The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1892-05-20
MArT1Nc. AND HOW 1T Is MADE
Host of II MaMufa ctured I'm China and
JapnM by Primitive Methods.

Most of IL Man ufa ctured I'm China and
Japan by Primitive Methods.
The fact is not generally known, but
almost all the mating we use comes from
China and Japan; the chief reasons for
this are that the straw it is made of grows
Ill these countries, and the Oriental
workmen are content to labor for five
cents day, which makes the article so
cheap it hardly pays to make it in this
country. However, some very fine mat
ting is made in Connecticut.
Canton is headquarters of the mating
trade in China, aud north of the city lie
the swampy districts in which most of
the straw is grown. 1t is three-corpered,
very strong, and tough, and grows rap
idly in the wet lands. Usually there
are three or four crops harvested in a
year.
In these districts every peasant is en-
ployed in the manufacture of mating.
most of which is made in the home of
the workers. There are some factories
where numbers of workmen are gath
cred together, although the employer of
the labor is usually resident in Canton.
Even the children are enlisted in the
work. They split the straw to let out
the sap which otherwise would decom-
pose and rot the mating. After the
sap is removed the straw is cured much
as the farmer cures his hay. 1t is then
very tough and strong.
The colors in the mattings, which have
of late years elected SO much admira-
ton because of their beauty and varied
shades, are obtained in very,simple and
primitive way. Large pots of earthen-
ware are filled with the dyes, in the COM
position Of which both minerals and veg-
etables are employed. When the dyes
are ready the straws are soaked in them.
1t frequently happens, in the fine mat
tlngs, that the same straws have differ
cnt colors. One end may be blue, the
centre red and the other end black. This
is done by soaking the different parts of
the straw in different dyes; but the samo
primitive and simple methods are fol-
lowed In all cases. After being dyed the
straws are dried in the sun.
The loom for making mating is two
yards in length and one yard in width.
The warp is either of jute or cotton. In
weaving ordinary mating two men arc
employed. One handles the straw and
the other keeps it even and in place. The
straws are put in one at time through o
long, hollow stick having a slit through
the lower surface. The straw being too
Timber to stand the strain of being
thrust through the warp, it is pat into
this stick and the latter is forced
through the warp strings. When it is
in place the stick is turned round so
that the slit is at the bottom, and tho
straw drops out. The other workman
forces down the straws so that there arc
no spaces between them.
In making damask mating it is nec-
esSary to manipulate the warp string 40
as to drop certain colors at intervals.
The same process is particularly OBJ
served in making cloths where color eff
fects are introduced at intervals by
throwing shuttle containing the colored
yarns in between the warp strings at Ger.
tain points. This is the principle of the
jacquard loom.
In weaving tho damask mating a
Chinaman stands at the top of the loom
and manipulates the warp strings, COM
pressing them or lifting them, as is re-
quired to bring out the damask effects.
When the mating is made it is sent to
the manufacturer at Canton; he ex-
amines it, puts it in rolls of forty yards
each. and it is then rolled in cheap
mating. When it arrives in Hong
Kong it is taken by harbor junks to the
ships waiting for it.
All the mating brought to this country
is transported in American sailing ves-
sells, and is usually landed in New York.
A trip takes from three to four months.
These vessels have to combat the pi.
rates once in a while, and they all carry
guns for defence.
japanese mating is rated finer than
the Chinese; it has not so much body as
the latter, and will not stand so much
wear.