Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1928-10-07
Cotton Is Connected With
Progress Of Civilization
Throughout the Centuries
BY JOHN ASHTON


lumbus landed at San Salvador, on
his first voyage. To his great de-
light he found the natives wearing
cotton garments. He felt sure then
that he had reached the Indies, since
no other land, in his opinion could
produce cotton but the Orient.
At that period there were only two
civilized peoples familiar with the
East and its products. These were
the Spaniards, who knew Of the ORR
ent through six hundred years of
constant warfare with the Moors, and
the Italians, through centuries Of
trade and intercourse with the mer-
chants Of the Far East. Columbus
was an Italian who had had as a
young man some acquaintance with
the ports III Asia Minor. He sailed
10 America, however. as a Spanish
captain Of fortune. Hence when he
found cotton in the bahamas the
fact had a double significance TO him.
Columbus took back with him sam
pies to the Spanish court, 50 that Fer
dinand and Isabella obtained their
first glimpse Of the Sea Island cotton
in 1893.
How long the American aboriginal
peoples had been growing, spinning
and weaving cotton is not known, but
II is certain hat prehistoric races
in the northern and southern hemis-
pheres had been using cotton for
generations before the fact became
known to the outside world. The dis
~coveries Of Cortez, Balboa, Pizarro,
Alvarado, Coronado and other explor-
ers in the New World showed that
nearly all the several races with
which they anne in contact were
skillful weavers Of cotton.
Cotton in Brazil
In 1920 Magellan reports finding
cotton in Brazil. But a long time
elapsed before the white man utilized
these American discoveries Of cotton.
Centuries before the coming of
Christ, we know from the laws of
Manu- that cotton was grown and
manufactured into cloth in India.
Herodotus, Lucretius and Pliny men
ton cotton and its fabrics before the
Christian era. The Romans used
cotton tents, awnings and canopies
about the same period. and in the
period 200 TO 800 "A. ID. Arrian writes
that calico and muslin are shipped
from India TO Adule, an Arab port
on the Red Sea.
In the tenth century the cultiva-
ton of cotton and its manufacture
were firmly established under Sara
cen rule III Spain. During the Cru
sades Europeans became familiar
with the many varieties OF Levantine
and other cOttons, and later a livel,
HwuIa Wnruw. w~~ E-4- A. -
Of Asia Minor and the Italian ports.
At this period, it will be remembered.
the carrying trade Of the world, so
far as shipping is concerned, was
confined 70 the Mediterranean.
In the thirteenth century referen.
ces TO cotton appear in contemporary
French and English writings. For
example, we are told that cotton was
first used in England for candle and
also as a trimming for doublets. In
France cotton was used in the form
Of defensive pads In warfare and
also as part Of Notifications. At
this period also we learn that BARGE
Iona flourished as a cotton ~manufac-
turing center, specializing in cotton
sail cloth and fustians.
There is abundant evidence that
cotton manufacture was spreading all
over Western Europe about this Pc
riod. Opel says that Ulm in Ger
many was the first place in central
and northern Europe where cotton
was spun and woven, although il
should be mentioned that Venice
claims the honor for Europe entire.
In the fourteenth century the Turks
the cultivation Of cotton 10 the Balk-
an peninsula and in the year 1875
English literary references indicate
that cotton goods were being import
ed as a matter Of ordinary trade and
commerce. IL will be noticed from
all this that cotton manufacturing
anne from the Orient in the begin
ming. and 50 did the raw cotton, but
we shall see that though expectation
Of American cotton to the manufac-
turing cities Of England was consid-
erably retarded yet when il did set
in 10 was with a vengeance.
Beginning of Manufacture
In the sixteenth century Client and