The Morgan City daily review. (Morgan City, La.) 1916-1920, 1919-01-30
Thursday, January, 30, 1919.
Morgan City Logical Point
for the Manufacturing Of
Palmetto Brushes that
Should be Developed
Brooms Now Being Made in st.
Mary Parish Of Parish Raw
Product. Industry Wor-
thy Of Consideration

Chief among the industrial enter
prises that Morgan City is concen-
trating itself upon at THIS period, is
the retaining of the shipyards.
Among the many things considered
as solution towards a greater in
dustrial activity pertaining to the
city as a mart of livlier trade, is the
establishment of permanent new
business similar to what there now
is, with oil wells, hotels, steamboat
facilities, and other details that are
now being worked out by the Cham
Der of Commerce which are to be
considered.
Another industry is considered.
The making of brushes. The man.
ufacturing from the palmetto itself
of handled brushes has long been a
study of very prominent citizen Of
this city who has given the subject
anch thought and close attention.
Quoting this authority, II is claim
ed, first, the root of the palmetto
can be used for the cleaning of all
floors, steps, either wooo or stone,
removing all evidence of dirt, giving
- clean an operation as hand scrub
bing."
Further, "this root, mind you,
grows as large as flour barrel with
. growing depth of four feet in the
ground. Roots of this size can be
trimmed down to several brushes Of
the size desired, weighing from six
ounces upwards to ten or twelve
pounds"
1.-THE ordinary size that would rec
ommend itself to the housewife
would weigh about two pounds,
about the circumference of the ordi-
nary lard can and about seven to
eight .inches in height"
"A hole bored in the root would
permit the handle to be so set, that
use of this root bruch would be more
readily adapted for a floor scrubbing
than the ordinary hand bruch or mop
now frequently used"
"The life of this solid brush is in
definite" "The cost would rather be
indeterminate owing to the standard
of manufacture as it would depend
principally upon the methods of Sc
curing the raw products. the system
Of producing the finished article, the
quantity of brushes made at a time,
and few details as to the proper
channel of handling the article from
the producer to the retailer" That
the price would be nominal is expect
ant. There would possibly be at
least forty to fifty per cent less
cost to the retailer for this brush
than what is now asked for the kind
of articles that are used that this
polmetto brush is recommended.
Centreville, in this parish, is now
making brooms from this same pal
metto fibre. Samples of this palmet-
to broom can be seen in this city.
They are substantially made, not
costly, give plenty of service, and
there should be no logical reason
against the use Of them for floor
cleaning, fir these brooms have been
used in this section for hundreds of
years by families whose reputation
for spotless floors are as we'll known
to the older residents of this city as
the war records of Louisiana soldiers.
There is every reason that sensible
consideration should be seriously
given to the promotion of manufac-
turing brushes here in Morgan City
with the material SO close at hand
which can be harvested with so lit
tie cost and effort.
There is real merit in this plea for
active cooperation from those who
are in the position to devote some
time to it. There is not housewife
in Morgan City who would fail to
see the real good of these palmetto
brushes if the matter was Brought to
their attention on the grounds Of eco
nomic reasons and the splendid use
that could be made of them. The
matter is worth cultivatlng.