Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1886-10-20
RATTAN AND IT'S USES.
A MANUFACTURING BUSINESS OF
WHICH LITTLE Is KNOWN.


An Air of Secrecy About the Factory.
A Reporter Breaks the Ice and Learns
Some Interesting Facts-substituts for
whaIebOne.
Among the smaller, least known and
most profitable Of local industries is the
preparation of rattan for the various
uses to which il is applied. There is but
one rattan manufacturer in this city, and
that Is located in the Eastern district.
There are said to be only five other es-
adjustments in the country, the one IN
the Eastern district being the third larg-
est A reporter desiring to learn some
thing OF the rattan industry went TO this
factory, and soon found there was an air
of secrecy about it. He was met at the
door by pleasant gentleman, who, OBJ
serving the reporter closely watching the
splitting of the rattan into threads as fine
almost as whipcord, by being run through
a curious looking machine, asked him IL
he had any special business with the estab-
lishment.
The reporter explained why he called,
and then his attention was attracted TO
machine, through a hole, in which rattan
following rattan, each not less thah
twenty feet in length and about quar-
ter of an inch in diameter, were thrown
in and split and quartered and thrown
out upon receiving belt for the hand OF
the chair maker, or for baskets or other
classes of ware.
Il notice that there is thrown out on
the left of that splitting machine very
! fine fibrous threads of rattan. They are
SO thin / should say they were valueless
for even the finest work.
Much of il" the foreman answered,
''helps TO get up steam, but those hbers,
nearly as fine as your hair, by deft hands
are used in making what l call miracles
of art You would be surprised ut the
range of uses TO which rattan is applied
and the demand for it is yearly growing
larger. I'll show you piece Of rattan
dressed for hat Innings. Formerly whale
bone was used, costing, when dressed,
not less than 81 the pound; but this nne
rattan cord, quite as good for the pur-
pose, as tough and as elastic, can be
prepared at a much lower figure, proba-
bly, for about 81 q pound. That is quite
a saving to the hat manufacturer, par
ticularly il he is largely in the business. )"
From what part Of Asia do you lead
| lngly import the cane!
"Our rattan comes to us usually direct
from ports in Borneo, Sumatra, the
| Celebes and the MOluccas, and from the
Malayan peninsula. The rattan of Bor-
neO and of Sumatra are considered the
| best for the purposes to which We devote
the cane. We do not import many tons
of the thicker growth, which often has a
girth of six inches. What We seek is the
finer grades, such as are worked up into
chairs, bedsteads, carriage bodies, bask-
cts, picture frames, brushes, broOms,
sweepers for streets and so on. The
older or cOarser growth, say of half an
inch or so in diameter, are made into
walking canes, whip handles and other
useful things. Good fishing rods are also
manufactured from it. In this and for
many other things it is preferable to
the bamboo, another. as you are aware,
Of East Indian growth"
Il noticed" continued the reporter,
finding the foreman in a communicative
mood and no longer distrustful, that
you may make brooms of the rattan
yards, presumesn
"Yes, there is great demand for
them" he continued. THAT young man
over there is stented. His task is tC
make six and a half dozen each day. He
accomplishes his work in about nine
hours, for which he is paid 81"
DO you manufacture chairs, baskets
and so On2''
No, we take them in exchange for
prepared rattan. The firm in New York
finds no difficulty in disposing of them to
jobbers and dealers in furniture. There
is large business transacted in that way.
There is quite a colony of workers in
willow and rattan goods in the Sixteenth
and Fifteenth wards, and they regard
such exchanges as an accommodation"
Then, beyond making these brooms
for yards and stables, you manufacture
but little that can be put Immediately
on the markets''
"It is not necessary that we should, "
was the answer. "Our leading business
is to prepare rattan for the different
trades that find use for it. OF the pre-,
pared canes We always keep a marketable
stock on hand. For example, We have
rattan enough for hatter's use at this
moment to supply that trade material
for a million hats. The rattan trade is
in what might be called its youth with US
1t is growing rapidly. Rattan is being
used largely where whalebone was at one
time thought needful. An article that is
as durable and as elastic as whalebone
and that can be purchased at one-third OF
One-half less than the price of the bone
is not going to lie unused, you may rest
assured. There is plenty of rattan, and
with the machinery we have, much of il
of recent invention, We can prepare and
dress it at an almost nominal cost. II
can be used in so many ways in the lines
of utility and art that it has become q
necessity. Its fieXibiliIy is wonderful
Like stout string, it can be bent and
twisted and tied in knots and after.
ward Strengthened without breaking OF
weakening its fiber. Why, sir, it could
be introduced as an element in rope
making-you see, it often grows to q
height Of 100 feet, and its strength would
at least be three times that of hemp OF
the same bulk and many times its weight
This almost thread like piece, which is
similar to that used by hatters, will lift
twice the weight a string of its size made
Of hemp could do, and yet it is as light
Us piece Of tissue paper or as Il feather ~
The reporter was not permitted to in.
spect the mat aChinery.-Brooklyn Union.
LIFE At THE HAGUE.