.hair
shawl filled to the centre. The Umritsir
shawls from the Punjab are better wash
ed and packed than in Cashmere. From
eighty to one hundred thousand Cash
mere shawls are exported annually, sew
eral hundred thousand dollars worth of
the lovely things coming to the port of
New York.