Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-09-05

panies and the thread was sold to the
weaverS, but several years ago combine
was organized and many of the spinning
plants went into trust. which has en-
abled them to command better prices and
be more independent The linen manu-
facturers. however are practically de-
pendent upon the United States. We take
more than half the products in Irish linen.
The average for the last forty years has
been ST. per cent sold to the United
States. 1913 to the British possessions and
g9.6 per cent TO other foreign countries.
In 1907 the value Of the linen shipped
to the United States was $14.970.O 51 out of
a total export of $26, S95.014. In 1906 our
purchases were about a million less. but
the proportion remains about the same.
and American buyers may be always
found at the hotels here. although most
of the big manufacturers have their
agencies in New York. MI Mack. buyer,
who represents Woodward & Lothrop
OF Washington is here now, purchasing
stock for the fall trade.
Since last November there has been very
little buying from the United States ow-
ing to the panic and commercial depres-
sion there so that ii is estimated that tho
exports to our country for 1905 Will be
only about 30 per cent of those or 1917.
Trade is picking up. however. and better
times are promised.
Belfast has the largest rope works In
the world. which employ 5000 hands and
TOT years was uuQeT the EldHdSculcIt VI
the late W. II. Smiles. a son OF Samuel
Smiles. author OF 'Self-Help" and other
we'll known books. 1t il a model insti-
tuition and among other features the firm
maintains a large cookhouSe and dining
room where the employees and their families
can obtain wholesome meals much cheap
er than they could he supplied at their
own homes. Such a benevolence would
serve to decrease the drunkenness of Ire
land and Scotland more than any other
yy,na ha could hp a60nfa1 Medical
authorities agree that the principal cause
Of alcoholism is insufficient nouriShment
and ill-cooked food which creates crav-
ing for stimulants. They argue If the
working people could have better food
they would spend less money for drink.
Richardson Sons & Owden. one of the
largest linen firms, have model town at
Besbrook. about an hour and half by
rail from Belfast, which is composed en-
tirely of their own employees and where
they own and control everything. The
cottages are built on model plans. the
rents are low. living Is cheap. there are
10 public houses and a man who wants
drink Of liquor must go six miles for it.
Soda Water Invented in Belfast.
Belfast is the greatest producer OF
ginger ale. bottled soda, lemonade and
other aerated waters in the world, and
ships them to every corner of the globe.
There are sixteen factories engaged in
that business. 1t is asserted here that
soda water was invented in Belfast. AL
though there is no positive evidence to
that effect, there is no doubt that ginger ale
was first made by a druggist named
Grattan in 1922, who started factory
here that is still running, and has had
many imitators The great advantage
found here is in the quality of the water
which is especially adapted to aeration,
just as that at Burton-on-Trent is adapt
ed to the manufacture Of ale.
The Cantrell & Cochran factory, which
is the most famous, occupies the old town
hall where Queen Victoria was received
in 1852. 1t has been running for half a
century and their ginger ale is found in
every civilized county. a sirup made
of the root of Jamaica ginger is placed in
the bottles first and then they are filled
rate of $1,000 a day. For this about
800 galloons of the strip of ginger Is
used daily. Their lemonade is made the
same way. A sirup is first poured into
the bottles at one machine and they are
then filled with carbonated water at an
other.
The soda water men. the brewers and
distillers are the richest in Ireland and
path to the nobility, either by the favor
of the sovereign or the marriage of
title. 1t Is a popular joke to point out
that beer can be spelled peer by the
ShanSe OF only one letter. Ernest COCK
ran, senior partner of the ginger ale firm,
has been elevated to the peerage, and has
a beautiful estate south of Dublin near
Bray.
Big Wind in Ireland.
c. F. Kicker of Tioga, Iowa, writes for
information concerning what is known
as the Big Wind in Ireland" This was
a terrible visitation of rain and tempest
on the night of January T. 1889, when a
large part of the island suffered severe
damage. 1t was a gale which unrOofed
houses, blew down church steeples, de-
stroyed trees, carried away the contents
of store houses, killed many cattle and
cost several hundreds of lives. 1t was
not a short cyclone or tornado, but be-
nearly twelve hours, reaching it's maxi
mum of fury about midnight, and was
accompanied by rainfall that has never
been eQualed in Ireland before or since.
and which added to the misery of the
sufferers as we'll as the financial loss.
Thousands of cottages We're torn to pieces,
and the occupants. driven out into the
storm, were compelled to spend the re-
mainder of the night in 1t without being
rooted, haystacks were torn to pieces and
scattered over miles of area. There was
scarcely a farm or a village In central
Ireland that did not suffer seriously. The
storm was followed by a flood. Nearly
every stream in the central part of Ire
land overlooked its banks and additional
damage was done in that way. THE Big
Wind, as 1t is known, is historical.