The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1891-12-25

began to spin Tor the public, and
wooden yarns were more plentiful, though
generally very heavy. Socks were socks
4 then,-a pair used in Echo canon IN 1S57-S
would make two or three pairs now. Then
weavers here and there offered their SER
vices, and families began to Danish not
only their 'cards, but spinning wheel and
loom besides. The dye-kettle fingered, but
by-and-by some one began to dye, and then
as cotton yarn rolled in at SO and down
wards per bunch came jeans, linseys, fan
nels and satinettes from domestic looms as
well as from professional weavers, such
as John Greer and Nathan Davis the clat-
ter of whose loom was music to many
tired woman.
FACTORIES.
Dreams of factories were not
then uncommon, and finally over Jordan,
Matthew Gaunt's factory crystallized, as
1t were. into reality, for if memory is cor
rect, he was the pioneer. Rude all the
appointments thereof might have been, but
there was progress, and if the goods were
not equal to German, West of England or
some OF the eastern goods of that date,
! for the industry was infantile, anyhow,
they yet did good service, and the shar-
ing process was somewhat of success
Gaunt also advertised that as fuller and
dyer'' he would help out the housewife
whose fabrics were loose in texture or
wanting in color.
President Young's factory, on Canon
creek, was the next advance. Afterwards
Lorn Farr and then Randall began in Og
den, each of whom ''made haste slowlyn in
the same direction. w. Norton had also
struggled and MADE somewhat of a success
here, but he moved and got on a larger
scale IL Brigham city. Then E. T. City
had try, and some other places in the ter
ritory attempted manufacturing with
varied measures of success.
HAT-MAKING.
!, 1t is no wonder, considering the price of
hats in those days, that persons who had
any knowledge of that manufacture should
make the attempt. Among the earliest
were ]. L. Haywood in the Seventeenth
ward, and Father Leonard in the Seventh.
Then came Merrill, Shelmerdine Fulton.
and finally Smith, then Smith & Goddard.
All save the latter went on the old style.
t'urs OF all kinds were abundant, SO much
so that homemade hat would weigh from
one TO two pounds. These were made
from otter, beaver, mink, rabbit, etc.
Wool was easily reached, and cotton from
the south could have been had in the mid
sixties, if the hat industry had not then
measurably collapsed
The writer, who in early life had been
somewhat familiar with hating, while
buying goods east visited several factories
IN New Jersey. Returning, he explained
to the home hatters the great revolution
which had taken place in that line: how
the antlquated "bow'' had been set aside
by the revolving cone; how the weight had
been reduced and could be gagged TO
fraction, and how the material used in
dozen at home would make from four to
six dozen under the processes of that
time QSG3). Incredulity was the only
answer, and none of the older workmen
ever witnessed the change to make it of
value, until Smith, who was a more
modern halter, returned east in the 'S0's,
staid awhile working and then bought and
imported machinery which has not vet
been put into operation, although it ar
rived in this city several years ago.
TANNING.
The conversion of wasting hides into
leather, and the manufacture of the same
into shoes, was in very early times consid-
cred important. Shoes were high in price.
Mems stogas sold at s. downwards per
pair, and imported leather was almost I'M
readable even for repairs LAUNDERING had
also suggested tanning, for though not of
oak, our pine bark had tanning properties,
even If small So, many a hundred cords
were used by the early tanners at a cost of
from SIS to S45 per cord, and considerable
native sumae and oak brush was used for
this purpose. Samuel Mulliner was the
pioneer tanner and currier of the territory.
He exhibited at one of the conferences in
1852 what was considered a fine calf skin.
the first one ever made here, which was
quite triumph. In 1856 VIM Jennings
entered into partnership with John r.
Wlnder to carry on the butcher and pro-
vision business. They became tanners.
curriers' shoe, saddle and harness makers,
on what was considered large
scale, yet it naturally grew out of
their occupation, for Jennings had been in
the butcher business for years, had seen
hides accumulate and sensed the difficulty
of expectation, though this had been done.
Two other veterans were engaged early
in this occupation (tanning), Alex. Brim
and Ira Ames. Then when Mulliner went
south, Howard and Bowring bought in, and
were successful for quite time; next. if
we remember rightly, came Golding and
Raleigh, Cummings and Jones, Pugsley,
and Margetts; next probably the Hocka-
DAY tannery, managed by A. L. Toussig,
called company. Later came Richard Nor
ris, associated with Bishop Hunter, now
known, it is thought, as j. w. Summer
hays & Morris. President Young also en-
gagged in tanning, as did several others. It
may be further represented that when the
supply of bark failed, by reason of the fact