St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-07-09
PLUCKING THE RUSSIAN HOG.
Where Bristles Come From and
How They Are Obtained.


81 saw it stated in a newspaper the
other day." said brush manufacturer,
''that most of the bristles used in brush
making in this country came from Eng
land. To the average reader, the nat
ural inference of that statement would
be that the bristles were the product of
swine raised in England. Such is not
the case by any means. On the con-
trary, English hogs do not grow briStles
that the brush manufacturers can use
with profit or economy. Russian swine
provide nearly all of the briStleS that
are used in that business everywhere,
and they are imported into this country
from England. But there are not so
many Russian briStleS used in the
United States as formerly, for the great
Western hog market of our own country
now supplies all that are necessary for
the commoner kinds of brushes.
1.-The best bristleS in the world, eX-
cept those which France supplies. in
limited quantity, come from the vast
forests: of Northern Russia, those of the
Ukraine being superior to others of
that country. In no part of the world
are there such endless supplies of mast,
berry, acorn and conal trees. Their
oICo SOfClS bllOuSdIluS VI SQudIO ulliCos
which are unbroken forests of oak,
larch, beech, pine and other trees that
drop the richest food for swine, which
swarm in the woods in half wild state,
guarded and looked after by swineherds
as wild as the hogs themselves. 1t is
not there and in that state of savagery
that the hogs give up their briStleS to
commerce. but from these great droves
the swine are selected for the culture
of the bristle crop. for the hogs
that are to furnish it are
treated and cared for with that
end in view. They are brought from
the northern wilds and pastured near
the great tallOw factories of Russia.
They are fed at certain seasons on the
refuse of the tallOW factories, which in
a short time puts them i'll fine condition.
The briStle crop is gathered in the sum-
mer time, after the hogs have been fed
for months on the tallow refuse, are
enormously fat, and in the desired con-
dition for plucking-for Russian bristles
are not the yield of dead hogs, but are
live the same as our own geese
enclosures until they are packed in like
sardines in a box. They plunge, and
kick and squeal in their close quarters
until they are heated to a feverish
condition of blood. That, together
with the state of fairness they
roots Of the bristles, and the
bristle FUCKERS pull them out more
easily than woman can pick the feath-
ers from goose. Apparently the pull
ing out of the bristles is attended with
no pain whatever to the hog. When
the hogs are all plucked they are turned
loose. and are at liberty to run at large
in their pastures until they grow new
crop of the material for which they are
kept. and the time arrives for tallOw-
fattening them again for the IeXt pluck
ing. Bristles from Russian hogs can
always be distinguished by little tuft
of soft wool at the roots, from thick
substance of that kind that underlieS
the roots of the bristles in the hogs
skin, This is supposed to be provision
of nature for protecting the animals
from the vigorous weather that prevails
in Northern Russia, their natural hab-
itat.
"France and Germany supply small
but valuable share of the bristleS used
in tie trade. The German peasants
save every bristle that falls from their
hogs, and their herds are watched care
fully so that none of the valuable she'd
ding is lost. They do not pluck their
hogs alive, but when pig is killed the
first thing done is secure the briStleS
Collectors go about the country at reg
ular intervals purchasing the briStle
hoardings of the peasants. Germany
produces more briStles than France, but
those of the latter county exceed all
others in value, although it has long
been conjectured in the trade that
large portion of the bristles sold as
French are really the Russian article,
manipulated by a process known only
to French bristle dealers. French bris-
ties are the white, beautifully dressed
ones of which choice brushes for artists
called camel'S-hair brushes are simply
the French bristles, which possess all
the softness at the eXtremitieS and that
peculiar Springiness that make the
cancels hair so valuable.
whenever shoemaker is choosing
his bristles he never wants them over
six inches in length-the Russian grow
as long as eight and ten incheS--fOr
over that length they do not have the
tOughneSS and frmneSS necessary for
his use. Color is the chief thing to be
looked for in determining the value of
bristleS for fine brushes. White bristles
bring the highest price. White is not
their natural color, whiteness being
produced by much washing and comb
ing and skillful bleaching with sulphur.
Some briStleS will not come any nearer
white than a cream color, and they are
the next in value. Others-and many
others at that-will not consent to
change from dirty brown or blush
gray. Such are disposed of by dying
them black"
HALF FARE