The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1885-08-13
AN HOUR IN A ROPEWALK.
Manifold improvements in the Process
in Half Century-One Girl Now
Doing the Work of Eight Men.

Doing the work OF Eight Men.
Rope-making is not what it used TO
be. Nowadays a girl at q spinning
machine can do more work than eight
men could do in the old-fashioned way,
and where one man could comb one
bale of hemp one machine can now
comb seyenty-fiye bales. The product
of the largest rope-walk in the United
States is lj0 tons OF rope and twine
week, as compared with Is ton when
it was built. fifty-siX years ago. This
ropewalk is in Bushwick. and in the
half century it has made the fortunes of
five men. Bushwick was fifty years
ago small Long island hamlet. To-
day its boundaries are merged into the
eastern district of Brooklyn. Not
many years ago grove surrounded
the ropewalk. To-day it is surround
ed by dwelling-houses. Fifty-ive
years ago four horses furnished the
motive power. To-day 4 550-horse-
power engine is taxed to do the work.
The long, weather-beaten structure,
LOO feet in length, has had the same
appearance for forty years or more. OF
all the men who have worked in the
ropewalk, one man has lived to see
fathers and sons pass away, and to
teach grandsons how to make rope.
He is John Stewart, the Superinten-
dent, genial and an active old gentle
man, now so years of age. For fifty
five years he has worked there. He
says he is like the boy who could carry
calf and by carrying 1t daily was able
in time to carry an OK. He sorrowful-
ly shakes his head sometimes when his
mind runs back over the changes.
Twelve kinds of hemp are used in
rope-making. Russian hemp being the
best. The hanks are bound into bales
that can be readily handled. Separ-
ating the hanks is the first process in
rope making. Men do it. The hanks
are unbound and tossed one side.
where men stand ready to pick them
up and oil them. The oiling-machines
are large revolving drums OF wood
that absorb and hold the oil kept in tho
troughs below. They are inclosed in
wooden boxes, each with q hole about
Is large as an ordinary window. TAX
ing hank, an oiler spreads it out and
dashes it through a hole and against
the oily surface of the drum. 1t clings
and Is drawn upward, but before the
end is reached the man draws it back
and repeats the motion until the fiber
has been oiled. From the oiling-ma-
chimes the hemp goes to the combing-
machines of different sizes and capaci-
ties. Five combings are necessary.
The Combing machines are very inge-
niOus, and room after room is filled
with them. Endless bands with cross
rows Of long, fine teeth seize the fibers
and carry them on until other teeth on
q band moving faster comb through
them and straighten and draw them
After the combing the fibers become
roping, and endless yellow streams Of
it flow from upper stories below for the
spinning Women and girls
operate the spinniug-machines
The day happened to be Saturday,
and every young girl in the building
had her front hair twisted in papers
for Sunday. The noisy rattle of the
machines is hardly bearable by new
and, as a rule, they are healthy ard
strong. The spinningmachines are as
interesting as the combing-machines,
and the work is much cleaner. The
streams OF roping come down
through the spOuts, and are guided by
girls into sheet-iron barrels that can be
wheeled TO the spinning
Each stream flows faster than several
machines can spin it when everything
is in good working order, and piles of
ropiug stand ready for use. Roping,
after going through the spinning-ma-
chimes, become spun yarn. The comb
iug, Strengthening, and spinning used to
De done by hand. 81 have spun by
hand many a ton of it, said the super
intendent.
One room is called the waste-room,
and to it goes the waste from all the
rooms. The waste IS cOmbed and
blown until the good iibers are saved
ana spun into yarn for twine. The
dust in the room is as thick rs fog in
the dog days, and how anyone can
work and live there for any length OF
time is a mystery. The Danger from
fire is strikingly apparent, but fire has
never seriously damaged any part of
the building. Many machines are used
in spinning and baliing harvest twine.
which is extensively used in the West.
Hundred-ton orders for it are frequent
" filled. The machines for ballinG
IltI sCSt L" !ilC al . iiOG 81 illcIcS ILL., dts
the machines for spinning and balling
small cordage. although the former are
run by girls. The latter machines are
squatty and noisy, and can be COM
pared to as many extremely lively bull
dogs using their legs and mouths at
the same time. One Of the machines
had to be stopped in order that its
mechanism might be shown. When
quiet its ingenious arrangements can be
appreciated, but when in motion it is
the worst thing in the world to fool
with. II will tear off an arm or q leg
as quick as wink.
In low addition is the tar-shop,
where spun yarn for tarred rope goes
through 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 1t passes through squeezers, and any
excess OF tar is pressed out. Then it
passes through the air for q consider
able distance to dry, and finally is
wound on bobbins. Tar protects cord
age from injury by exposure and i'm
mersion, but makes it more rigid, and
weakenS it. Many efforts have been
made to find substitute, and there is
& patent process which. it is asserted,
renders rope waterproof, adds to its
durability by preventing mildew and
decay, 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 |
t,T,, h
or cables. Very little change has been !
made there in the half-century. The |
machinery is crude, but substantial,
the stanchions, beams, and braces be- |
ing of roughly-hewn wood. Some of |
the workmen are Old and weather-b beat |
en-, and seem to belong to the machin-
cry. 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 |
ha hcf 0f I,.o !,