Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-03-25

having filled their orders One corpora
ton having plant in Columbia has
banked up 100000 of print cloth rather
than shut down, and many of them are
running for the benefit of their employees
on the theory that three days pay is bet
ter than none. The present slump. how
ever. is not expected to continue very
much longer. although the activity of
1907. which was unprecedented, will not
be resumed in full until after the preS:-
dental election. l don't see why a presi-
dental campaign should affect the de-
mand for cotton goods. which every man,
woman and child wears and must wear,
but 1t is, nevertheless, the case. If you
will look through the record of the last
half century you will see that the market
for cotton goods is always more or less
subject to political influences. and that
the volume of business invariably falls
off in presidential year
The South Carolina mills use as much
home cotton as possible account of
the saving in freight and other charges,
but the fiber raised in this state IS not
suitable for the finer grades of fabrics. to
which the mills are giving more and more
attention. They use very little sea island
cotton. which is raised on the coast of
this state and Georgia. and is the best
quality produced anywhere. Egyptian
cotton is too expensive for the kinds of
goods produced. Hence they use all the
local cotton they can and mix it with
long staple" bought in Alabama and
Mississippi
Last year tie mills of South Carolina
consumed - per cent OF the cotton crop
OF this state. but 1t was unusually small.
The year before they used 81 per cent.
when the crop was large, and that is
about the average.
A great many of the mills in this state are
now piling up what are known as print
cloths" They are a standard grade and
nj a n
are put upon the market without brand
or anything else to identify them. and in
that way command the readiest sale and
the quickest returns. They are practical
ly the bread and butter of the cotton
trade and are used by the print mills to
make calicoes and other classes of cheap
dress goods as distinguished from sheet
ings and shirtings. Although there is no
immediate demand. most of the mills are
now running OH that class of goods three
days in the week because they know there
will he a call for them sooner or later.
and they can borrow money on them ut
the banks if necessary. This is much bet
ter than shutting down which always de-
moralizes ard scatters the labor.
Making Better Grade.
Until recently the South Carolina mills
devoted themselves to common, cheap
heavyweight goods. which have been
readily sold in the Chinese markets
through New York commission houses.
But they are now beginning TO make bet
ter fabrics. AS their operatives are I'M
proving in skill they are manufacturing
finer grades OF goods, and some of them
produce lawns of the best quality The
newer mills rather incline to what are
known as "convertibles," out of which
ladies' shirtwaists and gentlemen's shirts
are made. and others are making fancy
weaves whose brands are attracting a
good deal Of favorable attention in the
market. They are also making bed
spreads. fine damask tablecloths. towels.
bedticking, bath mats and similar lines
of goods. One mill in Columbia makes
very wide sailcloth. twenty-five and thir-
" feet in width. which is used for sails
Formerly sailcloth was woven in narrow
strins and stitched together
The largest cotton factory under sin
gle roof is in Columbia and is known as
the Olympia mill 1t employs 200 oper-
atives. who occupy a village around the
mill. and have their own churches OF every
denomination and graded schools, which
are supported by the corporation 1t is a
distinct and separate community, and is
connected with Columbia by street cars.