The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1885-05-28
AMERICA STILL AHEAD.
THE PRIZES AT THE WORLDS
INDUSTRIAL EXPOSITION.
The WillimanLIc bread Co., OF
Hartford, Conn, Awarded
All the Gold Medals for
Spool Cotton.

|
Of this Exposition, in the estimation of
many manufacturers, lay in the prizes
to be won rather than the profits to be
be reaped. From the moment its inter-
nationality was announced by the act
of Congress for its announcement, it
came to be regarded as a field for con-
test rather than mere display.
Far-sighted business men were
quick to ste that, no matter whether
the attendance ran into the millions
or not, the winners would en-
| joy
at least until another exhi-
should offer "a chance for
competitors to enter the lists again.
And so, until that shall transpire,
which may not be for years, the de-
| cisions of the juries here are sure to
play leading part in the commercial
drama of the world. To winners, the
result will be worldwide renown; to
losers an obscure back seat. And
therefore the entries in this crucial
contest were numerous beyond expec-
tation. Up to the present time COM
paratiyely few of the decisions have
been announced. The consequence
is, the majority of the exhibitors are
in state or feverish anxiety.
BY far the most important of all
the decisions that have 80 far been
announced is that concerning
SPOOL COTTON.
This decision is fraught with more
interest to the masses than any other
that the Exposition will brirg forth,
hnRoJ1Gn fn or1i nln hot
tiers into the domestic economy of
every well regulated household.
The merits of the various
"makes" of this commodity have been
discussed by the women Of America
from time imemmoriAl, and now that
Ia, wer has been given to the questio
vexata by 50 e.~ll nent an ana, authority. a
new tspis for talk Is tne.e lurnlsned
to every 5ewing soeiety anu ~ ~ocial
c0terie in the Land.
The array Of thread exhibits at this
great Worlds Fair, either because the
South is the land of cotton or because
this was considered the opportunity
of the century for settling the contro-
versy, is the most magnificent eyer
made In America OF for that matter
abroad. The whole spool thread
manufacturing world was here, bit it
was Amer; Ga that
TOOK THE GRAND PRIZE.
All who remember the Atlanta
Exposition, likewise remember the
exhibit made there by the Whitman
tic Company, in which Willimantic
thread was manufactured frofh the
raw fibre to the finished spool. That
exhibit was revelation to all
Southern people who saw 1t. 1t was
a complete mill in miniature. The
W1llimantlc people were so much
encouraged by the experiment at At
lanta, that they come here with the
largest and most complete exhibit OF
machinery in motion ever made in
the world. This has been described
the country, that few readers any
where can remain unfamiliar with
its attractive and instructive features.
Ever since the Atlanta Exposition,
Willimantic thread has been a great
favorite in the South, and many ladies
who, prior to that time, had never
tried It, soon became enthusiastic adj
vocates of its merits. In other words,
the real jury, the ladies of the land,
that bast of all juries, has stood large
~ in favor of Willimantic ever since
it was thoroughly introduced into the
South.
And now, that the jury on awards
has given
THE THREE HIGHEST PRIZES
in its gift to this matchless thread the
verdict will find hearty echo in thou
sands OF Southern homes. But joy
over the victory of the Willimantic
people will not be confined to the
Sunny South; for, aside from the
righteousness of the verdict on points
| of merit, the announcement will carry
a certain pleasure wherever float the
stars and stripes, because Willimantlc
thread is essentially an American pro
duct. Every advocate AID pract1cer
| of the wholesome doctrine of patron
1zing and encouraging
HOME INSTITUTIONS
will likewise receive the news with
pleasure. Of course 1t is especially
gratifying to the people of New Or
leans, because the Willimantic ex-
hibit has done 80 much to make the
Exposition the great school Of applied
science that it is, and because. more
over, the people connected with this
mill in miniature, from Mr.. Atwood,
the manager, down to the operatives,
have won golden opinions in all their
outgoings and incomings.
In view of the Importance OF this
decision, few words about thread
and matchmaking will be of interest
in this connection. 1t takes ten and
half million miles of thread to hold
the people of the United States in
their clothes. So elaborate are the
processes employed in thread-maklng
, that the business cannot be probably
conducted except on q very large
[ scale. For long time British max er:
had it all their own way, the Will
mantle being the first American COM
pany to make all the numbers OF six
) cord sewing cotton from the raw
7 materi..l. Their idea was to make thu
: best thread that skilled labor and i'm
3 proved mechanism could produce
r How they have succeeded Is attestet
5 by the decision in this world-contest
| which is but elimination of a serie
1 OF recent victories. The works o.
r this company are situated at Will
mantle. in the State of Connecticut
t which is the model factory town o
J, the Union. The attention paid by thi
|, company to the
e HEALTH AND HAPPINESS OF THEI
= OPERATIVES
4 has been the occasion for commenda
tion at the hands of pbilanthrop1St
q and humanitarians the wide worl
n over. There IS material for Ion
q letter on this subject alone, especial
q in reference to the intelligence an
n thrift of Willimantic employees, an
= the sanitation at the Wlllimanti
3 works. These 1000 employees, direct
ing the machinery, make 27,2OO mile
= of thread day. more than enough
q reach round the world. The VIII
If mantle establishment uses 5000 core
n of birch wood every year for i
" spools. All experts on the SEWN
IF machine use Willimantic thread b'
ne cause it is perfectly smooth and rour
9y and of even size and