Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1883-08-04
The Nanuracture Of Goats Hair.
journal O Fabrics.

JOurnhi Oh ftDTlNss
The scarcity aud consequent dear
ness of mutton as an article of food in
England is directing public attention
10 the utilization Of the goat, although
the singular insular prejudice OF Eng
lshmen las TO be overcome "a general
substitute for the sheep. But most
successful efforts are being made i'm
this direction. mainly through the ex-
crtions Of the British goat societies,
which Dairy Farmers Association.
Exhibitions are now held, and prizes
offered for improving the breeds of
goats, both for milk and meat supply,
and the results are already seen in Il
rapid increase in.the number of goats
in this country. And now the ques-
ton is arising rs to the disposal of
goats hair. " hich will soon become
pentlful, and a. this subject will forge
It's way to the front very short
~, II is not out Of place to
allow preliminary notice of it to
form the subject If an article. in the
journal III Ft,brit%. The present re-
marks mus. II scessarily he of retro
sp,ctivc character. and simply preliim-
mary to the discu ssion which Will ill.,
evitHbly arise as 10 the future use of
British goats hair. The origin OF the
goats hair for clothing Is lost in the
obs,urt OF dim antiquity, but it is
well known that is WAS among the
first, If not absolutely the first, sub
stance used III the manufacture OF hut
man clothing. Ii has been we'll said
respecting the ancient and widely
extended use of goats hair for clothing
that our rude forrfither. ia the VALLEY
of the Euphrates, the Jews anu
Egyptians, the wild hunters Of the
mountains fastness of Asia Minor, the
aboriginal inhabitants of the New
World, the Celts in Ireland and
Northern Europe, had discovered the
method of making artificial coverings
from the fleeees OF the goat II was
of this material the gorgeous curtains
for the tabernacle in the plains of Sinia
were woven; 1t was with goats hair
that Saul of Tarsus made those tents by
the sale of which he mainly supported
himself during his arduous missionary
Journeys at the dawn of Christianity,
and 1t is from the down that grows be-
meath the rougher outer covering ofthe
she-goat that those splendid specimens
of color, texture, and delicacy of work
mauship-the cashmere shawls--are
produced. The two main classes of
goods into which the the hair of the
goa: is woven are cashmere and mo-
hair, and the history of their manufac-
ture forms interesting chapters in the
romance of trade. In recent times the
French held for many years the SUI
premacy iii the manufacture of cash
mere and mohair, but the enterprise
and ingenuity of Englsl,men, by the
introduction of the alpaca, and by
the extended use of mohair, reared au
industry at Bradford, Yorkshire,
which ou,rivalled the looms of France.
But the tickle goddess that rules the
Kingdom of fashion seems to have de-
creed that alpaca shall for the time al
least be banished from her realm, and
many Bradford manufacturers are
turning their looms TO the production
of cashmere. This material Is, o
course. the outcome of the manipula
ton Of imported hair, and leaves thu
utilization of native goats hair un
touched. Still there is no reason t
doubt that in an age distinguished above
all preceding ones for inventive indus
try, the hair of the native goat will be
come an important material for tho
production of the coarser kinds of tex
tile goods, now made of shoddy ant
mungo, Tor the clothing of the indus
trial population. The various move
ments that will he made in this dircc
ton will be interesting records in til,
future not far distant.