Year: 1867

sky.


Mistellaneo11s geadine.


From the Charlotte Democrat.


ROCK ISLAND wooLEN MILLS.


We paid visit to this establishment few
days since, and found it to be what the Company
claim for it, one Of the best Wool Factories in the
South, if not in the United States. We found il
perfect in all its parts, and the several apartments
so admirably arranged that the whole works like
the machinery of clock.


The goods produced in this establishment are oi
a very superior order, so much so that the North
ern Commission Merchants say they are too hon
esty made to come in competition with the New
England fabrics, or large proportion OF imported
goods. The Company will be compelled to look tG
the South for a support, and culpaby guilty will
our people be if such enterprises are not tostered
and encouraged. We have examined the goods
saw made, and our people ought to wear them
and we respectfully insist on Southern Merchants
placing NE productions of this Factory upon then
couhtse, and giving the consumers an opportunity
of testing their qualities. This is all the Company
ask, and they feel satisfied that when the durabii
ty of these goods is tried that the enterprise is be-
yond failure.


We will endeavor to give description of this
mammoth establishment, but we feel that we shall
fall far short of conveying correct idea of its pro-
portions. 1t must be seen to be appreciated.
: The Factory is situated Immediately on the N.
Carolina Railroad and almost in the heart of oul
thriving little city 1t is four stories high, each o
which is filed to it's utmost capacity with machine
of ba h,,ilI ic dy
feet, divided into three apartments. The first
5OxiOO feet, is allotted exclusively to the finishing
of the goods We there saw the machinery al
work that requires good mechanic to appreciate
The second apartment of the ground floor, 2OxlOC
feet, is used for drying purposes which is done en-
tirely by steam. The third is for dying Here We
found large vats for this purpose so arranged chat
water can be heated to any temperature, and regu'
lated with as much precision as it is possible tol
anything of the kind to be DONE The manner in
which the heating is done we will speak OF more
particularly hereafter.


The second floor is divided into two apartments
The first, 50xl00 feet is filled with looms for weav
ing and here for the first time, we witnessed the
manufacture of fancy goods, but to describe the
manner we will not even attempt, for it is beyond
our comprehension those large and magnificent
looms working like creatures of intelligence, throw
ing up first one color, and then another, and with
such mathematical precision that it is almost Inn
possible to make mistake. The second apart
ment of this story is used for warping, beamlng
and sizing the warps; all of which is done by ma
chinery of the latest and most improved patterns


The third floor is counterpart of the second
divided into two apartments but used for very diff
fercnt purposes The first, 5OxlOO feet, contains
six setts of cards. three in sett, making eighteen
cards. and two wool pickers We have often II
childhood sat in wonder at the use Of the old hand
card and thought it was the height Of perfection
but who can visit this room and see these cards al
work but will forever loose sight of the old hand
cards, and wonder that they ever were used. we
witnessed the entire operation of cardng from the
er; it is then spread upon an apron that works up
on the principle of an endless chain passing through
rollers cleansing it of burrs and other impurities
thence on and through the cards, untilits is comb
ed off and passes on to roll, from which 1t is con
veyed to the Second breaker" and is taken from
it in similar manner; from thence it passes tt
the third card or fnisher, from which it Is taker
off on spool and is ready for spinning. ALI Of
this operation we witnessed with much pleasure
The second apartment on this floor is divided of In
to bins for the reception of wool as it comes from
the pickers. We could have spent hours in this
apartment where we only spent minutes, and left
it with reluctance, but soon found ourselves amply
repaid by ascending to


The fourth story, 50xl00 feet where we inspect
ed the spinning operation. When we heard the
humming noise our thoughts ran back to childhood
but when we viewed the workings of the spinning
machinery technically called by the manufacturers
"NIules" and "Jacks," (of which there were sever
in number,) our mind naturally turned in wonder
at the inventions of man. These seven Mules
and "Jacks' have about two thousand two hun
dred spindles, and we were informed that they
could perform what would be equivalent to the
labor of at least four thousand females, and do il
a great deal better. Here we could have stood fol
hours, but our guide beckoned us to return ano
examine the motive power which moves this vast
quantity of machinery. To do this, we had to de-
scend to the ground floor and were taken into the
engine and boiler rooms. ..ou


The Engine works as beautifully as any we evel
saw, and looks almost as bright as when it was
pronounced Complete, by the maker. The boil
er is certainly curiosity, it being composed of {
succession of cast iron globes, each Of which hold!
about one gallon of water, and each globe is wrap
in fiery flames, thus giving more heat and gene
rating steam faster than the old style boiler.
This boiler, of one hundred horse capacity fur
nishes the steam for the Engine, for the dye vats
for the dry room and for heating the entire build
| ing No fire is allowed inside, and the heating ar
rangement is certainly very perfect There is alst
pump constantly at work while the Engine is il
notion which throws water into all the rooms @
the Factory, thus supplying the operatives with
water to drink and also safeguard in case OF ac
cident by fire. We have never spent an hour more
proftably than we did in looking through this mag
nifcent establishment.


The establishment works about ninety hands
and gives support to no less than two hundred ant
fifty persons, all of whom are dependent upon tn
success of the Company for subsistence It il
managed by General John A. Young, as President
and James Earnshaw, Superintendent. Genera
Young has been closely identified with the manu-
facture of wooen goods for the last ghteen years
indeed he is one of the original founders OF "kocl
Island" and we may say the father of the enter
prise As for Mr. Earnshaw, his labors speak TO
| 1oo1, NJ fhaoa haaut1fTl