The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1884-03-13
Outlines.

The first process was 10 wash and
shear the sheep, the shearing Of which
is probably kept mp in most OF the
agricultural parts OF the States, but
sincc the introduction of the less hardy
fine-wools the cruel process Of immers-
ing the sheep in cold water, is in a
measure dispensed with. The next
process was the assortment of the wool
by the females of the family into three
parcels according TO quality, this to he
spun and knit into stockings. that for
weaving and dressing OF the fulling mill
for female wear. and the other to be
further fulled and sheared for the men
and boys. These several parcels Of
wool wero next sent, usually 10y boy
on horseback, to the carding machine.
where they were made into rolls ready
for spinning and done up in blanket
or sheet, pinned with q thorn, and re-
turned by the same mode of transit.
Next was the process of spinning,
which was usually done in tho family.
either by its own members or 10y girls
hired to come into the house for that
purpose. The girls of the rural dis
tricts were thus enabled to earn little
money with which to crafty taste for
dress and ornament. In the mazes of
the dance the female form has ever been
considered In its NEST attractive phase,
and its motions the most graceful, but
there lacks one element OF beauty as
compared with the motions of the girl
at the spinning-wheel Here Is not only
put into graceful motion the lower
limbs, but also with every thread the
full display of the arms and hands, and
while from the dance little but weari-
ness and languor ore the results, the
manipulations of the spinning wheel
bring muscular development and
health; and the operation results in ad-
ministering to the wants and. necessities
of man, aud, if it il true, as has been
said, TINT beauty consists in tho perfect
adaptation of the thing to its use, the
spinning girls have il.
The next process in this home manu-
facture was to send the yarn to the
weavers. The weavers patronized bv
the family of which was the errand
boy consisted of nanny, the widowed
grown-up son and daughter. 1t was
quite common TO send with the warp
of the piece to be woven only part of
the wool, or what we called the filling,
the remainder to be sent in installments
as fast rs spun, and ID was no uncom-
mon thing for Benny to call with the
errand, Nanny says she ants some
more filing, she says" Now, this little
family of weavers, living in their very
small, implanted house, with their little
garden and their loom all their own,
with their simple, industrious habits,
fulfilled "a honerably the destiny marked
out for them by Providence and AZ well
performed their share toward helping
ON the world us any of their more
wealthy and refined neighbors, and /
doubt not in the end were more missed
than the majority Of their townsmen.
The rolls of flannel when they came
from the weavers were next sent to the
tillipg-mill, where by process of ex-
cessive pounding in solution of soap
they were partially felted, increasing
their thickness, after which they were
colored, pressed, and sheared, and were
then sent to the village tail r, who cut
them by measure taken of the pros
peotive wearer, when they wore made
up in the family, generally by hired
seamstress.
The garment made by these processes
were strong aud durable, and though
they might lack the polish and exact
ness of fit of that of the city business
man or dandy, they had the advantage
of economy in their production at a
time when money was harder to obtain
than at the present. and when each
member of the family thought it a duty
and a privilege to labor for each others
benefit. Vietlay'd.