The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1891-11-28
HOW CLOTH IS NAMED.
A Writer Tells How the ..Bannockburn''
Chcviots and .Knicksrbocker"
~ Coatings Wore Christcned
rs by A. 4. Stewart

Bannockburn cheviots. the term de-
noting that they are the genuine
Scotch article. have worldwide
reputation, says writer in the Dry
Goods Economist Like all fabric
names that have attained popularity.
that name was given to them by the
merest accident In 1868 the writer
was a buyer OF foreign woolens for A.
r. Stewart OF this city. In the spring
of that year he was IN England. and TO
be sure Of getting a full supply Of
cheviot suitings he visited London TO
zee the samples OF certain Cheapside
wooden warehousemen who controlled
the best make OF Scotch cheviots.
Their assortment OF styles was the
largest they had ever shown. and the
order placed for them was the largest
that the house ever booked for any
single purchaser.
The business having been concluded.
the writer. set out for Scotland, doing
Langholm. Gallashiels, Hawick. Sell
kirk. and running up to Edinburgh.
Having two or three days OF leisure,
while waiting for samples to be made
Mr. Roebuck. from the Manchester
House, with the writer. visited sew
eral points OF interest among which
was Stirling Castle Some time be-
fore that the chamber where the Black
Prince was said to have been MUIR
dered caught fire. and the woodwork
was 30 much charred that it had to be
"efinished. The old wood taken there
from, said to have been 1000 years
old. was made into trinkets and sold
to visitors.
\. Upon ascending to the refitted cham
Der. and thence to the tower, the writer
was attracted by the beauty OF the
plain, which appeared to form crcs-
cent slsirted by deep wood on the
circle side. while the castle stood in
the center of line drawn from the
ends OF the crescent He also noticed
that in the, wood beyond heavy smoke
was arising, as from factory. Upon
descending to the basement of the
castle. where the old armor of the
warriors of ancient days was stored.
the attendant after securing good
fee, explained that the plain was the
field of Bannockburn, and that the
smoke that had been seen was from
the wooden factory Of one Samuel Will
son, who had formerly made Kidder-
minister carpets, but for two or three
years had given his whole attention to
cheviot cloths.
The hint was enough. We set out
at once for the secluded factory. The
distance from the castle was much
longer than it was stated to be. and
besides it was a very hot day in June.
But the trip was finally made. and
once there we found the trees were
used as posts for tent-racks. OF which
the latter were numerous and filled
with goods that had been purchased
in London. The connection was OBJ
vious Why not link the fabrics with
the scenep Why not dub the woolers
''Bannockburn cheviotsp" No sooner
thought than done. A good picture
of Stirling castle was obtained. and in
due time the sample cards of Scotch
cheviots had the flap lined with the
picture OF the castle and the words
'Bannockburn cheviots" around a
similar device on the ticket OF each
piece OF goods. And that was how
to the cheviot dealers of two nations.
"Knickerbocker'' suiting antedates
.Bannockburn" few years. 1t was
the outcome of an accident to the
manufacturer that was thought to be
irreparable though it proved to be
very remuneratiye. In the spring OF
1860 the writer was foreign buyer for
the cloth house OF Addison Bros, then
located at ITO Duane street After
having done Yorkshire, he visited
London. and. as was his custom, he
visited tho West End houses to find
what they had in specialities. Among
those visited was the house of Bid
good. Jones & Wilson, Vigo street.
Then and there Mr. Wilson showed to
the writer the samples that afterward
as cloth attained such high populari-
ty under the name OF .Knickerbocker. "
The letter of the manufacturer that
accompanied the samples was profuse
with apologies for an accident that had
occurred. In some way unknown to
the Superintendent OF the mills certain
spots. that comprised several colors OF
hocks, had been blown into the fulling
tubs. and had not been discovered I'M
til the samples had been sheared. 1t
was then too lato TO rectify the error
as the samples must go forward by a
certain mail. To the writer the ac-
cidental effect was most pleasing.
After a hasty examination of the
samples and n little time spent in as
certaining whether they could be du-
plicated, a large order or 5000 yards
OF GA goods. was placed for the new
cloth; and in reply to query MS to
how they should be ticketed. he re-
piled. Stamp the ticket Knicker-
booker coatings." Such was the birth
Of the names OF two styles OF cloth
that win last through ages as with
each successive temperance they
u = - IA