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At the time we went to Tilburg with the intention to study there that so very interesting industry, the woollen manufactory that has taken such a beautiful development in Holland, we had only the embarrassment of choice, for the country possesses a hundred manufactories where this kind of work is done. Our hesitation has not been long however; for since long we have taken the custom, or to say we have rather imposed on ourselves the duty to call particularly the attention of our readers on the most recommendable houses as far as concerns the nature and the importance of their manufacture, on those that have legitimately conquered the most extensive reputation and, on this point, no mistake on our part was possible. The firm Frans Mutsaerts and Sons, the beautiful installation of which it was our duty to study, is, without any contest, in its double speciality, the eldest of whole Holland. The existence of this house is about one and a half century and was created at Rotterdam by Messrs. L. V. Ledeboer and Sons, not however for the industry, but for the trade of every kind of woollen manufactures and principally for the paries. But the success obtained by this enterprise being such as to be compromised by the opposition of the direct producers, decided the chiefs to apply themselves on the manufactory of woollen tissues and to erect, for this object, in 1849, the factory we now have visited at Tilburg. At that same time the chief had the lucky idea to go into partnership with Mr. Francis Mutsaerts who, being in 1889, all alone at the head of the enterprise, has taken his own sons as partners. The founder of the house had as special object the trade of all kinds of woollens and particularly all the series of English stuffs. The manufactory of Tilburg undertook on its turn the manufactory of all the specialities and the commercial world very soon came to appreciate its clothes, its cheviots, its serges, its vicunas, which have obtained a nearly universal success in a country where it could
obtained by this enterprise being such as to be compromised by the opposition of the direct producers, decided the chiefs to apply themselves on the manufactory of woollen tissues and to erect, for this object, in 1849, the factory we now have visited at Tilburg. At that same time the chief had the lucky idea to go into partnership with Mr. Francis Mutsaerts who, being in 1889, all alone at the head of the enterprise, has taken his own sons as partners. The founder of the house had as special object the trade of all kinds of woollens and particularly all the series of English stuffs. The manufactory of Tilburg undertook on its turn the manufactory of all the specialities and the commercial world very soon came to appreciate its clothes, its cheviots, its serges, its vicunas, which have obtained a nearly universal success in a country where it could appear definitively very little probable; viz: in England, where is to be found the centre of the production of woollen tissues. These vicunas, made in the patterns of checks and stripes (like they are called in England), are particularly appreciated by the English, Irish and Scots; but it would be a grave error to believe that England uses only this specialty of the Dutch house. View of the Spinning-mill of woollens and of the manufactory of clothes of Messrs. Frans Mutsaerts and sons, at Tilburg (Netherlands). Every country this firm has among its customers has however its preferences, which we even may indicate in a few lines. England, for instance, requires principally its plain blacks, its indigos, vicunas, its serges, its stripes, its checks, its satins, its black indigo diagonal (plain and fancies), its rough and melton finishes, its vicunas and serges. Holland particularly appreciates its bays or awalkins, its duffels, its different types of clothes and fancies, its cheviots-serges, its petticoats for women, its cotton and flocky clothes, its diagonals. Moreover it exports principally: Indigos, Twills, Sweedish, Spanish stripes, Tweeds coloured clothes. For Sweden and Norway it manufactures principally blue indigos, Twills, Castors, its cotton and flocky cloths. The
a grave error to believe that England uses only this specialty of the Dutch house. View of the Spinning-mill of woollens and of the manufactory of clothes of Messrs. Frans Mutsaerts and sons, at Tilburg (Netherlands). Every country this firm has among its customers has however its preferences, which we even may indicate in a few lines. England, for instance, requires principally its plain blacks, its indigos, vicunas, its serges, its stripes, its checks, its satins, its black indigo diagonal (plain and fancies), its rough and melton finishes, its vicunas and serges. Holland particularly appreciates its bays or awalkins, its duffels, its different types of clothes and fancies, its cheviots-serges, its petticoats for women, its cotton and flocky clothes, its diagonals. Moreover it exports principally: Indigos, Twills, Sweedish, Spanish stripes, Tweeds coloured clothes. For Sweden and Norway it manufactures principally blue indigos, Twills, Castors, its cotton and flocky cloths. The United States esteem particularly its serges, its vicunas, its beavers, blacks and indigos. In the English Indies are esteemed above all its light weights and indigo, serges, its different shades of clothes. Even Japan is far from being indifferent to these European products and takes an important quantity of indigos, serges and vicunas of this firm. These so very different articles are the better appreciated in all these countries as, though they belong to the class of current articles, they distinguish themselves by their suppleness, so very agreeable to touch, by the persistent purity of their shades, by their long-lasting and by their cheap price. With regard to this latter point, we have particularly noted a very fine cheviot cloth in black, sold currently at the incredible price of 4 francs per meter. After this short enumeration of the products of this firm, we enter into the manufactory of Tilburg and will try to give our readers an idea of its industrial organization. The rough woollens, mostly coming from Australia and Buenos Aires and bought on the markets of Antwerp and London, are in the first place submitted to combing and, consequently, are taken to that of the two manufactories
serges and vicunas of this firm. These so very different articles are the better appreciated in all these countries as, though they belong to the class of current articles, they distinguish themselves by their suppleness, so very agreeable to touch, by the persistent purity of their shades, by their long-lasting and by their cheap price. With regard to this latter point, we have particularly noted a very fine cheviot cloth in black, sold currently at the incredible price of 4 francs per meter. After this short enumeration of the products of this firm, we enter into the manufactory of Tilburg and will try to give our readers an idea of its industrial organization. The rough woollens, mostly coming from Australia and Buenos Aires and bought on the markets of Antwerp and London, are in the first place submitted to combing and, consequently, are taken to that of the two manufactories where the spinning is done. To begin we enter into an immense hall crossed in all directions by leather belts, where we see the rough woollens installed upon the drums of enormous cylindrical engines in communication, at their upper part, with combing engines. After this summary combing, the raw matter comes out at one of the extremities of the engine and is taken up by an enormous turning cylinder, where it is taken in order to be submitted to the weighing and to place it on another loom forming a part of the same set we have seen at work. There it is submitted to a more perfectionated work of raveling and, at last, is placed on the third loom of the same set, the work of which we pretty soon will explain. In all there are ten sets at work and consequently thirty raveling looms which can work daily 1,500 kilograms of wool. When the threads have in this way all the regularity required for the disposition, they are put on a loom with two cylinders which separates the required part and disposes them in threads. The threads thus obtained are arranged into two classes: those that have to
comes out at one of the extremities of the engine and is taken up by an enormous turning cylinder, where it is taken in order to be submitted to the weighing and to place it on another loom forming a part of the same set we have seen at work. There it is submitted to a more perfectionated work of raveling and, at last, is placed on the third loom of the same set, the work of which we pretty soon will explain. In all there are ten sets at work and consequently thirty raveling looms which can work daily 1,500 kilograms of wool. When the threads have in this way all the regularity required for the disposition, they are put on a loom with two cylinders which separates the required part and disposes them in threads. The threads thus obtained are arranged into two classes: those that have to be dyed before the spinning proceeding, and those, far more numerous however, that are only then submitted to the dyeing proceeding when they have been transformed into tissues. In all cases, the threads, dyed or not, are transferred to an immense workshop on the first floor and placed on large spinning looms called "selfactings" animated by a going and coming movement. When the threads have, in this beautiful hall so splendidly lighted and so richly aired, attained the necessary degree of twisting, they are transferred to another part of the establishment which, in reality, constitutes a manufactory distinct from the first one; there is the spinning hall. For this work the house employs 180 special looms which have in charge to operate the very quick and energetic crossing of the chain and of the woof. After they have been submitted to this operation, the woollens, which are in a very high degree impregnated with greasy matters, of which it is urgent to deliver them, are plugged during about four hours in recipients, containing soap water, which are charged not to do the final cleansing, but to perform the solubility of the greasy matter. When the tissues have been taken out
spinning looms called "selfactings" animated by a going and coming movement. When the threads have, in this beautiful hall so splendidly lighted and so richly aired, attained the necessary degree of twisting, they are transferred to another part of the establishment which, in reality, constitutes a manufactory distinct from the first one; there is the spinning hall. For this work the house employs 180 special looms which have in charge to operate the very quick and energetic crossing of the chain and of the woof. After they have been submitted to this operation, the woollens, which are in a very high degree impregnated with greasy matters, of which it is urgent to deliver them, are plugged during about four hours in recipients, containing soap water, which are charged not to do the final cleansing, but to perform the solubility of the greasy matter. When the tissues have been taken out of these tubs, they are in the first place submitted to the pattern-drawing, then to the fulling by the way of a special system of machinery that diminishes considerably the extension of each one of the pieces, but that increases the thickness and consequently the force of resistance. After that the tissues have undergone in this engine, into which they pass through a very narrow opening, between two wooden cylinders, another washing with soap water, an operation which takes about from 13 to 14 hours according to the thickness of the tissue, they are cleared of the soap they are impregnated with and of the greasy matters, now united to the soap, by means of a scouring engine. But the greasy matters are not the only foreign bodies with which the woollens are impregnated and of which, in a great many cases, they must be cleaned. There very often exists in these animal matters elements of an absolute insolubility, on which the soap has not the least influence and which can only be eliminated by carbonizing them by the way of a solution of nitric acid. This operation necessitates, of course, large precautions so as to render it inoffensive for
the tissues have undergone in this engine, into which they pass through a very narrow opening, between two wooden cylinders, another washing with soap water, an operation which takes about from 13 to 14 hours according to the thickness of the tissue, they are cleared of the soap they are impregnated with and of the greasy matters, now united to the soap, by means of a scouring engine. But the greasy matters are not the only foreign bodies with which the woollens are impregnated and of which, in a great many cases, they must be cleaned. There very often exists in these animal matters elements of an absolute insolubility, on which the soap has not the least influence and which can only be eliminated by carbonizing them by the way of a solution of nitric acid. This operation necessitates, of course, large precautions so as to render it inoffensive for the stuff itself; but when it is well done, like in the manufactory of Tilburg, it produces no deterioration whatever. The aqua fortis used for this purpose has, moreover, the advantage to be very soluble in the water and its complete evacuation is assured, that is to say the perfect neutralization of the tissue is obtained by means of a large special engine provided with two wooden cylinders. After the clothes have remained for about 6 or 8 hours in a hot room heated to an elevated temperature they are submitted to the faced-cloth in a special machine which relevates the filaments compressed by the preceding operations and the dying is done in large wooden tubs in which are introduced all kinds, all shades of colors; but employing exclusively coloring matters of an extreme purity and which are free from all causes of alteration. After these stuffs have been submitted to another proceeding of purification in special apparatus, after they have undergone another proceeding of pattern-drawing in a hot room; this last operation is completed by means of an engine with cylinders which conveys them to a large room crossed in all its length by steam tubes displayed on benches
neutralization of the tissue is obtained by means of a large special engine provided with two wooden cylinders. After the clothes have remained for about 6 or 8 hours in a hot room heated to an elevated temperature they are submitted to the faced-cloth in a special machine which relevates the filaments compressed by the preceding operations and the dying is done in large wooden tubs in which are introduced all kinds, all shades of colors; but employing exclusively coloring matters of an extreme purity and which are free from all causes of alteration. After these stuffs have been submitted to another proceeding of purification in special apparatus, after they have undergone another proceeding of pattern-drawing in a hot room; this last operation is completed by means of an engine with cylinders which conveys them to a large room crossed in all its length by steam tubes displayed on benches where the pieces of the breadth of 1 meter to 1 m. 60 and of the length of 40 meters are very commodiously placed. It has been proved in this establishment that if the recent and intelligent proceedings of pattern-drawing which have been adopted there offer, in the greater part of cases, very serious advantages; the ancient methods are still very useful for some special applications. And therefore one continues in this establishment to use the old systems of pattern-drawing in a hall of the top floor where the pieces are put in the whole length of the hot room on the floor of which large steam pipes circulate. The essentially economical drying in the open air and under the action of the sunbeams is not even neglected. Here we are now in presence of tissues which have received their definitive shade and have been submitted to a complete process of drying. But the stuffs that have undergone this long file of operations have, necessarily, irregularities in the length of the free hair and which, of course, must be removed. This takes place by means of shearing machines provided in their central part with a cylinder on which are displayed
of cases, very serious advantages; the ancient methods are still very useful for some special applications. And therefore one continues in this establishment to use the old systems of pattern-drawing in a hall of the top floor where the pieces are put in the whole length of the hot room on the floor of which large steam pipes circulate. The essentially economical drying in the open air and under the action of the sunbeams is not even neglected. Here we are now in presence of tissues which have received their definitive shade and have been submitted to a complete process of drying. But the stuffs that have undergone this long file of operations have, necessarily, irregularities in the length of the free hair and which, of course, must be removed. This takes place by means of shearing machines provided in their central part with a cylinder on which are displayed in a spiral line a large number of knives and the rotatory movement of this apparatus shears, with a perfect regularity, from 50 to 60 pieces per day. The only thing that remains to be done now is to compress these tissues by the way of the heat in the first place and afterwards by means of the cold, to ungloss them by way of the steam, in order to take away the excessive and irregular brilliancy they had obtained by the previous operation, to cotton them by means of a blade of wood covered by a large envelope of Indian rubber and turning on the stuff with a vertiginous rapidity. This tissue now has obtained a perfect regular surface, a beautiful unpolished colour quite seducing to the eye, a softness very agreeable to the feeling and now they may be stored in the warehouse where we just have admired a splendid collection of all the types of woollen tissues and in which nearly 500,000 meters are yearly stored, waiting there their wholesale forwarding to the different countries we have named above. To be able to realize such an enormous production the house Frans Mutsaerts and Sons employs 500 working
first place and afterwards by means of the cold, to ungloss them by way of the steam, in order to take away the excessive and irregular brilliancy they had obtained by the previous operation, to cotton them by means of a blade of wood covered by a large envelope of Indian rubber and turning on the stuff with a vertiginous rapidity. This tissue now has obtained a perfect regular surface, a beautiful unpolished colour quite seducing to the eye, a softness very agreeable to the feeling and now they may be stored in the warehouse where we just have admired a splendid collection of all the types of woollen tissues and in which nearly 500,000 meters are yearly stored, waiting there their wholesale forwarding to the different countries we have named above. To be able to realize such an enormous production the house Frans Mutsaerts and Sons employs 500 working men; but this so very respectable number would not even give an exact idea of the importance of this establishment if it was not considered that the mechanical work is the nearly exclusive rule in this manufactory and that this work is done by means of two steam-propellers of 200 horsepower. It must be well understood that among the number of working men we have mentioned do not figure the clerks of every kind whom the house occupies; nor the numerous agents administrating the enormous stocks of merchandise it possesses in England, Ireland and Scotland, in Canada, a.s.f. We should like that the length of present article, which surpasses very largely the normal proportion of our ordinary notices, did not forbear us to state here the real enviable situation this house has given to its clerks and working men, that we would be allowed to insist upon the services this beautiful organisation renders to those who work; of a relief fund formed collectively by the most important manufacturers of Tilburg claiming of the working men a payment of one half penny to a penny per week only, a.s.f. We above have stated that the foreign customers are the only ones
horsepower. It must be well understood that among the number of working men we have mentioned do not figure the clerks of every kind whom the house occupies; nor the numerous agents administrating the enormous stocks of merchandise it possesses in England, Ireland and Scotland, in Canada, a.s.f. We should like that the length of present article, which surpasses very largely the normal proportion of our ordinary notices, did not forbear us to state here the real enviable situation this house has given to its clerks and working men, that we would be allowed to insist upon the services this beautiful organisation renders to those who work; of a relief fund formed collectively by the most important manufacturers of Tilburg claiming of the working men a payment of one half penny to a penny per week only, a.s.f. We above have stated that the foreign customers are the only ones who have their profit of the serious advantages offered by products of this Dutch house. We are obliged to add that France does not figure among the number of its customers since our administration has put enormous duties on the foreign woollen tissues, has put our largest Parisian houses, the Louvre, the Bon Marché, the Printemps, a.s.f., in the impossibility to continue their commercial relation with the firm Frans Mutsaerts and Sons. There was a time when this house (which obtained high rewards on our Exhibitions, as there are that of Harlem, Bois-le-Duc, Melbourne, and that of 1867 at Paris when Mr. Ledeboer, the ancient partner, was member of the Jury, than that of London) had commercial relations with our country. This time, unhappily enough, is no more. We express our deepest grief about this subject to Mr. Frans Mutsaerts thanking him at the same time very heartily for the excellent reception he has given us. He has expressed to us the hope to see one day this regrettable situation cease; but we have very important reasons to regret this situation more than he; for the interests of France order it to give up the system of political economy in