The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1901-03-17
pacitv Of 90 600 yards Of goods per day.

paclty or O,u00 yaTuS oI Soous pei uoy'
| This list does not contain single es-
| tablishment for the production or prints.
| Prints may be made in a great variety
| of grades, from the very cheap article,
eoual perhaps. to the coarsest cotton
goods now produced in the State, to a
very high grade, selling at a good price.
| The production Of these goods requires
| considerable machinery, and calls for the
exercise CT 4 considerable degree Of skill
on the part of the workmen. There seems
70 be room for development in this direc-
ton.
In order to obtain information in re-
gard to the dyeing interest OF North
Carolina. letters Of inquiry were sent out
to the largest mills. The answers--for
which the writer desires to express his
thanks again-contained the valuable in
formation which is summarized in the
statements below. Aside from these let
ters, Eve have good authority for the
statement that the dyestufs sold in the
South are inferior in quality to those
sold in the North. This may be due to
the fact that a cheaper grade Of goods
Is made in the South, and the low price
for which the goods are sold do not allow
the manufacturer to pay more for his
dycstuffs. Even under these conditions,
1t is questionable whether it would not
be more profitable in the end to use a
superior quality of coloring matter, and
produce goods faster to the general
agencies to which they might be subject
ed, and so more satisfactory to the con-
sumner.
Almost all of the mills dye a large por-
ton of their material as the raw stock;
ten of the twelve mills which answered
dyed from one-fifth to two-thirds in that
form, the remainder as yarn. Very little
or no cloth is dyed in this State. A few
of the mills do a little printing on
warps-two of the twelve.
All of the twelve mills which replied
use direct cotton colors, although one OF
them uses them only in small quantity.
The remaining eleven use from IL to 100
per cent, with an average of about 65
per cent. Direct cotton colors are easy
to apply, and do not always require pre-
liminary treatment Of the goods or a
high degree of skill in the dyer. At the
same time the shades are not as fast
to washing as might be desired at times,
although the better grades possess con-
siderable degree of fastness. The fast
ness to washing may be improved by an
after-treatment with metallic salts, or
by diazotizing and developing Four of
the eleven mills subject portion of their
dyed goods to such after-treatment.
AS regards the classes of dyestuffs,
seven of the twelve mills use dyes fixed
by fannie acid (basic dyes) in quantity
ranging from 10 to GA per cent, with an
average of 80 per cent. Four use from
s to 25 per cent. of mordant dyes, fixed
by metallic salts, average IL per cent.
Six use natural dyes, II to 100 per cent,
with an average of 40 per cent. for those
which use them. OF these dyes, the
mordant dyes ard the natural dyes pos
sess the greatest fastness to light, wash
ing, ETC., and at the same time are much
more difficult to use than the direct cot
ton colcrs. The mordant dyes require
considerable skill on the part OF the dyer,
and some Of them much complex machin-
cry for their proper application.
1t is interesting to- note some Of the
replies to the question asked in the let
tors, In what direction is there room in
this State for development in the pro-
duction of dyed goodsB
I'm fine and fancy goods requiring
higher class of skill in dychouse and
weaving departments. Coarse goods are
being overdonc''
I'm the finer counts Of yarn, and as fine
ginghams, fine shirt goods, etc. None
in coarser goods, we think"
Room in almost any direction. The
South has not yet learned what it can
do, but is gradually working up to its
possibilities
To sum up, North Carolina is producing
large quantities of yarn and coarse cot
ton goods, and in these directions there
is room for little development unless con-
quest is made of new markets. She pro-
duccs comparatively small quantities of
high grade goods, and no printed cloths
There is room for development in these
and this development will call
for greater skill, for more complex ma
chinery, and for more highly trained
dyers, weavers and other workmen.
The writer desires to express his thanks
to Prof. W. A. Withers for advice and
suggestions in the preparation CT this
Observation-Disclosures Record