Daily capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1896-1899, 1896-12-15

LADIES Mckinley Club Hold Session
About the New Industry.

called a Well-attended meeting OF the
WOman's Mckinley club at Insurance
Hall to hear reports as to progress OF
this new industry of textile FAX cult
ure.
The sterner sex was in the minor
ity, but well represented by County
Judge Terrell, Hon. John Miuto, ex-
Senator Hatch, Of Polk county, L. E.
Pratt lone OF first wooden mill men in
Oregonl, Gid. Stolz, DR.. Bradshaw,
Editor J. II. Fletcher, Deacon Hatch,
c. 2. Bishop, Geo. Hatch, Maj. Willis
Dunniway, John Farrar, Deputy
County Clerk f. A. Turner, Chas.
Calvert, Senator Patterson and Others.
Miss Southwick sang an appropriate
selection. Mrs. A. IL. Farrar read a
witty paper on why we are interested
in fax culture. We could grow it,.
We could make our own twine, burlap
and finer fabrics. 1t offered a wide
field of profitable industry. 1t would
employ much labor. 1t was not crop
that could be grown at hap-hazzard.
Any one could raise wheat or oats, but
not flax In Holland, Belgium and
Russia it was grown in large quaDti-
ties at low price. The best seed
flax and fibre could not be grown at
the same time. The families, of
Lee county, Va, broke, spun and
wOye their own flax. With a
proper tariff we could make all Ou r
own flax fabrics.
L. Mrs. W. Z. Lord read OF the great
fax industry of Belfast, Ireland
where 81 900 people were employed
with SOC. .OO0, 600 capital in 120 factories.
Letters were read from other dis
tinguished persons interested in this
industry. The letters relating to
weaving laces and silks interested the
ladies very much. Knowing that our
country was adapted TO growing fax
fiber, Mrs. Lord presented the prac-
tical features of the question. Hand
looms that would employ women and
girls at their own homes in making
the family linen and even fabrics for
sale were given much of the lady's
attention.
With a prospect of supply of flax
fibre in this part Of Oregon, she COM
mended the subject to the attention
to the young ladies present. A Port
land man was now east to engage
machinery for scutching flax and the
farmers about Turner aud SciO were
considering putting in 500 to 600 acres
of flax each, and that would employ a
scutching mill costing about $1,000.
This industry was started near Al
bany 25 or 30 years ago but was aban-
doned because Barbour, of New Jer-
sav could not. afford to shin the fibre
around The Horn. He put his own
twlne on the market 10 cents a pound
cheaper and killed the industry.
What we needed was large manu-
featuring enterprise to work up this
product after, the farmers had
been induced to grow the fibre in such
large quantities as they would prob
ably soon be producing 1t.
Mrs. Candace Wheeler had an ar
ticle on 'lost textile" in the Art
Amateur this summer that was very
interesting. A great many of our
young women were unemployed and
the farmers daughters ought to have
this opportunity also. If Salem peo-
pie did not take this up Portland |
people would. Mrs. Lords remarks |
were we'll received and heartily APP
plauded at conclusion.
Mrs. Dyer now sang a "Spring
Song"
Hon. John Mimic now discussed the
growth of fax from the standpoint Of
his experience as a farmer. He had
himself forty years ago
that Western Oregon could produce
fax.
Oregon had an exhibit of flax at
5he Philadelphia centennial exposi-
lion, and won first medals for flax in
straw and dressed flax under Governor
Sroyer's administration two men came
rom Belfast and had raised fax on Sa-
EN- prairie to be spun in Ireland. Land
100 damp for wheat was suitable for
lax. At one time the cultivation of
lax for oil was a success and we had an
Ill mill at Salem. 1t has been too easy
o make living raising wheat until
# late years. Wheat would long
'ring high price. Abe Lincoln wore
lothing but his own mothers spinning
Until he was fifteen. Washington
oined league to wear only American
.oods. The speaker had gone to'Frisco
n suit wove by his wife fifty years
100.
Flax could be sown wherever
Wheat could. If it was pulled by hand
nd dressed it would bring so to 60
ents pound. Flax dressers in New
ersey earned $500 a day. Their pro-
uct was worth $500 a ton. If a
armer could get water to rot his fax ,