Bismarck weekly tribune., 1889-10-11

Not far from the factory was the commodi-
GUS bungalow of the planter, an English
+ gentleman, Mr.. T., who had had many
years experience as an indigo planter. AS
I dismounted, Mr.. u came out, and
promptly invited me to remain with him as
long as saw fit. The heat was something
terrific, and, as was curious to see some
thing of indigo making, readily accepted
his hospitality for the day.
From the factory, 200 yards away, there
came such babel of shouts and wells, SEEM
ingly from hundred human throats, that
stood and listened for moment before fol-
lowing my host to the bungalow.
Upon visiting the factory saw at once
how my "blue people, of the road came by
their coloring. We first visited the beating
watts, which were square tanks about eight
feet deep and twenty feet square. Several Of
these watts were ranged side by side, or rather
one long vat was divided into several by
walls, which were also footwalks. Out Of
these vats came the pandemonium Of howl
ing and shouting that had arrested my atten-
tion at the bungalow. In each vat about
twenty naked natives stood waist deep in
liquid indigo. 5s
''These are the beaters," said Mr.. T.
IA rather wild looking lot, aren't they2"
: I fully agreed with him that they were
wild looking. The beaters in each vat were
ranged in two rows, which faced each other.
Each man was armed with long handled
wooden spade. With marvellous dexterity
and rhythmic accord, both rows Of beaters
were finging into the air streams of indigo,
which dashed together overhead, and splashed
about the vat and over the beaters in showers
Of foam and spray. The beaters incited one
another to extra exertions, sometimes by
shrill chorus and again by frantic yells.
Every man was as blue as statue of indigo,
and was covered with foam and splashings.
The several watts filled with these blue figures,
who flung the liquid indigo high in air; the
weird choruses shouted in shrill cadences;
the flying froth which settled on the laborers'
heads and streamed down their glistening
skins. made scene totally different from any
thing had seen elsewhere.
As we stood and looked on Mr.. tt ex-
planned to me the various operations, and
the part that each played in the production
Of the indigo of commerce. The finging
and dashing Of the liquid about in the air
brings about chemical transformation.
The fluid, as 1t comes from the stalks and
leaves Of the pant, j. of greenish color.
The wild work Of the beater changes the
tint into beautiful deep blue by oxygena-
hon
At the same time that it changes in color
the dye stuff held In solution granulates and
settles to the bottom Of the vats When the
beaters have thoroughly performed their.
work they climb out Of the vats and allow
the contents to SETTLE ..sss
MIR. + led the way to the further end
of the row of beating watts and showed me
one of them which had been settling for an
hour.
Here, you see" he said, .'now it is settled,
che liquor has changed color again from blue
to smoky green. Except that it is some
what clearer, it looks about as it did before
the beaters began to work on it.'' s.a,
The foreman now came and removed q plug
from hole in the wall. The green liquid
gradually ran to waste, and there was revealed
at the bottom of the vat a thick, pulpy sedi-
ment of blue. This was the indigo Men
now came with earthenwsre jars, which they
filed and carried off to the boiling room.
Here the indigo was strained through wire
sleeves Of fine mesh to remove all impurities.
After it has been strained, the soft blue
mass is poured into big iron kettles and boiled
for two or three hours, to evaporate the
moisture and further granulate the in digo.
Il is then dumped into presses and subjected
to heavy pressure by means Of lever and
screw 3j
The presses are square iron boxes, perfor-
ated like colander and lined with press
cloths. By this process ali the remaining
water is forced out that can be removed by
pressure. The indigo is turned out Of the
presses in dark blue cakes, which are Of
about the consistency of bar Of soap Then
it is cut up into commercial squares and inn
pressed with the stamp of the factory.
The cakes are then removed to the drying
house, a large airy shed, provided with tiers
Of open shelves. Here they remain for two
or three months, until they are thoroughly
dry, and are then packed in boxes and ship
ped to market. The chief Indian emporium
for indigo is Calcutta, whence it is Slipped to
foreign markets.
Now come this way" said Mr.. T -
after we had visited the boiling and the dry
ing houses. - want to show you something
interesting. !" /,
Saying this, the indigo planter led the way
to q set Of yats similar to those we had al
ready seen, but elevated 50 that the liquor
could be drained from them into the, beating
vats. AZ III lsy
"These.r he said. fare the fermenting
vats.' ii n
In these fermenting vats the indigo plants
are packed tightly IN layers, as they arrive
In the bullock gharries from the farms
Porous frames are laid on top, and the mas
Is pressed OF weighted down. Water = then
pumped IN with q Perlan wheel, and the
plants are allowed to steep. Il ss
Fermentation soon commences, and IN ..
few hours the vats are bubbling and seething
to the rim. This continues TOR twelve or
fourteen hours when the fermentation,
gradually subsidies The water is then run
|1o6 into the beadng vats, to be- manipulated
IN the manner ! have described. - Thomas
stsvsns s. Youths Comp panion.