Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1889-09-19
AN INDIGO FACTORY.
INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT
INCORPORATING.
Visit to the Observation-Disclosures
Waist-Deep in Liquid 1ndigo-A
Curious Experiment.


In relating some of his experiences
during fourteen-hundred-m mile bicycle
ride from Lahore to Calcutta, India,
Thomas Stevens, in Youths Companion,
saws: Zone morning / arrived ut
great indigo factory situated near the
road. Not far from the factory was the
eommodious bungalow Of the planter,
an English gentleman, Mr.. T, who
had had many years experience as an
indigo planter. As l dlsmounted Mr.;
T came out and promptly invited
me to remain with him as long as l saw
fit. The heat was terrific, and as l was
curious to see something of indigo-mak-
ing, readily accepted his hospitality
for the day. We first visited the beat
ilg-yats. in each of which about twenty
naked natives stood waist-deep IN the
linuid indigo. These were the beaters.
Each man was armed with a long
wooden spade, and they were fiinglng
into the air streams OF indigo, which
dashed overhead, and splashed about
the vat and over the heaters in showers
of foam and spray. This brings about
chemical transformation. The fluid, as
il comes from the stalks and leaves OF
tho plant, is of greenish color. Inc
wild work of the heaters changes the
tint into beautiful deep blue by oxy-
oenation. At the same time that ~
changes in color the dye stuff held IN
solution graduates and settles to the
bottom of the watts. Whom the beaters
have thoroughly performed their WORK
they climb out Of the vat and allow the
contents to settle.
"Mr. T led the way to the farther
end of the row of beating-vats and
showed me one of them which had been
settling for an hour.
sc" Here, you see, he said, now IL 10
settled, the liquid has changed color again
from blue to smoky green. Except
that it is somewhat clearer, 1t looks
about as it did before the beaters began
to work on it.
"The foreman now came and removed
n Mug from a hole in the wall. The
green LIQUID gradually ran to waste,
and there was revealed at the bottom OF
the vat q thick, pulpy sediment OF blue.
This was the indigo. Men now came
with earthenware jars, which they filled
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 eyaporate the moisture and
further granulate the indigo. IL is then
dumped into presses and subjected 10
heavy pressure by means OF lever ana
screw. The presses are square IRON
boxes, perforated like colander ana
lined with press-cloths. BY this process
: Ill 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 II is
emit mn into commercial squares and I'M
, pressed with the stamp OF the factory.
The cakes are then removed to the dry
| ng-house, a large, airy shed, provided
with tiers Of open shelves. Here they
: remain for two or three months until
: thew are thoroughly dry, and are then
packed in boxes and shipped to market.
The chief Indian emporium Tor mango
is Calcutta, whence it is shipped 70 LOT
! eign markets. ;, r.
=. after we had visited the boiling
and drying-houses. l want to show
YOU something interesting -,
7 Saving this, the indigo-planter LED
; the way to q set OF watts similar to those
we had already seen, but elevated SC
that the liquor could be drained IRON
them into the beating watts.
"'These, he said, ARE the terment
: ing-vats. Now see =.
? "Mr. T produced q match from III
pocket, and lighting stalk OF dead In
iiqo plant, he cast it, flaming, into one
e of the watts. The gases that were escap
ing from the fermenting mass OF leaves
8 and stalks ignited with sharp report
and for an instant blush flame spreaC
ali over the vat. The experiment wal
reneated at the next vat with similal
results. In these fermenting-vats the
indieo-plants are packed tightly IN lay
ers. as they arrive in the bullock CHAR
1 ries from the farms. Porous frames ar
1 laid on top, and the mass is pressed o
9 weighed down. Water IS then pumped
' in with a Persian wheel, and the plant
. are allowed to steep.
S Fermentation soon commences, an'
. in few hours the watts are bubbling an'
q seething to the rim. This continue
0 for twelve or fourteen hours, when tn
fermentation gradually subsidies. In
r water is then run off into the beating
T watts, to be manipulated in the manner
r have described.
"Of late years many improvement
{ have been introduced into the manu-
/ facture of indigo. Much of the beating
/, is now done by machinery, which doe
!. the work more thoroughly than it cal
Y be done by men. A special kind o
a yeast-powder is used to stimulate AM
s increase the fermentation, and anothe
/, preparation aids in the precipitation
a the indigo after beating.