Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1901-10-30

Which I am.
New Orleans Democrat.
PRAISE FOR ANGORA GOATS.
Their Many Virtues Set Forth In
Official Guise.
According to statistics gathered by
the department Of agriculture and pub
lished in the last Farmers Bulletin,
the total amount Of mohair produced
in the United States annually Is up
wards of a million pounds and Is just
about equal to the quantity imported.
Furthermore, the mohair industry Is
looking up and seems to offer field
for profitable investment.
A great many people who are famil-
lar with the word mohair and even
with the article itself would be puz-
zled to find an answer If they were
asked to tell just what mohair is. "The
word mohair," explains the agricultu-
raj departments bulletin, 'fs the tech
nical name for the fibre Of the Angora
goat, which Is used in the manufac-
ture Of fabrics. The word comes to us
through the old French mohere, from
the Arabic mukhayyar, meaning mo-
hair CLOTH"
So when it is said that the mohair
industry is looking up in this country
it Is equivalent to saying that the An
CORA goat industry Is looking up. Now,
the Angora goat history in the United
States Is rather an interesting one. 1t
was during the administration Of Pres
ident Polk that it began. The Sultan
of Turkey had to do with the introduc-
ton of the Angora goat into this coun-
try. He requested President Polk to
recommend some one who would exper-
iment with cotton culture in Turkey,
and President Polk suggested DR.. Jas.
B. Davis, of Columbia, S. G. DR.. Davis
accordingly was invited to Turkey by
the sultan and went there, with the re-
suit that his cotton experiments so
pleased the sultan that when he return
ed to America he brought with him
nine Angora goats, the gift to him Of
the sultan.
These goats were frequently exhibit
ed at fairs and attracted much atten-
ton. It was thought at the time that
they were the Cashmere breed, from
the fibre Of which the costly cashmere
shawls are made. This mistake proved
to be unfortunate, for everything that
was known about the Cashmeres was
said for these goats, with the final re-
suit that there was such disappoint-
ment that it gave a serious setback to
the Angora goat industry at the very
outset. An Angora goat can no more
serve the purposes Of a Cashmere than
the beef breeds Of cattle can serve the
purposes of the finest Jersey stock. Yet
all the same the Angora is very valu-
Bile animal and this early disappoint-
ment in the sultan's gift had tenden-
cy to blind people for long time TO
the fact.
In 1853 the Davis flock Of goats, con-
sisting of seven does and two bucks,
was purchased by Colonel Richard Pc
ters, Of Atlanta, Ca, with the excep-
tion of one owned by Colonel Wade
Hampton, of South Carolina and one
by Mr.. Davenport, of Virginia, and one
by Mr.. Osborne, Of New York. Later
Colonel Peters imported others, and al
though they did not prove satisfactory,
he Is nevertheless regarded as the real
founder of the Angora goat industry IN
this country.
His first importation was followed by
others up to as late as 1876, when the
sultan became alarmed at what he fan
cied was the development Of an indus
try which threatened the same line IN
Turkey. In 1876 he issued an edict alb
~
Angoras and this edict Is still In force.
Notwithstanding the edict, DR.. w. G.
Bailey, of San Jose, Cal, went to Asia
Minor early in the present year and
succeeded in shipping four goats, which
arrived in New York in April last and
after passing quarantine, were started
for their California home on May 3.
From these importations supple
mented by a few goats brought from
South Africa, have come all the herds
that now are found in nearly every
state in the Union. At the close of the
civil war about all the goats of the
Angora breed that remained In the
country, were in the southwestern
states and territories, principally In
Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and Call
fornia. Within the last few years
they have gone into Oregon In large
numbers, and quite recently several
thousand have been taken into Iowa
and Missouri. There Is now manifested
an interest in the animal such as was
never known before since it's arrival
back in President Folks time and 1t
Is believed that this interest will result,
and that, before very long, In establish
ing permanently an industry Whlch
will extend to every part of the coun-
try.
The most important produce of the
Angora goat is the long, silky. wavy
fleece, used either pure or in connection
with wool, silk or linen In variety
of fabrics for house furnishings and
women's goods, brilliantines, Innings
braids, pushes, astrakhan cloth. fur
niture coverings and variety of other
materials. The fine fabric called cam
els hair is also of the best mohair, and
not from the camel as would be sup
posed from the name. "Chama" Is the
Arabic word for camel, and the Arabs
also call the Angora goat the chanel.
There Is a market for all the mohair
produced in this country, and, In fact,
a greater demand from the mills than
can be supplied. Two mills in Maine
used 40,O0O pounds Of domestic mohair
and had to go abroad for 100000 pounds
more.
But it is not merely for the fleece
that the Angora goat Is valuable. Its
meat Is Of excellent flavor and very
nutritious, while as clearer Of thick
ct covered ground it has no equal. 1t