The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-09-19

the late S. G. Lister. They now have three
separate establishments engaged in wool
mbing-one at Bradford. one at Croix,
near Roubaix. and one at Rheims. These
concerns cover altogether over twenty
three acres of flooring and give employment
to five thousand people. The firm has
total Of five hundred carding and four hum
dred cOmbing machines, which accomplish
as much labor as II would nave taken
twenty-five thousand workmen TO do in the
days prior to the introduction OF the comb
ing machine.
A WONDERFUL MACHINE.
1t may not be amiss to explain to those
IMMERSED in the technicalities of wool comb
ing what the particular operation is that
is performed by this wonderful machine.
1t takes the raw wool. combs the fbers out.
places them parallel, separates the long
fbers from the short and draws out the
former into one united silver, in which con-
dition it is ready to be submitted to the
spinning process. The slivers thus pro-
duced are called tops"
The wool-combing machine is one Of the
costliest single inventions the world has
ever known. At the time Sir Isaac Holden
went to Cullingworth it was far from being
an accomplished fact. Inventors were at
work in England, France and America try
ing to solve the problem, but much re-
NAMED to be done before the labor OF the
hand comber was to be effectually super
seeded. 1t was as far back as 1870 that DR..
took out a patent for wool combing. In
lS47 Holden took out a patent jointly with
3 G. Lister; The wonderful amount or
experiment that has been made from time
to time in the creation of the wool-combing
machine is to some extent indicated by the
statements made by Sir Isaac before the
royal commission. He said he had been told
that experiments connected with the comb
ing of wool have cost the experimenting in
ventors the sum of 92 900, 900; that he him
self had spent $4,000 in experiments, and
that Mr.. Lister had spent greater sum
than that.
To the memory of Lister Bradford has
erected monument in celebration chiefly
Of his achievements in regard to the comb
ing machine. A like memorial to Sir Isaac
Holden will be erected, doubtless, in the
same city. 1t was in the troublous times
of 1S4S and 1S49 that Sir Isaac introduced
his wool-combing inventions in France and
there established works. But he was far
seeing and sagacious, and had full faith in
on his trip, chosen mill for the COM
mencement of operations, and had left his
agent to arrange the Lease. When re went
he found himself harassed by disputes With
the trustees of the property, and at length,
owing to strange and unaccountable cir
cumstance, the negotiations were abruptly
broken off
Sir Isaac dreamed one night that he had
gone TO St. Denis to look after mill, and
that he had found one there, having heen
shown over it by candle light. Whether
following day or whether some other infu-
ence led him there no one is able to say,
but 1t is a fact that he went thitner, that
he found a mill that suited him, that he
took it, and that he was first shown over
it by candle light.
From that time forward, in both France
and England, the hand comber was speed
lily Supplanted by the new machines Sir
Isaac visited each of his great establish
ments frequently as long as he remained in
active business. He always travelled by
evening trains, and kept active super
vision over all his mills. At one period lie
had no less than eight lawsuits on lis
hands at the same time in reference to pat
ents. He made it a rule TO prepare the
/ briefs himself, and was always present at
the hearings in court.
During this exciting time, when his pres
ence frequently demanded in England,
he was sometimes known to cross the chan
mel five nights in a week, alternately at
tending courts in France and doing bust
ness in England during the days. Although
he had many lawsuits in France, he never
lost but one of them. That one he perse-
vered in only to obtain the decision of the
courts on the point whether few days
delay in taking a French patent after the
registration of the English one vitiated the
former. 1t was ruled that this was so.
During the trying period of the Franco
| German war Sir Isaac Holden provided all
his hands at Rheims and CroiX with two
meals day gratuitously, the works at st.
Denis at that time having been abandoned.
He gave thousands of pounds in charity in
Bradford In politics he Liberal of
the most advanced order. and he was sew
eral times elected to Parliament