The great West. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1889-18??, 1890-06-13
Tho Twine Report.


published what purported to be the
report of the Irvine Committee, two
days in advance of it's submission
to the Governor. Two names only
were attached to the report-Messrs.
: Hall and Lathrop.
The. report advises the purchase OF
two ''systems'' of machinery for the
manufacture OF Irvine experimentally,
deeming the matter not sufficiently
positive yet to warrant the manu-
facture of Irvine for the entire state.
Why it is not positive we do not un-
derstand. Irvine is being made by
these systems in different mills, and
is known as the best jute Irvine, when
made of that material. Six systems
would produce enough for Minnesota
and ten for the near northwest. 1t
does not enlarge upon the flax Irvine
as it should. This is a matter of
very great interest to us. The mat
ter is referred to, but not in. an ex-
haustive way. The information is
only such as every farmer was famil-
lar with who had read the papers.
Still the report constitutes sound
presentation of the matter SO far as
it goes, and although only signed by
two members OF the committee, Gas
given by the Pioneer Press), and
therefore not an official report, it
will undoubtedly be presented to the
governor and be acted upon by him
favorably. Even the putting in OF
experimental. machinery is a matter
of congratulation.
The following is the report referred
to. 1t is barely possible that it may
be changed after it's publication, as
the Pioneer Press had no right to
the document:
To His Excellency William R. Mer-
riam, Governor Of the State OF Min
nesota: Your committee appointed
to investigate the subject of the feas-
Utility of establishing the manufac-
ture of binding Irvine in the states
prison of Minnesota make the follow
ing report:
Your committee proceeded first to
Paterson, n. J. and visited the Irvine
mills OF Mr.. J. C. Todd, who is not
only manufacturer Of Irvine but
probably one of the largest manufac-
tuners of machinery for making flax
and jute binding Irvine in the United
States, if not in the world. We find
that Mr.. Todd has been a manufac-
turer of this kind of machinery for
the last thirty years. Mr.. John
Cheyne, who came back to this State
at the request Of the committee, has
run a system OF Todd's machines
about that time. We find that Mr.
Todd has furnished machinery dur
ing the present year amongst Others
to the following Irvine and cordage
companies: Barbour & Co., Gable
Flax mills, Field Cordage Company,
Middletown Irvine Company, Peru
Bagging company, u Aliens Sons
Portland Cordage Company, and
others. The answer attributed to
young Mr.. Deering in the former re-
port, that "there was not supposed
to be any fax machinery manufact-
ured in this country" your COM
mittee conclude must have been
misunderstood, or else the answer
was made on purpose to mislead the
committee. In confirmation of this
view we quote from Mr.. William Deer
ing's admissions to the present COM
mittee when we visited his mills in
Chicago on our way back to Mime
sota In that interview Mr.. Deer
ing, Sr, informed the committee that
John Good, OF New York, was
making first-class flax and jute ma
chimes, and was an old manufacturer
Of machinery, and in the course of
conversation informed us that he
was interested in Mr.. Goods ma
chimes as partner in some OF his in
ventions. Ifthereremainsa any doubt
about the ability of American man.
ufacturers to furnish fax and jute
machines for making binding Irvine,
the fact, on Mr.. behring's showing,
that the Dolphin mills furnished him
last year five carloads OF jute binding
Irvine which was all made on ma.
chimes manufactured in the United
States, and according to Mr.. John
Cheyne on Todd's machines, ought
to dispel that doubt.
In regard to the quality and value
of fax Irvine for binding grain, that
depends upon the grade OF material
used. At Mr.. HartshOrn's this name
is wrong. We think it should be
NJ. Hartsall's mills.-ED. G. w. we
we're shown a sample of flax Irvine,
said to be pure, which stood a tensile
test of from IS to 125 pounds and
which runs between 700 and 800 feet
to t IT, the pound This Irvine we ex-
'amined and pronounced very fine,
and il WAS the unanimous opinion of