Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-01-09
spcoling. the thread being imported from
the mills in Scotland.


SlIOlluS, LIZ lHEedu UelllS llLipOllSo l1Ol4
the mills in Scotland.
Mrs. Davidson's Recommendation.
1t was for work In this mill. and to teach
the trade to a force Of employees. that
Martha Little. then a maiden of &c years.
and her sister, personally known to the
Messers. Lawson. were sent for to Paisley,
Scotland. then the worlds greatest center
for thread manufacturer. and which still
produces more thread than all other manu-
featuring centers of Great Britain COM
bined. She was employed at the time in
the great Ferguslie mills. One of the rec
concentrations that commended her to
skill in the work, evidenced by the fact that
in the eXacting task of counting accurately
the lengths as she wound them rapidly upon
the spool; in keeping the account correctly
ana winding exactly the required length
upon the spools, she had never been found
in error by the careful and repeated tests
cognizance of the style of the work. but of
the accuracy OF the count. for it seems that
miliar representation on the tables, war
ranted 200 yards" was conscientiously
maintained.
The young woman undertook the trans
Atlantic journey, then no trifing undertake
ing. in company with her sister Eliza beth.
leaving behind her parents and her home.
vessel. in March, 1914, and We're ten weeks
uron the sea. encountering a severe storm.
losing both main and mizzen masts. which
being found by other vessels. the Neptune
was reported lost. But they were finally
driven into Halifax. and three months after
the young ladies sailed for Liverpool they
reached their destination at Dracut. Mass.
Mrs. Davidson was the first to operate a
spindle in the new factory: and In June OF
FAINT thread industry produced its first
spool.
The machine was a comparatively simple
affair in appearance, and in manner of con-
spinning wheel of o~ld-fashioned New Eng
lana households. Mrs. Davidson and sister
a year. when homesickness impeiled them
to return to Scotland. But they returned
to America a year later. and on board ship
pies. who was foreman of a mill erected in
the meantime by Sammy" Shreves, a Qua
ker. at Shrevesville. n. J. (now Smithville).
The sisters were persuaded by young Sem
pies to change their destination for Shreves-
vile and accept employment at the Shreves
mill. This plant was equipped FOR the en-
uct from the raw cotton. and was probably
the second mill in the history of American
W ynrea had aI been pioneers f in this isf lin rwo Of Si Work
in the New world did duty in various ca
pacities until Shreves. ruined by security
obligations, failed in business. Samuel
Semples, the foreman of the defunct mill,
az once established a mill of his own at
Mount Holly. n. j.. where these two young
ollit "thN " plio Niltii Vii-
ployment. Samuel Samples was destined to
become a thread magnate in this country.
and thirty years ago his brand of this do
nestle article was one Of the most familiar
and popular known to the American trade.
There is a touch of romance in the fact
that one of the sisters. Elizabeth. whose
connection with theNthread manufacture in
America was so historic. and who met the
younger Semples on board the ship on her
return to this country. was. after a number
of years in his fathers employ. to become
the bride of this young John Samples. who.
after his fathers death. was associated in
the management of one of the greatest
thread concerns in the country. Such was
the case. and now. retired from active bus
mess years ago. John Semples lives with
his wife. both advanced in years. at Mount
Holly. n. ].
Martha Little. whose fingers guided the
work of the first American thread spindle.
was married to Alexander Davidson. a
scotchman; una, native end Of ,n Mig I1x N ;,. e, eight 1t
Lebanon; III. costly fixed in an humble
where Mr.. Davidson carries on truck farm
ing. Mrs. Davidson was born in 1878 in Ayr,
Ayrshire. Scotland. the birthplace Of the
poet Burns.