The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1889-04-12
THE KING OF COMMERCE.
THE ENTERTAINING AUToBIoGRA-
PLY OF THE COTTON PLANT.
A Lecture Of General Interest Deliv-
cred by Judge Sneed Before the
Memphis Law School-History of the
Plant Uniquely Told.

Judge J. L. 7. sneed, the president Of
the Memphis Law School, is now deliver
N ing series of lectures upon mercantile
x law before the law class, under the
title 'The Antiquity and Versatility OF
the Cotton Plant as Shown IN the Forensic
Adventures OF Bale OF Cotton" The
following is synopsis OF the series and is
given as being OF general interest in that it
embraces very unique presentation OF
4 the history OF the cotton plant, the uses to
u which it is put and its relation to the COM
q merce OF the world:
81 am supposed to be an inanimate
thing, but l am not In the very earliest
annals OF mankind, after the flood my an
cestors were well known in all temperate
and tropical climates where agriculture
had foothold. / know, however, but
little OF my lineal genealogy prior to the
time OF Plesoditus-but in his day, as he
tells us, the cotton family were well known
and highly respected. The history OF
England tells us of an old crank named
John Bull. who held the bad eminerce
of anarchy poet in Wat. Tyler's rebellion,
who always contended that Eve, the wife
OF Adam, had spinning wheel:
"'when Adam dolve and Eve span,
VINO was then the gentleman
"But as female garments were not then
fashioned OF cotton textiles, | can hardly
flatter myself that the antiquities OF my
family can be traced that far back. NV
own conjecture is that the aforesaid spin
1-,f,~ng-wheel was used for spinning silk TO
be converted into garments for the daugh-
ters-in-law, or neckties ior the sons OF that
historic twain. II was through the influ.
ence OF Mercury, the patron-god Of the
family, that many years ago we were
endowed with the gilt OF speech, hearing,
sight taste and sIQell-and later, by con-
slant prayers and oblations to Jupiter the
wonderful gift OF clairyoyance was con-
ferred upon us, so that we can look back
ward and forward and can read the
thoughts and interpret the actions of
men. So that, inanmate as we seem, We
can tell all that has ever happened or is
likely TO happen, that is to affect the for
tunes Of our house in any phase or ele-
ment of our corporal makeup-whether
in the seed, the germ, the plant, the
bloom, the pod, the staple, the oil, the
meal, the hulls or the ashes, Just as you
mortal immortals can tell whether your
ailments are in the finger, the toe, the
limbs, the body or the head. 1t is always
eXcusable to refer in ones autobiography
10 the versatility OF genius that belongs to
ones famiy--and especially 50 II that gen.
ius is accredited all over the world. Even
before the invention OF the steam engine
We were considered the most wonderful
family in the world-not only in furnish
ing raimcnt TO mankind but in the other
mult.form uses to which We were applied
Tor the comfort, convenience. wealth and
happiness OF tine human family But
SINCE the invention OF the steam engine
the powers and possibilities OF the family
have been developed and multiplied 10 q
degree that cNcites the wonder OF the
world. That tremendous power bas revo
lulionzed all things. What blunder il
was in the first Napoleon to drive Robert
Fulton out OF ais council chamber, indig
nantly explaining 10 a member Of his Cab,
met that that crank OF an American haC
the audacity 10 Try to convince me that he
could propel my ships OF war 10 the shores
OF England with boiling water The
first time this same steam engine sat Tor
picture, no less person than Lord Fran
49, els Jeffrey was the artist, and he
pictured Il thus 1t has be
come thing stupendous alik,
for its force and It's Aexibility-iOr the pro
digious power Il can exert and the cas-,
and precision and ductiiiy with which
IL can be varied, distributed and applied
The trunk OF an elephant that can pick NJ
pin or rcnd an oak is ~ nothing TO IL
IL can engrRvc seal and crush masses o
obduraie metal or stone before it-drav
out. without breaking athread ~ fine al
gossimer, and lift up a ship OF war like
baublo in the air. II can embroide
muslin and forge anchon-cut steel int,
ribbons and impc loaded vessel
against the fury OF the winds and thu
waves And yet Lord Francis Jcilre,
has not rccounted hall It's powers. Bu
my family must acknowledge its profouu,
obligations 10 steam power for the multi
plication OF its uses and adaptabiltics L
the wants OF man. For thousands OF year
IL had furnished rniment 10 the queen an,
the peasant girl-to the monarch aud III,
scn-to the patrician and the Proletare
IL had given wings 10 the ships OF
the high sens and sheltering shad
10 the 'shirtless sons Of the simmer
ing sand But now there IL no part o
It from the boil aud stalk To tn
nethermost root that has not It's uses. Tn
staple goes ginncd. balod and comprises,
TO the factory and there the process d
cleaning begins. II passes iint into ih
blowing machine, where Il IL torn open b.
revolving spr,cs aud subjected 10 the &C
ton OF n powerful blast, produced by th
rapid revolutions Of fan. The light WOO
Is then blown apart from the dart an,
heavier portions This process isconiinuc,
In the skulchng machine. where II !
- beaten by metallic blades making irou
5000 10 5000 revolutions i'm minute
Thus the fiber Is opened aud the fine wool
separated from the waste, fails 10 th
ground through frame Of Gne wire. lhi
Is the willowing process, and when thu
cleaned Il IL brought 10 the tapping ma
chine. whore given weight Of II is sprea
over ma ample surface Of cloth, and bcin
then compressed by cylinder, II islappc
round roller 70 rs 10 be IN iit state 70
feeding the carling machine. Theme
Il goes to the cardiug machine an
thence into the different loom,
and Il comes out Of the factor
again into the markets Of the world In lh
form OF the beautiful or substantial tex
tiles In which mankind Is clad, aud thes
are numbered by thousands rs brown an
bleachcd cotions, prints Of countless VI
riety and figures, ginghams, cambrci
Jeans, silcsias, wigans, Innings, osnaburg
checks, chcyiots, stripes, denims, ticking
CARPET warps, cotton yarns bats twine'
waddings, cotton Aanncls, crash, graf
bags, linscys, cottonades, braids, thread
laces, ducks, muslins and other textile
and fabrire innumefable 10 that "