New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-06-18
H1W.uOCK'.S HISTORY.
MADE BY PRETTY GIRLS IN f''Ni"'
TIE FIBRE Is PREPARED

MADE gY PRETTY GIRLS IN 1''Ai"NO
TIE FIBRE Is PREPARED.
p.o,,o u,o nse Mexican hammocks perhaps would
Ike 10 learn something about thcr hS',S y ,,'
20 tbcr arrival I'm the United States 10 '"sin "i'"'
W., ,,a,ro vourscf I'm u very large field III 'he
f,mous peninsula OF Yucatan. under scorcnl'- NV,
dov sun and not a tree anywhcr" near Inns h'''
and sovcroI adjacent ones planted with ".hN'
,,,,rsIs " an evergreen sucCulcnt plant Indigenous
IN Yucotan II resembles the plants OF 'h' s''',.'
aloe with which II Is sometimes c"ho"'"'"
grows well in stony soil and requires nun '''
pcorlv nude dark brown natives, p'rspirHS !" Wv
intense heat are removing the young shoots WHO"
crovv ont from the roots OF the mature pi'h'' i"'
no, which they call "Sons," have been leit u"
c,th.r strength from the parent plant during one
vc,r now they nre to be tranSplant'u eseNn''' "'
mr. twelve feet distant from each other IDS hl''''
l. necessary because when mature the leaves are "'o
Ave feet long. and a. they are tipped WIN WY
shorp point the laborcrs must hav" room 10 pass "
tween Them After three years growth 'he nrS'
,cavcs nrc ready TO b. cut: the plant continues W
Weld Glamcnt for about twelve years. after Wh'h 1t
rims to seed and the stems utilized where they
stand by planting beans there. 50 That 'h' WIN" may
twiuc about them. The hemp plant Is commonly
called .hcncqucn." Another familiar name lot " i
sisal hemp" because II used To be- shipped rom VI"
port Of sisal. which was aficrward a'ahooh'" ~.
procrcso from which place a. 100000 or *eoooooo
greater part being landed In New-iork
In one field are fourd aborcrs removing 'he Young
plants: I'm another ranspaniinG them "ni'' III -
third they cutting matur" leaves from l"' SUM
and throwing them into whccharrows Their hhWN
mon, &c thc machctp n heavy s'ccl blade nearly
eighteen inches long The loaded harrowN are wheeler
70 another part Of the plantation, where there i II
largo bilding. In which. with machinery moved by
steam powcr tn. nlamcnt Is separated from the
groom mar, OF the leaf This l. thrown out TO serve
AZ fodder TO cattle. and they thrive on II. II ais"
helps 10 enrich the soil. Int while Io't'ng II burdens
the air with most unpleasant odor.
n the las, few years the machinery used for here
ouen has been improved upon and Us dangers some
what olvfatcd Accidents therefor" less frequent
non formerIy bnt even get workman'S hand or
arm T. occasionally torn al by being caught III the
machine while feeding II with ~" leaves. The natives
have their own primitive ways 81 extracting IA" MA
mont They usc n scraper oi very hard wood a foot
long and four inches wide one "nd X 'arN'u !"
form q handle: the other hin and sharp. s scooprl
ont in the form OF crescent Their" ] \ groove III
the leaf This I, placed round stick. when Is
held or7quclv. with tie scraper u" leaf Is then
snlit lcngthwIsc In two or thrc" parts. each being
squccyci between stick and scfaprr. Another m"th"n
is 10 place the loa fat board and scrap' II Win
a two-handl,-l wooden knife. Working thus In" mos
dnic,nt man can obtain only twenty Nv" po"hoN "'
Gl,ment I'm 4 DAY When ta'.r methods aT" cmpl"Yod
the work IS begun at midnight and abandoned ut sun
rise because IA" plant contains an hchd principe
TINT. With The heat Of the day. blister, th" slin.
After the squeezing process the hlnmrnt J. sr"Au
ON tres,lce out In u" sun 20 dry and bleach II is
then mad. up I'm bales Of 800 or 800 pounds r'l',
for export for the HON" mark"f, 10 u" f"hN'F'o
into lammocks. bags and cordaer. Ih"s" ar" most
Important industries. Twenty year, AK cul"r"'lN'
" few hnmnockS were mad" f"r ',Np"r'",i"r' ', a
they were they vet. u" Only '"u'h u ~
throughout Ymcninn. Bed, considered unc"m'"rta
bic The hammockS rse0 th"r" cost from - I" ="
each Then came the demand for cheap hamHio' ~
abroad and the pretty girls and hnV"m mairon. "rr'
set 10 making something very much coars"r ih1h ~"
work they worc accustomed to-hammo'kS mat u'y
themselves Womb not hnvc d'gn'l Z" rest in-W"rih
30 or 80 cents when finished Nu expert can MAKE
three or inlIr 81 these ha;umocl day. aud receives
about II cents for each. IL" arrl" Is s,ld In ""
York for ~ or little more. Formerly all he Tine
was made hy hand now tbs + only done occnsiorly
Men and boys twist II rapidly. rolling TIC hlrr l''
| tween tho palm 81 The band and u" nude fhlGh h"
einnor. lie piece 81 leather over their SKIN '""r'
yellow Irvine the dyes being obtain from u" nailv"
wood. 49,,
II a hammock w.r. mad" in Nuoatan II J. probably
! The work Of u pretty moyzn lhalf hr"'dl GIRL hnr'
! fuo.d Int IN flowing whit" cotton garments. ana
| with her black hair smooth and glossy ~ n raven
| wing she stood netting %" hammock on nm nplr
! wooden frame. In the hut or outrou,c vh"r" -h'
worked three or four other member, 81 IA" lam
Ily each with their ir:ltn" and hammock ~ course
| Of construction The WORKERS w'r" cheerful. g'hu.
and ,onirnird for ihry earning il"r bread ana
making The best oi ,.yo-ytllng Hwnys looking ~ n'
bright side Of Ifc. such f. thor happy disposition.
In ~" eastern part ~ IA" p"nlu-ul1 par'lrnl1'
fine soft hemp T. produced. II o. call'1 piin' and
f. 80 highly aIpr,caied that non" T. exported, fh'
people of "a" country keeping y Tor r"ir "w nam
capital take pride In netting their own mxurlou-
| lammOcks.