The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1885-07-21


in spinning and balling harvesting twine
which is extensively used in the West.
Hundred-ton orders for il are frequently
filled. The machines for balling har-
vest Irvine are not so interesting as the
machinery for spinning and balling
small cordage. although the former ara
run by girls. The latter machines are
squatty and noisy, and can be COM
pared TO as many extremely lively bull
dogs using all their legs and mouths at
the same time. One of the machines
had to be stopped in order that Us
mechanism might be shown. When
be appreciated, but when in motion il
is the worst thing in the word to fool
with. 1t will tear of an arm or leg
as quick as wink.
In low addition is the tar shop,
where spun yarn for tarred rope goes
through a process as old as the hills.
Those who like the smell of tar can get
it here the year round in all its purity.
Through long trOughs nearly filled
with hot tar the yarn is drawn until it
is thoroughly saturated. On coming
out it passes through squeezers, and
any excess of tar is pressed out. Then
itpaSses through the air for consider
able distance to dry and finally is
wound on bobbins. Tar protects cord
age from injury by exposure and inn
mersion, but makes it more rigid and
weakens it. Many efforts have been
made to find a Substitute, and there is
a patent process which, it is asserted,
renders rope waterproof, adds to its
durability by preventing mi1dew or de-
cay, increases its strength and keeps it
pliable in the coolest weather.
From the tar shop the way led to
the extreme lower end of the rOpewalk
and the machinery for making large
ropes, or cables. Very little change
has been made there in the half GEN.
turv. The machinery is crude, but
substantial, the stanchions, beams and
braces being of roughly hewn wood.
Some of the workmen are old and
weather-beaten, ana seem TO belong to
the machinery. The bobbins of spun
yarn are placed upright on iron pins on
series of shelves. The ends of the
threads are drawn together and put
through the holes of a gauge plate,
from which they 60 to an iron tube
board, the size of the hole being gagged
by the size of the rope TO be made.
Ninety-eight threads make a six
inch cable, and with all
these threads to attend TO at the
gauge plate rope maker is kept busy.
The friction of the threads going
through the tube makes the iron so hot
that the hand can not be kept on it. At
ter being drawn through the tube, the
end of what is now strand is attached
to hook in the former, an upright
machine on wheels that runs on track
the full length of the ropewalk. The
hook revolves rapidly and makes the
twist in the strand The former is
drawn along by ropes, and as it moves
away from the gauge plate arms are
swung out from pillars along the track
to hold up the strand from the floor.
The former travels slowly, but with a
good deal of whirring, to the upper
end of the track. The strand is then
attached, with as many others as nee
essary, to hooks in another former on
another track, forming the rope.
About one hundred sizes of rope are
made, running from One-sixteenth of
an inch TO twentv-four inches in diam
eter. The length of large rope is gen.
orally LOCO feet, and the largest rope
made nowadays is fifteen to eighteen
inches, and no large rope is made ex-
cept to order. COrdage of all sizes
was in the stOreroom awaiting ship
ment. and the big cables were coiled
and bound as neatly as thread on a
spool. superintendent Stewart pointed
out its perfection with as much admir-
alton as he must have had for his first
coil.
II once made a twentv-four-inch
CABLE" he said, Ito haul the Henry
CLAY off the beach with. The old gen
tleman was bound to get her of, and
he sent word on Saturday morning to
have the cable ready by Monday morn
inc. He said L couldn't make it with
out working Sunday, but l said that /
had never worked Sunday. and didn't
propose to then. The old gentleman
wouldn't stand any nonsense, you
know, and | knew it, but he knew me
well enough TO believe that if L said /
would have che cable ready it would be
ready. told him l would have the
cable ready, and that he needn't worry
himself about it. Well, we went TO
work as we had never worked before.
/ kept the boys al it until midnight,
and then knocked them off. Not a man
did stroke of work on Sunday, but
at midnight the full force was put on
again, and on Monday forenoon the
cable was going away on cartS-five of
'em. 1t was one hundred and thirty
fathoms long. and the old gentleman
gave me credit for doing good job"
N. y. San.