The sun., 1885-06-07
0NT-.4-YARD PRINTS.
stsry or ths Man wbs Msds M Feasible 10
Den Then ne 90 Lew Peice.

story or tSs Man W.. M.Ss W Feasible 10
Den Tsen ne 20 Low P<ice.
Crowds Of eager shoppers were swarming
the other day into a popular uptown dry goods
establishment. which had advertised n limo Of
calicoes for sale ut cent yard. The calico
counter was crowded almost to sufrocation, and
the half dozen pimble attendants had all they
could do to reel of the measurements In ac-
cordance with the demand. "Is 1t possible"
one Of the proprietors was asked. that those
cept-a-yard prints are good for anything"
Yes" was the reply. Excellent goods.
fast colors. and good wear"
But can YOU make any profit on them at
that price ?"
Yes. when We buy at q bargain. Those
prints. however. are just as good and attractive
as were sold In my boyhood at thirty and forty
cents yard" Hero the proprietor stroked
his beard moditatively. Whenever sec
cheap prints OF various kinds being whacked
of at THE rato-almost given away. you might
say-and remember tho prices they once
names in British Craftsmanship"
It's pretty long. story. but mighty inter.
cstlng one. Somewhere about tho middle Of
means. but OF indomitable perseverance, and a
naturally inventive bent. lived In the village Of
blackburn, He was born genius for exrer-
farming was unavoidnbly suspended. no was In
tho habit OF exercising his criiIe ingenuity in
cashire and tho anufacturiug districts OF tho
north nor q Englsnd were greatly interested in
the improvements Of Harsreaves md some
others had brought to a. perfection that
commercial centre. Naturally turning his ut.
tention to this branch Of manutaetIre., our
n by w Msss G s so
ton wool was mado ready for spin ming. and set
about abe col @e9ntrIyinE a cIeyerer method Of doing
the work: His experiments gradually led him
s cards s nse sHS
dted. His success in this direction Was so de-
sSVoo @ s u sna
congsnial employmsn!. The cotton fabrics
such homoly colors as we're then in vogue.
Though useful for n, variety OF domestic Tur:
making them for personal aiornment and ee-
giant wear had as yet suggested itself to no
eeived the idea. and nSpirited! BY his success
in in wool @ earding. he set himself to carrying it
Eess his h pro-
cured a stout block Of hard wood. ten Inches
long by lve wide. and about two inches thick.
from his garden. Then, with rcnknife some
purchase. with his own hands he diligently
cut away all those parts OF tho wood not COW
standing in relief In other words. he ": sue
eesaea in makinE *. Ia coarse and crude wood en-.
Of the he leaf S Sfsk S as at S sask
OF tho four corners Of it he inserted Il small
pin n; Of stout wire, iLo nsH, mixed in a tub
% The 'G.s1tsss's NJ tnts 1or cearas Ea!n,
thoroughly saturated with the dye. Laying
another blanket on his kitchen table, and
to the saturated wool.en cloth. dabbng it re-
nsany WITH it had aktn tbo, up ,nSan. S,na
sunnroy on the, stretched white cloth. and
gave it q sharp blow. on the back with a mnllet.
lea!., The four pins i!Xod q; the corners Of the
block served to guide him in applying it
worked on until tho entiro surface of tho cloth
was covered Ivy with the hffht green parsley
printed cotton goods the world had ever seen.
This pnitrln sncceedod so we'll that he found
himself @ called on for ct othernnd various designs.
ously Keeping his secret to himself and pre-
serving monTSnpoly Tn Of the r trade his ingenuity
then, rapidly enough. He, then IMPRESSED tie
ture. his sons aiding him liz printing the goods
and an, n Ms . wife and daughters working early and
coornr II 4bn bcae eHi ary tho printed cloths after the
Ths ironing rTosesss espeedialy was lebo
over tho arnns oarv and ate they yS could pnat not
meet tho orders that constantly poured In.
Tho ingenious farmer then set to work to
vantages le had derived from the use OF q
cylinder in !carding the cotton wool. he once
with q machine to supersede fatirons. With
the help OF a carpenter he constructed large
Golong frnme with n smooth bed OF sold plank
side to sido he placed a roller, with a handle
in spiral fashion. Each end OF the rope was
fastened to strong obong box ms large as the
with paving stones. was bcavy enough to i'm
part 20 powerful W pressure. Instead Of ironing
Weund s 0asI oSna small %odsS nHm
rollers which he placed in the smooth bed be:
neatn the box Of stones, drew that back and
ecoiled around It and in this manner without
nansle came into the World VII The ina mach iG 5s bs
the Producing power % Of tho family The ctnaSeq arner
worked on with rodoubed industry. The more
and as had taken special pail pains % that euu NO out
slider should. master his mystery he retained
the trade in his own hands.
and at LAST tho whilom village farmor became
principal in ono OF tho largest. and most pros.
He took his eldest son into partnership. and
applying his |, cnEitnl to the pr9dncton Of ma
to transfer his patterns from blocks TO cylin-
ders. and thus to print in q few minutes II piece
OF cloth which 1t would lave taken n week to
complete under his original process with the
mallet and the blocks.
Tho ingenious turner's son became man
OF immense wealth and influence and was
made bnronot. lis son. tho grandson OF tho
Inventive Lancashire farmer wns II young man
ono OF the greatest Prime Ministers that Great
Britain ever had. There. young man, such is
tne early history OF cotton prints which OK
plains tho penny-a-yarh and all other colored
calicoes OF the day. Isn't it interesting?"
Assuredy: but what was his nnme?"
Tho dry goods proprietor smiled compla-
Gently. The name" said he. of tho ingeni-
GUS Lancashire farmer, OF the rich AMI pntri.
otic baronet. and OF tho great Prime Minister
was one and the samo-Robert Peel."