Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1882-06-15
THE MANUFACTURE OF WOOL.


We see frequent articles in the Jour-
mails in regard to manufacturing indus
tries and their encouragement. partic-
ularly that of silk and cotton, while
wool and its manufacture seems. &c 4
great extent. ignored; and yet we, :.n
English-speaking people, should have
due regard and love for an industry
which has been more closely associated
with our civilization than any other.
Few know why an English Judge sits
upon woolsack, that being an emblem
OF England's wealth and greatness; for
the first article of considerable export
from English shores was wool, and all
through the many centuries of wars and
rumors of wars the export of English
wool went on to a greater or less eX-
tent up to the time of the Revocation of
the Edict of Nantes, when the great
number of Huguenots made permanent
the industry of cloth-making in England
And all the way down. from the ear
hest times to the present, we find
England paying particular attention to
sheep and wool. And. to-day, what is
the result? The United Kingdom pro-
ions of pounds of washed combing wool.
while the colonies of England produce
about three hundred and fifty to four
hundred millions of pounds Of the most
desirable merino and cross-bred wool in
the world. Here we have atotal of five
hundred to five hundred and fifty mill
ions of pounds of choice wool of the
most valuable descriptions. Truly. En-
gland recognizes its worth, and well
may they seat their Judges on the wool
sack. They cannot too much honor
that humble means TO her overwhelm-
ing wealth and power. In this country
we are an English-speaking race. with
all the institutions of law, civil and re-
ligious liberty, perpetuated here as
there, even more than there. Yet in
the particular regard shown by English
cOlonists everywhere else for sheep hus-
bandry, here we find quite the contrary.
and we find that the infant colonies at
first paid small attention to sheep or
wool, and. as time rolled on, that in
terest did not expand and grow as 9TH
ers did. Later. when John Randolph
was power in the Senate of the United
States, he, in 4 speech made remarka-
BILE by the utterance, said. The would
go mile to.kick sheep" and this
shows in degree the feeling of the
time toward wool-growing. In fact,
the South and all its power and in
fluence were opposed to it. and favored
tobaeco-growing. at first, and later
cotton, to the exclusion of other valua-
bic industries. When the war of the
rebellion broke out, we grew but SIXTY
millions of pounds in the whole country. /
The greater part of our wooden goods
were imported from England or Ger
many and the Low Countries; but the
impetus given by the extraordinary de-
mand for woolens during the war and
the arrangement of exchange made
sheep and wool more important and a.
very important increase in growth took
place. In 1864 it had grown to clip
of one hundred millions; 1866. one hum
bred and thirty-seven millions; 1867.
one hundred and sixty millions; 1868,
one hundred and seventy-seven millions;
1869, one hundred and sixty-two mill
ions; 1870. one hundred and sisty-three
millions; 1871. one hundred and forty
six millions; and from that year on q
gradual increase each year. until now
we estimate that the clip Of 1882 will
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