Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1910-04-01
KING COTTON.
His Reign Even More Supreme Than
We Suppose.

His Reign Even More Supreme Than
We Suppose.
From the cradle to the grave every
person in the civilized countries of the
world is dependent upon cotton, and
In this country we raise the bulk of
the worlds supply, yet our American
mills use only about 100000 bales an
nually, against 100000 bales exported.
1t is wonderful what the ingenuity of
inventors and the manufacturers OF
machinery have accomplished to pro-
duce a fabric for wear or for other
purposes, particularly as the average
mill worker has no conception of the
varied uses his product is applied to,
other than for personal and household
uses.
On the cars we ride on plush or
seemingly leather seats, but the basis
is cotton cloth, generally duck, heav-
ier or lighter, as the case may be, but
principally cotton, nevertheless. The
millions of miles of copper wire used
by the electrical concerns and by the
telephone and telegraph companies call
for millions of pounds of cotton yarn
and cotton tape annually. The auto
mobile has created an enormous new
demand largely in cotton duck, and the
product of over 350,O00 bales Of cotton
is required annually for the tires of
the motor cars and for the hoods, cush-
ions, etc.
When We read of the bumper crops
in the west we do not especially con-
meet them with cotton, yet it is said
that one of the great harvester ma
chinery combines is the biggest indi-
vidual purchaser of cotton in America.
It requires thousands of bales of cotton
to make bags fol marketing these crops,
but for aprons, carriers, ETC., for har-
vester machines put out by one enter
prise, fully 5O,O0O0,OOO yards of cotton
duck is required. One would naturally
suppose that with the passing of our
old time ships, with their immense
sails, that for shipping the use of cot
ton duck is used on a modern warship
than on the largest old time sailing
vessels that made up our navies. The
use Of cotton duck for awnings of the
warsh,ps, for coverings, coal bags and
numerous other purposes, not counting
the uniforms Of Sailors is in the mil
lions Of yards annually.
Tobacco growers use millions of
yards of cotton cloth for shading the
tobacco plant; and on concern uses
about 100000 yards of cotton for bags
for just two popular brands of tobac-
co. In the neighborhood Of 15,OOO,OOO
yards of cotton cloth, or rather canvas,
are used for coal bags each year, and
for uniforms and for general wear mil
lions of yards are used, it being esti-
mated that over 20,000000 yards of cot
ton duck Is used to make rough over
coats, with blanket lining, for use in
the American and Canadian northwest.
The product of thousands of bales Of
cotton is required in building operations
and for house decoration cotton wall
covering is growing in favor. Pottery
manufacturers use millions of yards Of
duck for the purpose Of squeezing wa
ter out of clay, and about 100000
yards of duck are used by the govern
ment each year for corn bags. Paper
mills use large quantities of duck, some
weighing as much as 10 pounds to the
yard, for driers, and millions of yards
are used annually for the purpose Of
filtering oils. Over 5O,O0O.O00 yards are
used yearly for rubber betting and rub
Der hose, and canvas gloves. legsinSs,
shoes, trunk coverings, etc. call for
several millions of yards annually.
The uses above by no means cover
the uses of cotton cloth, but they do
show cotton to be king and demon
strate as we'll the strength i'm the we'll
managed corporations producing the
goods to supply this varied demand.
Practically every necessity and most of
the luxuries. excepting foodstuffs. draw
upon our cotton mills to a greater or
less extent, and the demand increases
each year with our increasing popula-
tion.-Fibre and Fabric.