■ ■ ^m ■^■J ■ ■ - ■ ' i * j * r* . - ■■ ,v« ' HI HUBBUB BnHntiBWflW tiflTffflP (frnni1ff <^^^^QC^PP^^ ffls B&mm Emm ■ ffig $$$ Sffli fcfl iM MIfflffll m HMMHWU El B i ■■■■■■■■■■■■ Iftwwwwft j;;.i ■ ■ ■■■■■ ■ I B CmJOsjwnQKsCxS Hi bV^H gfiHttl ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ K ■^■■^■^H^H^^H^B HUH! noBfifiuOCft S\&w , iiii l Aav-:'-' i>'iv< .':• ■ . ■■1 ■■■ I - :.'J I ■■■■■■■1 I ■ ■ B wmmm XB& raw HB IBS ■■■H BBSS fMaWttS W(B mffiB — — B— — H whI Bfl B flUBBi WlaW awo! nn MMUM WiW B i MHlBiHMlM W tlH BHl HW WWWnW WflMHH HnmMH *"W»Wt¥ H UHWfl n W W H I WWtlal l a ll lil H flflnDuUB Glass TS 136 Bnok > G £3 —9 55 5*' W Cu O 55 co 55 *i ' A/ 7 Silk, Cotton, Linen, Wool and other Fibrous Substances INCLUDING A FULL EXPLANATION OF THE MODERN PROCESSES OF SPINNING, DYEING AND WEAVING, WITH AN APPENDIX CONTAINING A TREATISE ON WINDOW TRIMMING, GERMAN WORDS AND PHRASES, WITH THEIR ENGLISH PRONUNCIATION AND SIGNIFICATION, TOGETHER WITH VARIOUS USEFUL TABLES. V By GEORGE S. COLE. • 1892. $ ° r= /? Entered according' to the Act of Congress in the year 1892, by George S. Cole, in the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington, D. C. ALL RIGHTS AND PRIVILEGES RESERVED. VI. B. CONKEY COMPANY, CHICAGO, PRINTERS AND BINDERS. 'To please the flesh a thousand arts coratena. The miser's heaps of g-olc', ihe figur'd yest, The gem, the siifc worm and the purple dye, By toil acquir'd, promote no other end." PREFACE. In presenting to the Dry Goods trade its first Dictionary (of American origin) the compiler feels confident that the time and labor devoted to make the work accurate and com- plete will commend it to the favorable consideration of every- one connected with the business. In the retail, wholesale, and manufacturing branches of the Dry Goods trade, within the boundaries of the United States, there are over one million people engaged; in point of money invested, number of hands employed, and annual volume of business done, it easily ranks first in importance among all the industries which have grown and prospered since the beginning of civilization in the Western world. Indeed, the Dry Goods trade of the United States has more money in- vested in it than any other two interests in the country — esti- mated at the enormous sum of $20,000, 000,000, while the next in order, the railroad, has only between $10,000,000,000 and $12,000,000,000. The part which the manufacture and sale of Dry Goods, in the term's widest meaning, has had in the building up of our national prosperity occupies no secondary position. It without doubt forms the greatest feature of our Nation's commercial life. The Dry Goods store is found in every village and hamlet, and is the center of trade and barter in all rural communities. In the larger towns and cities the Dry Goods interest predominates in the same manner as in the smaller, forming by far the most important department of business, and aiding to a certain extent in sustaining all other branches of trade. The various lines form a business of such magnitude, involve so much capital, and is in every way so intimately interwoven with the varied wants of our modern civilization that it seems remarkable, in a country like ours, that not even a classification of the kinds of our textile fabrics nor the modern methods employed in their production has ever been attempted, to say nothing of a systematic history of them That there should be such neglect of textile history, rich as it is in incident and importance, when costume and popular customs are so closely studied, is passing strange. Very much of the true history of the people, high and low, can be traced through their indulgence in fine fabrics, to which mankind, women included, have ever been prone. But this aspect of trade and manufactures is rarely mentioned, except as glossed over by ponderous encyclopcedic works, whose trade articles when relieved of the obscuring folds of verbal drapery yield but a scant amount of actual information. The plan of the "Dictionary of Dry Goods" includes several objects, which, briefly stated., are: the proper descrip- tion of all textile fabrics and manufactured articles; the peculiarities which distinguish a fabric and by which it may be identified; the method of weaving or manufacture; the origin of the names of all fabrics, with the history and literature of the subject; the definition of terms, words and phrases which have only a trade application, and which have sprung up with the development of the business in the nineteenth century; and the import duties under the new tariff on all goods, raw or manufactured. The Dictionary is designed to be a practi- cally complete and comprehensive record of all fabrics which are in general use at the present time, together with full ex- planations of the modern process of carding, spinning, dyeing, weaving, knitting, netting, bleaching, and felting, constituting a book for general reference by merchants and clerks. No labor or expense has been spared to make the work serve the purposes for which it is intended; the statements, figures, and tables which are presented are given only on the faith of recognized authorities, and in reducing the chaos of particulars relating to the history, literature, manufacture, sale, and distinguishing characteristics of textile fabrics strict and careful attention has been paid to accuracy. If the Dictionary will aid the apprentice to more fully understand the essential points of his chosen occupation, or furnish the more experienced salesman with correct informa- tion upon subjects of which he is in ignorance, the hope that inspired its preparation will be amply realized. Geo. S. Cole. A COMPLETE DICTIONARY OF DRY GOODS. Abb Wool. In wool-sorting one of the two qualities known as coarse abb and jine abb; the lowest quality of wool used in the spinning of wor- sted yarns. Abnet. [From Hebrew ab?iet, a belt.] In Jewish antiquity a girdle of fine linen. In surgery a bandage resembling a priest's girdle. Acca. [From Acre, a city in Syria, whence it was first obtained.] A rich figured silk fabric decorated with gold, in use during the fourteenth century. Adulteration of Fabrics. Woolens have been for years past largely adulterated with refuse fibers called "shoddy and mungo;" also known under the terms of "extracts" and "flocks." It is truly wonderful the man- ner and to the degree which this dust can be mixed with chemicals in order to give it sufficient tenuity for spinning. The practice is now more largely in vogue than ever, for there is hardly a yard of cheap cloth that does not 7 8 COLE'S DICTIONARY OF DRY GOODS. AGR contain it. Shoddy, as originally used, was merely the fluff or waste from the looms, but now consists of any kind of woolen rubbish, as old blankets, hose, and cast-off clothing pulled to pieces in a machine called the "devil." [See Shoddy.] There is yet another kind of refuse called "extract," which is also employed in the manufacture of cheap goods. It consists of the wool obtained from the rags of mixed goods, that is, old rags'which have a cotton, linen or silk warp. In order to separate the wool from the cotton or linen, the rags are immersed in sulphuric acid, which destroys the unde- sirable linen or cotton, but leaves the wool intact. To separate wool from silk the rags are given a bath in cold nitric acid which completely dissolves the silk but does not affect the wool. Calico and low grades of muslin are often adulterated with size and china clay, the object beins: to give them increased weight and substance. Up to about thirty years ago the "sizing" of cotton goods was effected with a mixture of flour, paste and tallow, by which means the tenacity of the warp was increased, and the friction of weaving was lessened. To effect this, twenty per cent of size was used; but in 1862, when on account of the war our cotton famine began to be felt and the long-fibered cotton grew scarce, it was found necessary to give tenacity to the warp threads made of short fiber by using more "size." In this manner as much as from fifty to ninety per cent of size has got to be used, the greater part of it being china clay. Cheap calico and muslin are also largely impregnated with lime, and a cloud of dust will fly out of such fabrics when torn. Silks are also made heavier and stouter by the incorporation of dye- stuffs used expressly for this purpose. These are termed "weighted" or "loaded" silks. [See Silk]. Agra Gauze. A cobwebby fabric woven of gossamer silk threads. It is transparent as veiling, light as air, yet firm and strong. Its consistency may be realized from the fact that a piece four yards long and fourty-four inches wide, can be enclosed in the palm of the hand. Aida Canvas (a '-da canvas.) A species of canvas woven of pure linen, and frequently called "Java." and "Fancy Oatmeal." It is made in widths varying from 18 to 54 inches, in all the colors. A cotton canvas of the same weave is known by different names, such as Basket, Con- naught, etc. Aigrette (a'-gret or a-gret').. A French word used to denote the plume or feathery tuft on the heads of several varieties of birds, as the heron. Hence the term came to be used to designate the long, delicate, white feathers which being stuck upright in a lady's head-dress, are cal- culated to give a majestic appearance to the person. More recently the usage has been still further extended, and any head-dress bearing a simil- arity to a plume, even a bouquet of flowers fastened with a brooch, is termed an aigrette. ALA COLE'S DICTIONARY OF DRY GOODS. 9 Alamode (al'-a-mode). A thin, glossy silk used for hoods and scarfs. Alaska. The name given to a variety of sandal-shaped overshoes, without fastenings of any sort, having cloth uppers and rubber soles. [See Rubbers.] Albatross (al'-ba-tross). A soft untwilled woolen dress fabric; properly a soft fine bunting, known by the various names of "Satin Moss," "Vicuna," (the stoutest make), "Snowflake," (which is fluked), and "Antique Cloth." It is of an irregular weave, which produces a surface-appearance similar to momie cloth or cretonne. Albert-cloth. An all-wool material the two sides of which are of different colors and patterns, each side finished so that no lining is required; used chiefly for men's reversible overcoats. Alexis (a-lex'-is.) A style of fur cap for men, distinguished by the crown being made long and deep so that it may be pulled down over the ears and neck, and finished without roll or vizor. Alizarin (al-i-za'-rin). [From al-i-za-ri, the commercial name of madder in Asia.] A peculiar red coloring matter formerly obtained from the madder plant [see Turkey-red.] At present alizarin is an artificial madder-dye obtained from coal-tar, and which in point of commercial importance far exceeds any of the other 400 shades of colors derived from that source. [See Dyeing, Calico-Printing.] Alpaca. The wooly hair of an animal of the camel tribe, which inhabit the mountainous districts of Chili and Peru. In appearance this wool is fine, white and glossy, from two to six inches in length. It retains that peculiar gloss and beauty after being woven into textures, which particu- larly distinguish it from other species of wool. Alpaca is shipped to this country in bales of seventy pounds each, and is assorted on arrival into eight qualities, each suitable for a particular grade of goods. The earliest manufacture of the dust-defying Alpaca fabric was in Bradford, England, in 1832 by Sir Titus Sault, at which time the fabric was made with a worsted warp and Alpaca weft, and very heavy. At the present time it is known as a thin, shiny, double-fold dress fabric, usually black, with a fine cotton warp. Altar Cloth. A general term, formerly designating the closed case of linen used for covering an altar, and which was never allowed to be removed except for washing ; later, temporary coverings, whether of white linen or of rich brocaded cloth or embroidery. Ordinarily at present altar cloths are not used bv the Protestant churches except at communion services. Aluminum (al-u'-mi-num.)— An extremely light metal made from Ice- land spar. Aside from its lightness and strength, it is malleable, does not rust, is as beautiful as silver, and is much more abundant in its native state 10 COLE'S DICTIONARY OF DRY GOODS. ALU than any metal in use. While Iceland spar is the mineral from which it has been mostly obtained, it is a constituent of clay and other earth, and prevails almost anywhere. The statement has been made that it composes more than a twentieth part of the crust of the globe. The difficulty is to secure it in a pure state at a moderate cost. But within the last half cen- tury its cost has been reduced from over $30 a pound to less than $1. In a series of tests made by the United States naval officers at Watertown, Mass., a tensile strength of 90,000 pounds to the square inch was shown, which is largely in excess of anything before developed. The transverse strength of the metal was found to be 6,600 pounds to the square inch, a result that has only been equaled by the finest quality of crucible steel. Busy brains and hands are constantly at work to reduce the expense of manufacturing the pure metal, and as the incentive to success is very powerful, their labors are not likely to be discontinued. If they prove satisfactory, as there is reason to hope they will, a wonderful change in the line of notions and fancy goods will have been entered upon. Aluminum is lighter than wood and takes a polish like burnished silver. It not only does not rust, either in air or water, but retains its polish for an indefinite period. Transform in imagination the counters and shelving of stores, or even the fronts of the buildings themselves, the railings, balconies and floors to shining silver, and a glimpse may be had of the coming effect of aluminum by the qual- ities now claimed for it. The like has not been pictured since St. John spoke of the golden streets and pearly gates of the New Jerusalem. American Cloth. A name given in England to a cotton cloth, pre- pared with a glazed and varnished surface to imitate Morocco leather, used for carriage trimming; known in the United States as enameled or oil cloth. Angola. A diaper-woven cotton cloth with a fine rough face, some- what resembling a momie-weave. It is usually a cream color, and is em- ployed for embroidery purposes. Angora Wool or Mohair. Of all animals whose fleece is largely used in the manufacture of fabrics, there is probably none so little known as the Angora goat. And when Mohair dress goods, Mohair plush or Mohair laces are mentioned it is exceedingly unlikely that one dry-goods salesman out of ten can tell whence comes the raw material out of which the goods are manufactured. These goats derive their name from Angora, a city in Asia Minor, 217 miles southeast of Constantinople. There is no historical mention of them previous to the 16th century, and it was not until 1820 that Mohair became a steady article of import into England. The Angora goat should not be confounded with our common goat, nor with the Cashmere goat, which are quite different species. The fleece of the Angora is soft and silky and the whitest known to the trade, elastic and wiry in character, covering the whole body and the greater part of the legs with close-matted ANG COLE'S DICTIONARY OF DRY GOODS. 11 ringlets, which attain a length of 4 to 5 inches. The fleece is composed of two kinds of hair; that next to the skin being short and coarse, the other being curly and lustrous, both however, being totally devoid of felting properties. The goats are sheared in the early spring, and the average yield per goat is about 2% pounds. The best quality comes from Constan- tinople. The care of these goats is the chief industry of Turkish people in the Angora districts. Each farmer possesses not to exceed 20 or 30 to which he gives the greatest care, in many instances living under the same roof with them. They are washed and curried several times a week, for greater the care, the more hair is produced. The fineness of the fleece is due in a large measure to the climate and soil. The amount of wool pro- duced by the Angora district amounts to about 5,250,000 pounds yearly, but of this only about 1,000,000 pounds can be picked out for the finest grade of upholstery and car plushes. In the year 1845, the increasing demand for. and value of Mohair stimulated endeavors to acclimatize the Angora goat in other regions. All European endeavors having failed on account of the extremely damp and uncongenial climate of that conntry, in 1849 Dr. J. P. Davis imported some flocks to America. They are now found in large numbers both in the South and far West, New Mexico, California and Ore- gon. It is only in high altitudes and dry atmosphere that the flocks will thrive. The annual product of American fleeces averages about 700,000 pounds. The climate and soil of New Mexico is especially favorable for Angora flocks and there they multiply rapidly, the ewes always bearing two and frequently three kids at a litter, twice a year. The American Angoras, however, are not the pure breed, and consequently produce an inferior quality of Mohair. The Turkish government issued an edict many years ago against the exportation of these goats, hence the American raisers are obliged to replenish their flocks with Angoras from other districts in Asia. Whether the United States can produce Mohair of the best quality is yet to be determined, for it is well known that certain localties possess specific qualities for the production of wool or hair of a distinct character. This was shown many years ago, when the rage for bright-haired dress goods was so marked as to suggest that the supply of bright-haired wool was in- adequate to the demand. The peculiarities of a district for growing wool or hair of a certain character are hard to explain, but experience has shown that a locality will produce to advantage only one class of wool or hair. This is illustrated by the history of the growth of what are known to the trade as " lustre wools." Of all the wide area on the earth's surface that produces wool, no localities produce wools of pure lustre except cer- tain districts in England, comprising the counties of York, Nottinghan, Lincoln, Leicester and Northumberland. These will produce bright wool and no other. It is not alone in the breed of sheep raised there for if this breed is taken elsewhere from its own pasture ground, the character of the wool deterioates, and after the first year ceases to be sold as lustre wool. On the other hand if any breed of sheep are taken to the favored lustre dis 12 COLE'S DICTIONARY OF DRY GOODS. ANG tricts to be wintered and shorn, the fleece possesses almost as much luster as that of the sheep that has been raised there. Numerous attempts to pro- duce luster wool, made in what are regarded as the best districts i:i the United States for wool growing, have failed to maintain in the sheep those qualities which in its original home produced the finest lustre wool. To use the phrase of the trade, the "breed grows out," and the sheep soonbccome identical, as regards the fleece, with all others that have been reared in the locality. What is true of one animal fiber is true of others, and while there is no doubt that the Angora goat will live and thrive in the United States, the question to be decided by experience is, whether it will in any other than its native place produce its characteristically beautiful, silky, lustrous fleece. Mohair, as the hair or wool of the Angora goat is called, is a brilliant, elastic, tough, wiry fibre of enormous durability, and, owing to its elas- ticity, is well adapted for pile fabrics, such as plush, carriage and lap robes, or in braids, bindings, shoe laces and other purposes, the number of which is only limited by the supply of raw material. It is also used for making Utrecht velvet, or furniture plush, for the upholstering of railway cars, etc. The mohair used in the manufacture of seal plushes for ladies' cloaks, is made from the first clip in the second year of the animal, and is hard to obtain, selling at Constantinople at seventy-five cents per pound. Until the last few years England held an entire monopoly of the spin- ning and manufacture of mohair, but after many attemps our manufac- turers have succeeded in making goods that not only compare favorably, but excel those of the bes. English makes. [See Mohair.] Angora Cashmere. A term employed to denote a certain kind of cloth made in imitation of camels'-hair cloth, which is made of the long, white hair of the Angora goat of Turkey. Angora Cashmere is twilled like common cashmere; is of a light quality, and in width 27, 48 and 54 inches. Aniline. One of the very numerous products of the distillation of coal tar. The readiness with which aniline, in certain of its reactions, produced very brilliant colors was known to chemists since 1826. Up to the year 1858, however it possessed nothing beyond a scientific interest, and had it not been for the untiring industry of Mr. W H. Perkin, dyers would proba- bly have gone on in the good old way of dyeing fabrics with the extracts of plants and tree-bark until the end of time. In 1858 Mr. Perkin obtained a patent for the production of a dye stuff derived from aniline, which soon became well-known as mauve, or "Perkin's purple," as well as by various other names. The discovery of Mr. Perkin formed the turning point in the history of aniline, and was indeed the beginning of a great revolution in the arts and manufactures connected with the dyeing of textile fabrics. The manufacture of aniline dyes was first begun in France. It immediately spread to all industrial centres, and became one of the most eagerly inves- tigated of all commercial undertakings. A rapid succession of patents ANG COLE'S DICTIONARY OF DRY GOODS. 13 were applied for and obtained; new processes and combinations were con- tinually being projected, and a great variety of colors were tried, with more or less success, as commercial substances. The activity of scientific re- rearch kept pace with the energy of manufacturing enterprise, resulting in a rapid improvement of processes, decrease in the cost of manufacture, and a great increase in the beauty and tinctorial effect of the dyes pro- duced. At the present time every color, and all tints and shades of colors, are produced from aniline, which in turn is derived primarily from coal-tar and, while the processes employed and the combinations formed are very numerous, the names under which the dye-stuffs are sold must be said to be endless. All shades and sorts of aniline dyes communicate a permanent color to wool and silk, but only produce on vegetable fibres — cotton, jute, linen, etc. — a fugitive, easily-washed-out stain. But in order to produce the best results with silk and wool, dyers need good soft water, so that every fibre will be made to absorb all the color possible, in order to make them indellible. With hard water this can not be accomplished, and in some places dyers have been obliged to sink artesian wells at a heavy outlay. About the time of the French-Austrian war, in 1859, a coal-tar dye was in- troduced into commerce which became known as aniline red, or magenta, from the battle fought on the day of its invention. Aniline colors are em- ployed in the industrial arts for numerous other purposes besides their great use as dyeing materials. Violet ink, and other fancy colored inks, are pre- pared from them. They are used by paper manufacturers for tinting pulps, and for the superficial staining of finished paper. They are likewise used in the printing of wall papers, in the preparation ot lithographic inks, and to some extent for water colors. They are largely employed as color- ing materials in perfumery, fancy soaps and cosmetics, besides having many other.minor applications. Concerning these dyes, Dr. Hofmann, an Englishman, to whom the industry is much indebted, wrote, in 1862, while it was yet in its infancy, "Instead of disbursing her annual millions for these substances, England will, beyond question, at no distant day become her- self the greatest color-producing country in the world; nay, by the very strangest of revolutions, she may ere long send her coal derived blues to indigo-growing India; her distilled crimson to cochineal-producing Mexico, and her fossil substitutes for quercitron and safflower to China, Japan and other countries whence the articles are now derived." It is scarcely needful to say that these bold anticipations made thirty years ago have already been fully realized. Applique (ap-pli-ka'). In modern dress and upholstery this term signifies applied or sewed on. Thus, the gimp or pattern of soiled lace may be sewed upon a new ground, or embroidered flowers may be secured to new silk; in such case the pattern or ornament is said to be applique, and the whole applique work. More generally, said of one material fixed upon another in ornamental work. Point Applique is point lace, in which the design, 14 COLE'S DICTIONARY OF DRY GOODS. APR after having been separately made, has been applied to the net which forms the foundation. Apron. The apron dates far back. Ever since over first parents ages and ages ago sewed fig leaves into aprons to conceal their nakedness, this style of garment has been a la mode. The Greeks and Romans were famous for their richly embroidered aprons. In the time of Queen Charlotte of England, Beau Brummel showed his dislike to them by deliberately removing the apron of a duchess and flinging it behind a sofa at a ball; and Mary, Queen of Scots, history asserts, left behind her when she was beheaded nearly one hundred aprons of various hues and fashions. An English illustration made in the 13th century shows a blacksmith at work in an apron similar in shape to that still worn by men of that class. At that time they were known under the name of "barm- skins." The exact origin of the word apron is unsettled, although it is supposed to be derived from the French naperon, a large cloth, whence also our word napkin, a small cloth. We call them by many names now, the fig leaves of Adam and Eve having developed by slow degrees into a valuable series of pin-a-fores, suitable for the infant in arms, or the man and woman to whom labor is the natural result having come into existence. Arctics. A heavy variety of rubber overshoes, distinguished by hav- ing a cloth top which buckles up over the ankles, rubber heels and soles, and a nappy wool lining. [See Rubbers, India Rubber.] Areophane. A variety of crape, but considerably thinner than the ordi- nary kind. It was formerly used chiefly for bonnet trimmings, and quil- lings, and is now to some extent employed for ball costumes. It is made in all colors, and is cut like all crape, on the bias. [See Crepe de Chine.] Armozeen (ar-mo-zeen ' ). [From French armozsm.] A kind of taffeta or plain silk used for women's dresses in the 18th century and earlier. Armure or Royal Armure. [French for "armor".] The word is sugges- tive of the style of weaving. In feudal times a»n armor was worn by men made of small metal plates and lapping over one another like fish scales, so as to be flexible with every movement of the body. The weave of armure silk dress fabric is an imitation of this armor, the surface ridge of the pattern always forming a small diamond or other angled figure. There is also Satin Armure and Armure Bosphore, this latter being reversible. Royal Armure is heavier than ordinary dress silk; the widths vary from 22 to 24 inches. Arras (ar'-as). Arras cloth takes its name from the town of Arras, situated in the north of France. In the fourteenth century this place was the chief seat of French tapestry manufacture, for both quality and quan- tity. Hence, in time, the term Arras came to signify any sort of tapestry, wherever made. [See Tapestry.] Arrasene (ar-a-sene ' ). A sort of cord made with a central thread ASB COLE'S DICTIONARY OF DRY GOODS. 15 and a thick velvet-like pile of wool or silk fastened round it. It is used in raised embroidery work. Asbestos (as-bes'-tos). A fibrous variety of a mineral substance, composed of separable filaments, with a silky luster. Its fibres are some- times flexible and elastic, sometimes stiff and brittle, and when reduced to a powder are soft to the touch. It is incombustible, and the fine qualities have been spun and woven into gloves, shrouds, cloth for firemen's suits, lamp-wicks, roofs, floors and for various other fire-proofing purposes. Its feeble consistency has always been the chief obstacle to its general use among textile fabrics. It is mined in Canada, Vermont, Virginia, South Carolina and on Staten Island, New York. Astrakhan (as ' -tra-kan). [From Astrakhana, a city and province in Russia.] Originally in Russia this was a name given to skins having a short, curly wool— particularly the pelts obtained from young lambs from the province of Astrakhana. At present Astrakhan cloth is silk or worsted material with a long and closely curled pile, in imitation of the fur above mentioned, and is used for ladies' cloaks, dress trimming and men's cloth- ing. Astrakhan wool trimming is made in 10-yard lengths, and in 3-inch, 4-inch and 5-inch widths, the price increasing with the width. It is a durable and showy trimming. Aune. A French long measure of 1% yards, used chiefly for cloth. It is derived from Latin alna, forearm. [See Measures, Barege.] B Baby Caps. The styles of baby caps are originated in Paris and other fashion centres of Europe, and are copied in this country the following season. Those not initiated in the mysteries of this bee-hive industry can scarcely form a correct idea of the importance it plays in the manufactur- ing interests of this country. New York and Philadelphia supply the coun- try with more than seven-eighths of the goods consumed. New York takes precedence in sales of the cheaper grade of goods, while Philadelphia is noted for the better class. It is a current saying amongst the trade that Philadelphia is as famous for "baby caps as Connecticut is for corsets." The baby cap manufacture represents in the two cities a capital of $1,000,- 000, employing over 1,500 girls, averaging $7 per week, making $10,500 weekly outlay of wages. The estimated output amounts to over 5,000,000 caps annnally. [See Hats and Caps.] Baize. [Spanish plural for day.] In the 16th century a light woolen fabric of a brownish-red or bay color (whence its name) was manufactured in Europe and called bay-cloth. At present, baize is a fine woolen stuff with a close nap on one side, dyed in plain colors, usually green or red. It is chiefly used for linings, desk and table covers and curtains, but when first introduced, in 1541, it was a much thinner and finer material, 16 COLE'S DICTIONARY OF DRY GOODS. BAL and was used for clothing; specifically, in theatres the plain curtain low- ered at the end of the play. Balayeuse (bah ' -lay-yuhz). [French feminine of balayeur, a sweeper.] A frilling of lace or muslin which lines the extreme edge of a dress skirt to keep the train clean as it sweeps along the floor; a kind of trimming on the bottom of gowns; by extension a frilling of any material, either in white or black, sewn under tke edge of a dress skirt to keep it from wearing out and from being soiled from sweeping the floor. Balbriggan. A descriptive term applied to cotton knitted fabrics, either hosiery or underwear, and referring to the color, signifying that the articles are brown or unbleached. The term is especially applied to those fabrics or articles knitted of smooth, level yarns, and possessed of but little nap; so called from the town of Balbriggan, County Dublin, Ireland, where brown knitted hosiery was first produced. Baleen (ba-lene'). The horny "teeth" of whales; whalebone in its natural state. [See Whalebone. J Balloon-net. A kind of woven lace in which the weft threads are twisted in a peculiar manner around the warp in fanciful imitation of the ropes enclosing the gas reservoir of a balloon. Balmoral (bal-mor'-al). A name given to various articles of dress, possessing unusual strength and weight. Specifically, a term applied to a variety of ladies' cheap cotton skirts, distinguished by not being furnished with a waist-band nor hemmed at the bottom. They were originally made of wool, dyed red with fancy black stripes, and intended to be displayed below the skirt of the dress, which was looped up. They were first worn by the daughters of Queen Victoria in 1860, during the visits to their royal residence at Balmoral, Scotland, hence the name. Balmoral boots or shoes are those that lace up in front, worn by both men and women; usually abbreviated in trade "bal." or "bals." [See Boots and Shoes.] Band. A flexible material, used to bind or bend around anything; as a hat-band. Also a border or strip -on an article of dress serving to strengthen it or to confine it to any desired shape; as a waistband, a wrist- band, a neckband. Bandana (ban-dan '-a). [From a Hindoo word Bandhnn, which means " a mode of dyeing, in which the cloth is tied in different places to prevent the parts from receiving the dye."] A cheap cotton (sometimes of silk) handkerchief for men, with a red ground, ornamented with various colored spots. The cloth is first dyed a solid Turkey red, and the white pattern made by discharging the red with bleaching liquor in a powerful press. If other colors than white are to appear on the handkerchief, they are printed afterward upon the white spots discharged for that purpose. The pattern to be discharged is cut out on two metal plates, Of the full size of the handkerchief. A dozen or more handkerchiefs are laid between BAN COLE'S DICTIONARY OF DRY GOODS. 17 these plates, and then the pressure applied; the liquor being run on the uppermost plate, which is grooved on the upper side to receive it. The pressure on the cloth to make clean work (that is, to prevent the spreading of the liquor) is enormous, often exceeding 500 and 600 tons. The bleach- ing liquor destroys the red color in all those parts where the plates allow it to circulate, thus producing the ornamental figure. Bandanas are made in sizes from 12 inches square to 24 inches square, the price increasing with the sizes at even inche Bangle* [Hindoo Bangri, a bracelet of glass]. An ornamental ring worn upon the arms and ankles in India, and upon the legs and fastened in the ears, nose and lips in Africa. In the limited state at present signifying a bracelet without a clasp, a ring-bracelet generally with small ornaments suspended from it. Bank-credit. A credit that merchants often have with a bank, by which, on proper security given to the bank, the merchant receives liberty to draw to a certain extent beyond his deposits that may be agreed upon. Bankrupt. The breaking up of a merchant's business, due to his in- ability to meet his obligations. In modern law, any person who upon his own petition or that of his creditors is adjudged insolvent by a bankruptcy court. His estate may be administered by an assignee or trustee under the direction of the court, for the benefit of his creditors. Bankruptcy Laws. The legal regulations under which the property of an insolvent may be distributed among his creditors, with the double object of enforcing a complete discovery and an even distribution of the property, and of discharging the debtor from his obligations and from being molested in the future by his creditors. Formerly only a merchant or a trader could be made a bankrupt under the Bankruptcy Laws, all other persons who were unable to meet their debts being termed insolvents, but this distinction is now abolished in the United States, and all debtors come under the same head. Congress has the sole power of enacting Bankruptcy Laws which shall be uniform throughout all the states. Those laws are administered by the United States Court. Involuntary Bankruptcy is ad- judged on the petition of creditors, showing cause why the debtor should not be allowed to continue in possession of his assets. Voluntary Bankruptcy is adjudged on the petition of the debtor, indicating his desire to surrender his assets and be discharged. [See Inventory, Schedule.] Barcelona Silk Kerchiefs . These kerchiefs are named from Bar-ce- lo ' -na, in Spain, from whence they were originally brought, though now all made in Great Britain; there are four varieties: black, plain colors, turban checks and fancies. The black measure from twenty-six inches square to seven-quarters. The turban checks were originally made for head dresses and are about twenty inches square. Barege (ba-razh'). [So called from Bareges, a town in France, where 18 COLE'S DICTIONARY OF DRY GOODS. BAR it was first made.] Barege veiling is woven with an extremely fine silk warp and a fluffy woolen weft, thirty inches wide. It is imported from France in several qualities, the length of the pieces being determined by meters or "aunes." An aune in English measure is IX yards. [See Veiling.] Barras (bar '-as). A coarse linen fabric imported by this country in the 17th century from Holland, used for shirting, linen pants, vests, etc. Barrow-coat. A square or oblong piece of flannel, wrapped around an infant's body below the arms, the part extending beyond the feet being turned up and pinned. Barter. To traffic or trade by exchanging one commodity for another, in distinction from buying and selling for money. Basket- weave . A style of weaving which produces a pattern re- sembling the plaited-work of a basket. Basse-lisse (bas-lese'). Woven with the warp in the usual horizontal position, as distinguished from that which is woven with the warp placed in a perpendicular, and described as haute-lisse. Bast. The strong inner fibrous bark of various trees, especially a species of linden, of which the Russia matting of commerce is made. Cuba bast is used for tieing up bunches of cigars, etc. [See Fiber.] Bastard cloth. A cloth presumably imitating a more expensive material. Basting-Machine. A sewing-machine used for basting together pieces of fabrics, to make a continuous piece for bleaching, dyeing scouring etc. Bat. See Batting. Bathing Suits and Trunks. Bathing " trunks" are usually made of knitted cotton or worsted, and shaped to cover the loins and trunk of the body. Bathing "suits" are of various shapes and made of many materials. Surah silk of thick quality is used extensively. It is claimed that it does not retain as much water as flannel, and that it does not cling so closely to the figure. The medium quality bathing suits are manufactured of flannel and of a coarse wiry cheviot. The more modest suits are made with the waist and drawers in one, cut in continuous pieces or attached to the same belt; a seperate skirt reaching to the knees is then buttoned on to this belt. The drawers fall below the knees and are quite wide with rubber in the hem to draw them into shape. Jersey suits are also manufactured and these do not shrink. The waist and skirt are all in one piece in this variety, and the skirt is made full. The drawers are close fitting like equestrian tights and have stockings woven with them — but how and where they are fastened no man has ever found out. Bating. The process of steeping hides and skins in an alkaline batli to separate the oil and fleshy matter, and render them soft and pliable, pre- paratory to tanning. BAT COLE'S DICTIONARY OF DRY GOODS. 19 Batiste. A variety of cotton muslin, having a good deal of dress, closely resembling lawn, the only difference being that batiste is slightly heavier, though in both materials the pattern is printed on in the same man- ner; used chiefly for summer dresses, lining and trimmings. Batiste is also the French name for cambric, a fine linen muslin made in France and used for dresses, linings and trimmings. The fabric derives its name from M. Baptiste a linen weaver of Cambray, Flanders, who invented it in the 13th century. Batting. Raw cotton or wool prepared in thick, but lightly-matted lapped sheets, used chiefly in the manufacture of comforts, bed covers, and mattresses. Also called bat and batts. Baudekin (ba' -de-kin.) A rich embroidered or brocaded silk fabric woven originally with a warp of gold thread. Called in the 17th century, cloth of Baudekin. It is not found in use after the 17th century. Bay eta (ba-ya'-ta./ A common kind of coarse Spanish baize. [See BAIZE.] Beads. [From Anglo-Saxon bede, a prayer.] Small perforated orna- ments, of round or oblong shape, worn by women in necklaces, bracelets and head-dresses; and also for ornamenting slippers, purses, watch guards and a variety of fancy articles. Beads are used by Catholics to keep them right as to the number of their prayers, one bead of the rosary being drop- ped every time a prayer is said. Beads are made of gold, diamond, amber, pearl, coral, garnet, steel, paste, wood, etc., but the greatest quantity are of glass manufacture. They were manufactured, much in the same form as now, by the Phcenecians more than 3,000 years ago. At present, they form a favorite article of traffic with all savage tribes and nations, often being the only medium of exchange in bartering with them. The manufacture of glass beads is simple. A short, thick rod of colored glass is made with a hole through the centre of it. This is drawn out in a heated state by two men running in opposite directions, and by this very long tubes are pro- duced of the size of the beads required. These rods are chipped into short uniform pieces of the length of the bead. The holes in the pieces are then filled with sand and ashes by shaking them up together in a bowl. This is done to prevent welding when heated at the next operation. This consists of transferring them to a heated iron pan and agitated until the sharp angles are worn off and they assume a smooth, rounded form. Taken out, their bodies washed and cleaned to separate the ashes and sand, and strung by children, they form glass beads. In commerce they are known as the hollow, the tube and the bugle. The hollow are the most expensive kind, the price varying from 25 cents to $2.50 per bunch of twelve strands. Com- mon black beads are sold from ten to twenty-five cents per pound. Beam-roll. In cloth manufacture, the spool-shaped roll upon which the warp-threads are wound preparatory to being woven. 20 COLE'S DICTIONARY OF DRY GOODS. BEA Bearing-Cloth. A cloth with which a child is covered when carried to church to be baptised, often richly embroidered ; also called a christ- ening robe. Bearer. See Furs. Beaver Cloth. A thick woolen cloth used for garments by both sexes. The weave is similar to doeskin. Beaver cloth is always fulled to a con- siderable degree, and has the wrong side finished with a soft thick nap ; much in demand previous to 1880 for overcoats. [See Woolen.] Beaver Hat. The modern stiff silk hat was commonly called a "beaver" until shortly after the civil war. The first high stiff hats were made of beaver fur. [See Hats and Caps.] Beaverteen. A strong twilled cotton fabric for men's wear, napped on wrong side ; similar to moleskin but heavier ; dyed in solid colors of gray and tan. Bed-Clothes. The coverings used on beds; sheets, blankets, quilts, slips, etc., collectively. Bedford Cord. A particular style of weave found usually in dress fabrics, consisting of heavy ribs running lengthwise of the fabric; similar to the weave of cotton pique. [See Corded Fabrics.] Bed-gown. A night-gown or night-dress; a kind of jacket like a dress- ing-sack, worn in Scotland by women of the working-class, generally with a colored flannel petticoat. Bedizen (be-diz'-en). To deck or dress out, especially in a tawdry manner or with vulgar finery. Bed-linen. Sheets, pillow-cases and bolster slips, originally always of linen, but now usually of cotton. Bed Pocket. A small bag, in use during the early part of the present century, hung at the head of the bed at night in which to put away things which might be wanted before morning, or as a receptacle for the watch, purse, handkerchief, etc., in place of poking them under the pillow. A hundred years back, bed pockets were used quite extensively. It is customary yet in the South, to provide visitors, especially fussy people and particularly old maids, with bed pockets. They are arranged in fanciful shapes, and hang by cords or ribbons from the bed-stead. They are usually embroidered with the injunction to the burglar, "Step softly and don't disturb the sleeper." Bed Quilt. A wadded and quilted covering for a bed; as a bed spread or comfort, as distinguished from a counterpane or an ornamented cover- let. Bed Tick. A case of strong cotton or linen material for containing the feathers or straw of abed. Nine yards of 32-inch ticking is required for the manufacture of a bed-tick. BEE COLE'S DICTIONARY OF DRY GOODS. 21 Beetling' Machine. A machine for "finishing" linen or cotton cloth by hammering it; for this purpose heavy wooden blocks are used, which are raised in succession and permitted to fall by their own weight. Some- times called "mangling-machine." The object is to render the surface of the cloth of an even and uniform thickness. Beige (bazh) [from It. bigio — gray.] In France in the early part of the present century there was a sort of twilled dress fabric woven with a gray cotton warp and an unbleached and undyed woolen weft, called Beige. At present in this country it is one of the few dress fabrics which has not de- parted from the original manufacture. Although it is now dyed to some extent, it still remains a twilled serge-like material woven with cotton warp and worsted weft, dyed in shades of gray, drab and slate; sometimes called debeige. There are several other definitions to "beige" besides the beige proper as a fabric. It may be coarse, unbleached serge, or it may be wool in its natural state. Beige damasse is a loose, light, woolen tissue, woven in patterns like Damask cloth, while beige de laine is a soft "woolen" beige used for ladies dresses. [See Damasse. ] Bend-leather. The strongest kind of sole-leather used for shoes. A name in the leather trade for a butt or rounded crop cut in two; the half of a hide of sole-leather that was trimmed and divided before tanning. Bengaline (ben'gal-ene'). A dress fabric woven exactly like a Faille silk, except that a fine "worsted" thread is substituted for the weft. This weft (which forms its cords) is entirely covered and concealed by the fine, silk warp threads, so that the wool is not exposed from either surface. This same fabric, with a larger, thicker, and more decided cord, is termed Tyrolienne. Bengal Stripes. Wide striped ginghams used for skirting, so called from having originally been brought from Bengal, but now manufactured exclusively in this country. Berlin Wool. A fine woolen yarn for working fancy articles in needle work. Also called German wool. Berlin Gloves. See Gloves. Bias. A cut which is diagonal or oblique to the texture of a fabric. In retail stores satin and mourning crape are usually cut " bias." Bib. [From L. bibere to drink whence also our words imbibe, bibu- lous, etc.] A cloth worn by children to keep the front of the dress clean while eating; usually made of honeycombed cotton canvas, lawn, lace, and the like. Birdseye Linen. A honey comb or diamond-figured linen fabric used for towels and fancy-work. Birdseye is a term also applied to varieties of canvas and crape, these fabrics having spots or markings somewhat resembling bird's eyes. 22 COLE'S DICTIONARY OF DRY GOODS. BIR Biretz. See Electoral Cloth. Blacksize. In leather manufacture, to cover the tanned skin with a coat of stiff size and tallow. The " size" is laid on with a soft brush or sponge, and the leather is then well rubbed with a glass slicker to gloss it. Blankets. [Said to be derived from Fr. blanchet, meaning a blank piece of cloth, without figure. The name is also claimed to be derived from that of an English manufacturer, Sir Thomas Blanquett, who in 1340 was the owner of a large woolen mill near London]. A large, oblong piece of soft, loosely woven woolen cloth, spread commonly over the sheets of a bed for the procurement of warmth. Sometimes used as a covering for i horse when standing or exposed to cold, and sometimes worn as a garment especially among Indians and other uncivilized peoples. * N Formerly the manufacture of blankets was confined exclusively to the New England States, but since 1865 the seat of manufacture has from year to year steadily followed the Star of the Empire, until at present woolen mills for the manufacture of blankets are found dotting the streams throughout the entire West. These mills have every facility and material for making cheaper and better goods than can be made by the Eastern factories for the money. For many years the Mission mills of San Fran- cisco, California, and the mills at Portland, Oregon, have made bed and fancy blankets second to none in the world. Ohio, noted for its growing fine wools, is also famous for making fine blankets, though probably not superior to the products of factories dotting the states of Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Missouri and Minnesota. In the latter state, at Minneapolis, is pro- duced the finest blanket in the world, known as the "Royal Rose," 90 by 100 hches, which sells at wholesale at nearly $40 per pair. ' "Eiderdown" blankets have a fine, soft, thick nap on either side, and ire tufted and bound with silk, dyed in beautifully tinted and solid colors. They are very warm for their weight, not being so thick and clumsy as the ordinary comfortable, yet having as much warmth as a double blanket. The Navajo (pronounced Nav-a-ho) Indians find a first claim to fame by virtue of their blankets. The process of blanket construction by an Indian, while in nowise complex, is arduous. All work is performed in the most primitive manner, and with tools of the rudest kind. The Navajoes number some 40,000 people, having a reservation which embraces a portion of both New Mexico and Arizona. They are solely a pastoral people, never under any circumstances building a home twice in the same place. Navajo shearers are the most expert in the. world. They used to remove the fleece by a sort of shaving process, but long ago, even in the sixteenth century, succeeded in finding shears, and from that time not even a Nava- jo's gun is more carefally kept than are his sheep-shears. After washing and cleaning, all of which work is done by the women, the spinners begin their operations. The best of the wool only is kept. Much the larger bulk is sold to the traders, and by them shipped unwashed to the mills of the BIR COLE'S DICTIONARY OF DRY GOODS. 23 East. The spindle operated by the women is a simple piece of wood some eight inches long, scarcely larger than a lead pencil, and sharpened to a point. The bundle of wool lies on the woman's right side, not made into rolls, but simply cleaned and beaten. She takes up a strand of it, lays it against the spindle and twists rapidly with the left hand. The fibre gradu- ally takes the form of yarn, though it is loose and uneven. As soon as the spindle is full it is unwound and rolled on a ball, after which it is ready for weaving. The loom is simplicity itself. The poles are cut the length required for the breadth of the blanket. One is secnred to the branches of a tree. The other is anchored to the ground with stones. From this lower pole to the upper one the strands of yarn are passed, till the "warp" is all placed in position. Then, beginning at the lower side, the woman begins inserting the "woof." Originally they had but the two colors of white and black, and the figures produced, while varying infinitely in form and outline, were always combinations of these two. Later, however, the women learned to dye the wool, and now they are able to make red, blue, green and yellow. With the savage love of vivid colors they combine these six in an order that is harmonious and complete in each blanket, pro- ducing an effect decidedly pleasing and curious. There is no shuttle. The dexterous fingers simply pass the threads back of certain lines of warp, in front of others, and continue that process until they have traveled across the breadth of the fabric. Then with a sort of comb they press the threads of the yarn down firmly. A strand of woof seldom reaches across the blanket. The whole work is done with simple "bits" of yarn. But they are intertwined so dexterously, are drawn backward and forward so firmly, and are beaten into place so solidly, that when the work is done the designs are found uniform, the thickness is the same throughout, and the selvedge edges are secure against raveling. Nearly any Navajo blanket will hold water for an indefinite length of time. Judged by a strict civilized standard, their blankets are not handsome, but they possess a barbaric beauty that is distinctively their own, and go far to answer the question of the red man's origin. Persons accustomed to seeing works of art in a hundred lines, would be surprised at the originality and boldness of some of the designs displayed in this weaving. Some of them display the zigzag lines of vivid lightning, others the suns, moons and shining stars drawn from the heavens. Many present the curves and spirals that could only have been woven by the most patient and cunning of human fingers. The Government provides nearly all of the Indians in the United States anually with one pair of 6-pound woolen blankets, costing about $3.35. These Navajo Indians as soon as they get a Government blanket, proceed to unravel it and wind the yarn into balls. It is dyed to suit the garish taste of the Indian, and when the yarn from 5 to 15 of Uncle Sam's blankets is accumulated he is ready to make his Navajo blanket. The wool from as many as 15 blankets has been known to be woven and whipped and thrashed by the Navajo process into one of the blankets of 24 COLE'S DICTIONARY OF DRY GOODS. BLA that name. They are astonishly heavy, and hold water like the skin of an animal. [See Teasling, Weaving, Wool.] Blazer. A bright colored, loose summer coat, usually of striped flannel, worn by tennis and cricket players. The origin of the word is as follows: The boat club's uniform at St. John's College is bright red, and the St. Johnian jackets have for many years been called blazers, on account of being of such fiery color. Up to a few years ago the inaccurate modern term of blazer for a jacket of any other colorthan red, was unknown. Bleaching. The process of freeing textile fibers and fabrics from their natural color, and rendering them white or nearly so. The ancient method of bleaching by exposing to the action of the sun's rays and frequent wetting, has been nearly superseded (at least where the business in prose- cuted on a large scale) by more complicated processes in connection with powerful chemical preparations. Among these preparations, the chief are chlorin and sulphurous acid, the latter being employed for the animal fibres (wool and silk) while the vegetable fibres are bleached with chlorin, the bleaching in both cases, however, being preceded with certain cleansing processes. Glass is bleached with salt peter, arsenic and red lead. [See Linen, Wool, Cotton.] A hundred years ago the process of bleaching was known as "whiting." We find "whiting time" spoken of in Shakespeare, and in the Merry Wives of Windsor allusion is made to the "whitsters" of Datchet Mead. At this time the work of bleaching could only be carried on in the open air in the manner followed from time immemorial, and consequently the summer months alone were suitable, the operations, if the weather happened to be unfavorable, not being always completed during the time at command. The exposure of fabrics on the open ground in England and Ireland led to a practice of stealing linen, for preventing which several severe laws were passed from time to time. For instance, George II enacted that "every person who shall, by day or night feloniously steal any linen, fustian, calico or cotton cloth; or cloth worked, woven, or made of any cotton or linen yarn mixed; or any linen or cotton tape, incle, filleting, laces, or any fabric, laid to be printed, whitened, crofted, bowked or dried to the value of 10 shillings, or shall knowingly buy or receive any such wares stolen, shall be guilty of felony without benefit of clergy." Felony of this degree was at that period punishable with death. Holland early acquired a rep- utation for bleaching, and it was an ordinary practice to send linens there in the spring to be returned in the autumn. The tedious character of the operations, when the use of cotton goods had increased so vastly through the inventions of improved machinery caused attention to be directed to chlorin, a gaseous substance contained in common salt, discovered in 1774. Bleaching by chlorin is now in extensive use, and allows the buyer of the cheapest calicoes a whiter material than his ancestors could obtain in costly linens after months of laborious operations. The old system of crofting or whiting is yet followed for fine fabrics in the north of Ireland. * BLO COLE'S DICTIONARY OF DRY GOODS. 25 Block-printing. There are two modes of printing calico, block-print- ing and machine-printing. The former has been practiced from time im- memorial. The latter is a modern invention. In the case of block-print- ing, the design of the pattern intended to be printed upon the cloth is cut out upon a block of sycamore, the parts which are to make the impres- sion being left prominent and the rest of the block cut away, just as prac- tised for wood engravings. When the figure is too complicated and the lines too fine to admit of being cut in wood, it is made by means of small pieces of copper, which are driven into the block, and the minute spaces filled up with felt. Several colors may be at once applied on the cloth by means of one block. The block, being pressed against the cloth, takes the color as supplied by rubber tubes and thus produces the pattern. It is an exceedingly slow and tedious process. The printing-block is seldom over one foot square, several hours being required for each color to dry. In machine-printing, as the piece is printed, it passes rapidly over a steam- heated roller and dried in one or two minutes. [See Calico.] Blonde Lace. Blonde laces were first made in 1745, and being pro- duced of unbleached silk, were known as "Nankins" or "Blondes". Blonde net is unbleached or cream colored bobbinet. Bloom. A term applied to velvets, when by dyeing they are saidto glow with a warm color, or luster. Dyers claim that the most important branch of black-dyeing upon cotton goods, is that empolyed for cotton velvets, in which it is desired to produce a rich lustrous effect; the process is long, tedious and uncertain, consisting of successive applications of sumac, acetate of iron, logwood and fustic — the end chiefly aimed at being the production of a black, with a blush or violet bloom. Bloomers. A peculiar and ridiculous costume for women introduced and advocated in 1850 by a Mrs. Bloomer of New York, the distinctive features of which were a short skirt extending to the knees, loose baggy trousers buttoned around the ankle, and a low-crowned hat. > Blouse. A light, loose upper garment, made of linen or cotton, worn by men as a protection from dust or in the place of a coat ; also a loosely fitting dress-body worn by women and children. A blue linen blouse is the common dress of French workingmen. [See Smock-Frock.] Boa. [From Latin boa, a large serpent.] A long, serpent-like piece of fur or feathers, worn around the neck by ladies ; also a fur tippet. A boa usually accompanies a muff to complete a set of furs. Bobbinet. A machine-made cotton netting, consisting of parallel threads which form the warp, upon which two systems of oblique threads are laid in such a way that each of the oblique threads make a turn around each of the warp threads, producing a nearly hexagonal mesh. The art of netting is intimately related to weaving, knitting and ma- chine-lace making, from all of which, however, it is distinguished by the 26 COLE'S DICTIONARY OF DRY GOODS. BOB regular knotting or twisting of the diagonal threads around the straight warp threads. Bobbinet, which is the foundation of machine-made lace, is rcade by the intertwisting of threads of fine cotton or silk. , ' - - Prior to the year 1800, laces of every description were made by hand. Amongst the most beautiful of these hand-wrought laces was a variety called " Brussels," which was distinguished by a portion of the threads be- ing " twisted at regular intervals so as to form an open spot, in order to relieve the sameness of the tissue." The first attempt at the manufacture of lace by machinery was an imitation of this Brussels lace, probably on account of the great popularity of, and demand for this variety. The first step was to make this open work, (bobbinet) upon which to ground the pat- tern. In England several efforts were made from 1758 to 1809, but the first really successful machine for bobbinet (so named from the threads which cross the warps being supplied from bobbins) was that of Jno. Heathcoat, invented in 1809, and suggested by the machinery he had seen employed in making fishing nets. The principle of the invention was in the use of fixed parallel warp threads around which the bobbins worked as the "filling" of a fabric, one set going obliquely from right to left, and the second set obliquely from left to right. In the machine the warp threads to the number of 700 to 1,200 in a yard of width are stretched from a roller which extends the whole length of the thread beam, and the weft threads are wound each upon a bob- bin, formed of two thin brass discs riveted together, leaving a narrow space between them for the threads to pass out. Each bobbin holds about 100 yards thread, and there are sometimes as many as 1,200 of them to a machine. About 30,000 meshes per minute can be made with improved machines. The pieces of bobbinet measure from 30 to 40 yards each ; the width is vari- able, being very narrow in Wash Blond and wider in Brussels and Darn net. In England at this time (1810), the bobbinet machine was regarded as the most wonderful and important invention that had been introduced. By the aid of one machine it was possible to manufacture in a day the same amount of netting that formerly required two-score men and women. The unfortunate work people in their rage organized a mob and destroyed Heathcoat's machines, and declared they would make scrap-iron and kind- ling wood of all he should thereafter manufacture. This caused him to re- move to Nottingham, where the indignation was not so high, and where he began the manufacture of netting and machine lace. Prosperity shone upon the trade, and numerous individuals, clergymen, lawyers, doctors, and others, readily embarked capital in so tempting a speculation. Fabulous wages were earned during this period. It was no uncommon thing for an artisan to leave his usual calling and betaking to himself a lace frame, of which he was a part proprietor, realize by working upon it 20, 30 and 40 shillings a day. In consequence of such wonderful gains, " Nottingham and the adjoining towns became the scene of an epidemic mania; many, though, nearly devoid of mechanical genius or the constructive talent, tormented themselves night and day with projects of bobbins, pushers, lockers, point- BOC COLE'S DICTIONARY OF DRY GOODS. 27 bars and needles of various forms, endeavoring to get around or improve the Heathcoat patent, till their minds got permanently bewildered. Sev- eral lost their senses altogether; and some after cherishing visions of wealth as in the olden time of alchemy, finding their schemes abortive, sank into despair and committed suicide." Many improvements have been made on the original machine, but to this day the principle still remains the same. [See Lace, Lace Curtains.] Bocasine (bok'-a-sin). [From buckram]. A linen fabric woven so fine as to look like silk; not in general use at the present time. Booking. A coarse woolen flannel or baize named from Bocking, Essex county, England, where it was first made. Bolster. Something on which to rest the head while reclining; specifically a long cylindrical cushion, stuffed with feathers, hair, straw, or other materials, generally laid on the bed under the pillows. Bolt. Any quantity of rolled or wrapped fabric. Bolting Cloth. A cloth of linen or silk used in mills for bolting or sifting meal and flour; also a fine wide linen fabric used by ladies for fancy-work. The most expensive variety of silk fabric made is bolting cloth for millers' use, woven almost altogether in Switzerland. There is no import duty on this, provided it is not used for, or suitable for wearing apparel. Bombast. Cotton or other stuff of a soft, loose texture, used to stuff a garment; padding. Bombazine (bom-ba-zeen ' ) [From bombycina, made of silk.] Orig- inally a dress fabric woven of silk and wool, made in England as early as the reign of Elizabeth; afterward a cloth made of silk alone, but always of one color. At present, a light twilled dress fabric of which the warp is silk and the filling worsted, giving it a changeable shiny appearance; form- erly black but now made in various colors. In England in 1575 the Dutch elders presented in court a new fabric called Bombazines, praying to have the "search and seal " of them to their use. These early Bombazines are said to have been of silk and cotton, but as the use of cotton was not begun in England until about fifty years later (1625), it is probable they were of silk and wool or silk and linen. In 1800 Bombazines were described as spun from wefts of fine wool, the worsted being thrown upon the right side; so that the modern Bombazines of silk warp and worsted weft in all likelihood closely resemble those of the sixteenth century. Bombyx. The caterpillar of the Bombyx mori is well known by the name of silk worm. When full grown it is three inches long. It feeds on the leaves of the mulberry tree and the Osage orange, and spins an oval cocoon the size of a pigeon's egg, of a close tissue, usually of a yellow color but sometimes white. A single fibre is often 1,100 feet long. It requires 1,600 worms to produce a pound of silk. Greek missionaries first brought 28 COLE'S DICTIONARY OF DRY GOODS. BOM the eggs of the bombyx or silk worm from China to Constantinople in 565 A. D. In the .twelfth century the cultivation of silk was introduced into the Kingdom of Naples, and several centuries afterward into France. In the seventeenth century silk worms were brought to the United States. [See Silk.] Bonifoycinous. Silken; made of silk; silky, feeling like silk; or, of the color of the silk-worm moth, of a pale yellow color. Bone-lace. Lace, usually of linen thread, made on a cushion with bobbins, and taking its chief decorative character from the pattern woven into it as distinguished from point-lace; so named according to some authorities, from the fact that the bobbins were originally made of bone. Fuller, England 1662, says that much bone-lace "is made in and about Honytoun, (Honiton) and weekly returned to London. Let it not be con- demned for a superfluous wearing, because it does neither hide nor heat the bodie, seeing it doth adorn. Hereby many children who otherwise would be burthensome to the parish, prove beneficial to their parents. Yea, many lame in their limbs and impotent in their arms, if they are able in their fingers, gain a livelihood thereby." The question has arisen as to what sort of bones were used in the production of this lace. Fuller ex- plains that sheep's trotters were used for bobbins, and that thus the name came into use, but other authorities say that the Devonshire lace-makers, deriving their knowledge from tradition, declare that when lace-making was first introduced into their country, pins, so indispensable to their art, being then sold at a price far beyond their means, the lace-makers, mostly the wives of fishermen living along the coast, adopted the bones of fish, which, scraped and cut into regular lengths, fully answered as a sub- stitute. Bonnet. [From Hindoo banat, woolen cloth or broadcloth.] A form of head-covering worn by women out of doors. It encloses the head more or less at the sides and generally the back, and is usually trimmed with some elaborateness and tied on the head with ribbons. It differs from a hat of the ordinary form in having no brim. In Scotland the term bonnet is applied to any kind of a cap worn by men, but specifically to the closely woven and seamless Scotch caps of wool, known as glengarys, balmorals, braid bonnets and kilmarnocks. In England about the year 1480, extrava- gantly trimmed bonnets were worn by men as well as by women. These were usually made of cloth, sometimes richly adorned with feathers, jewelry and ornaments of gold. It was regarded as a grave breach of propriety by the law-makers of this period for a married man to indulge in these fanci- ful bonnets, and in consequence a law was enacted that " if any sane per- son, of full age, whose wife not being divorced, nor willingly absenting her- self from him, doth wear any French hood or bonnet of velvet, with any habiliment, paste, or edge of gold, pearl or stone shall lose £V), for every three months " during which time the law was disobeyed, for the evident purpose of "protecting" the rights of unmarried men. BOO COLE'S DICTIONARY OF DRY GOODS. 29 Bookbinder's Cloth. A stiffly sized variety of cotton cloth, colored in every conceivable tint and shade, and often decoratively embossed, much used for the cheap binding of books in place of leather. All books said to be "cloth bound" are covered with bookbinder 's cloth. Bookfold. A piece of linen or cotton fabric containing 24 yards. Bookmuslin. A glazed, starchy, transparent muslin, used for the covering of library books or lining of dresses; very similar to paper cambric. Boots and Shoes, From the earliest times a comfortable covering for the feet has been one of man's first necessities upon emerging from savagery. As he advanced toward civilization he began to give more and more attention to his footgear, making it not only comfortable, but orna- mental. Where climate demanded more protection for the foot than the original sandal, the primitive races shaped a rude shoe out of a single piece of untanned hide; this was laced with a thong and so made a complete covering. Out of these two varieties — sole without upper, and upper with- out sole — arose the perfect shoe and boot, which consists of a combination of both. The characteristics of a nation can often be traced in its shoes. The high, stiff boot of the uncompromising Dutchman is as truly an index to his character as is the gaily-colored, up-curving slipper worn by the luxurious Turk. The manufacture of American shoes is no less char- acteristic. Our factories turn out their product in such quantities that no man. woman or child is too poor to wear them, and a barefoot peasantry is an unknown condition on this side of the water. One workman can peg 600 pairs per day. In China, on the other hand, where customs never change, the cobbler still goes from house to house, announcing his approach with a rattle, and taking up his abode with the family while he accomplishes the necessary working and mending. In certain parts of Asia Minor it is nothing unusual for a pair of shoes to be handed down from generation to generation, being worn only upon state occasions, and carried in the hand by the proud possessor on holidays. The word "shoe" occurs thirty-one times in the English version of the Bible. "A man plucked off his shoe and gave it to his neighbor; and this was a testimony in Israel." — Ruth 4:7. "Over Eden will I cast my shoe" — Psalm 9: 8. These passages evidently refer to an established symbolical use of the shoe in transferring property. "Loosening the latchets of shoes," and "bearing the shoes" are alluded to as works of inferiority. In the far East the shoes are removed as a mark of respect, and all Orientals take off their shoes when entering a church, but keep on their headgear. The Hebrews took great interest in the ornamentation of their shoes. Solomon exclaims, "How beautiful are thy feet with shoes, Oh, prince s daughter!" An old writer— Bend Boudoin — maintains that God, when giving Adam skins of beasts for clothing, gave him also shoes of the same material. Xenophon tells us that the ten thousand Greeks who were with him in the 30 COLE'S DICTIONARY OF DRY GOODS. BOO great retreat, were compelled for the "want of shoes" to cover their feet with skins which caused them great inconvenience. During the dark days of the Revolution in our own country, shoes and leather were so scarce that the heroes of Valley Forge were driven to tying the bark of trees to their feet, and it was no uncommon thing in the winter of 1779 for stains of blood to mark the footsteps of patriots. The earliest form of shoe was, of course, the sandal, which allowed the foot full freedom of motion. It was secured to the foot by means of thongs passing over the instep and between the great and second toes, so that it was held firmly whichever way the foot moved, and yet could be cast off at pleasure. The Egyptian priests wore sandals of palm leaves and papyrus, while those of the common people were made of leather. The papyrus shoe was interwoven like a mat. The Hebrew shoe was similar to that of the Egyptian, the military sandals being made of brass or iron. The Roman soldier, when obliged to fight in a hill country, placed his feet in sandals with soles heavily spiked, and with thongs extending far up the ankle. While he marched in these, the luxurious citizens at the capital employed the security he gave them by inventing fanciful boots formed of animals' skins dyed purple, covered with gilded ornaments, and further enriched by the head and claws of the animal, which were left to hang down from the top of the boot. One of the most curious form of shoes ever known was the "chopine," which originated in Turkey, and spread through Europe, being worn even in England; inexplicably enough, for nothing more clumsy and difficult could have been invented. They increased the height of a lady by half a yard, and it was impossible to walk a step in them unless supported by a maid servant on either side. This is certainly about equal in folly to the much condemned Chinese custom of deforming ladies' feet; though it did not cause so much pain, it interfered much more with freedom of locomotion. The inconvenience of the Chinese custom is all thrown upon the weaker sex, for the China men wear shoes that can not be excelled for ease and comfort; but Fashion thousands of years ago decreed that all ladies of any rank should have their feet so bound in childhood that they can not grow longer than three or four inches from toe to heel. The Chinese affectionately term these distorted pedal extremities "little golden lilies." They cause a growing girl the greatest torment, and cripple her for life; but she is taught to endure willingly in order to insure rank and position, much after the fashion of the fair sex in our own land. Our English forefathers, much as they plumed themselves upon sturdy common sense in dress, indulged in occasional vagaries in the way of foot- wear which no giddy Frenchman could surpass. One of their greatest extravagances in this line was the pointed toe. It began with an simple point, "only this and nothing more," but the point grew and curved and curved and grew until it attained a length of 15 inches, and was aptly com* BOO COLE'S DICTIONARY OF DRY GOODS. 31 pared to devil's claws. In order to overcome their inconvenience they were sometimes secured by a chain or cord to the knee, many specimens being still in existence having rings attached for fastening the chain. The reaction against this extreme came in the form of broad-toed shoes. These were made gradually shorter and wider until they caused the fashionable foot to appear like a hoof, and it was found necessary in 1480 to restrict them in breadth. Having attained a width of twelve inches, and were still widening, sensible Queen Mary issued a proclamation prohibiting a wider shoe than six inches at the toe. The next freak of fashion came in the form of wide topped boots. These came into vogue with the courtiers of the second Charles. They were of soft, pliable Spanish leather, which doubled over the top like a cuff; and this boot-cuff was further adorned with ruffles of costly lace. The extreme width of these boot tops with their frail orna- mentation, made it necessary for the wearer to take wide spraddling steps in walking. In the ninth and tenth centuries the greatest kings and princes in Europe all wore wooden shoes, not wooden boots like those worn by the Hollanders, but wooden soles fastened to the feet with leather thongs. The wooden boot coming up to the ankle is, at present, worn by the peasants throughout all Europe, The towns of Mende and Fillefort are the head- quarters for the wooden shoe trade in France, about 1 700 persons there finding employment in the manufacture. These shoes (or boots) are made from a single piece of wood roughly cut and hollowed out into shoe form. Analogous to this industry is the clog-making trade of England. Clogs are heavy wooden shoes to which, shoe or boot, uppers are attached. Sole and heel are made of one piece, from a block of maple or ash two inches thick. These clogs are of great advantage to all who work in damp.sloppy places, keeping the feet dry and comfortable in a manner impossible with either leather or india-rubber. They are, consequently, largely used on the Con- tinent and in the United States by ditchers, dyers, bleachers, tanners, etc. There is also a considerable demand for expensive clogs, with fancy uppers, for use_by clog dancers and others on the stage. Probably as curious an adaptation of shoes to the requirements of cli- mate as ever known, is the Canadian snow-shoe. This is formed of a wooden frame work, strongly interlaced with thongs of leather. Its use was learned from the Indians by travellers and hunters; and it is exceedingly difficult to acquire the pace. The inhabitants of British America travel rapidly on the broad surfaces of these shoes. Both men and women wear them, and the number of miles gotten over in a day by able-bodied experts sound extravagant to people not aware of the facility with which they can be man- aged. They are from eight to fourteen inches in breath at the widest part, and sometimes as much as seven feet long, though generally about four feet. The present form of leather boots and shoes was adopted early in the 17th century. The general styles have not varied much for many years; 32 COLE'S DICTIONARY OF DRY GOODS. BOO the narrow sole, the broad sole, the box toe and the high and the low heel being the principal differences between one pair and another. It has been but a few years since the best trade would not think of buying ready-made footwear, but their manufacture by large establishments, however, has reached such perfection that it is doubtful if there is one out of ten thou- sand well-to-do people who have their shoes made to order by hand. Man- ufacturing has been reduced to such a science that it is possible to do work as well by machinery as by hand, and at the same time shoes are made much cheaper now than they were twenty years ago. ' This is on account of the reduced cost of tanning leather, more economical production and better freight facilities. There was a time when the person whose feet were not the shape that nature may have intended, or who were particu- larly sensitive or fastidious, was justified in having shoes made by exact and special measurement. But to-day the factory-made shoes are of every conceivable shape, size, style and finibh. The finest shoes are made in seven widths, A, B, C, D, E, EE, F; and in length varying in size from a third to a sixth of an inch. A full " size " of a shoe or boot means one-third of an inch in length ; half " sizes " mean one-sixth of an inch; expressed 6, 6K» 7, 1%, etc. These figures do not represent the actual length of the shoe (as do sizes of hosiery) but start from an arbitrary base. It is a matter of fact that the shoemaker (compared with his vocation once) is now only a repairer and vender of factory-made goods. His shelves are loaded down with goods purchased from the jobbers and all the manufacturing he does takes up but a very small portion of his time. He is really a merchant with the ability to halfsole, cobble and straighten-up heels. The consumer is the gainer by all this, for the amount demanded for a pair of boots prior to the war would now purchase four pairs of well- made and neatly-fashioned shoes. It is a fact very noticable and one also that has been commented freely upon, that among the urban population of the United States, boots have long been en passe. Ever since they went out of fashion many years ago, there have been occasional and fitful attempts to revive the use of them. Men's predilections are variable. In respect of shoes, every conceivable taste has been thoroughly ministered to, but it is doubtful whether the use of boots will ever again become general. Here and there is encountered an elderly man whose partiality for them cannot be changed. He began to wear them in his youth and has clung to them ever since. Some physi- cians maintain that the wearing of boots acts as a preventative of rheuma- tism. They not only repel extraneous moisture, but being loose at the top permit the free escape of the natural perspiration of the feet. Years ago they were the acknowledged badge of a gentleman; now they are worn by coachman and grooms, and are regarded as the insignia of servitude. A century back there was a saying "every gentleman wears boots; " now we have the terse tale of a hanging in the phrase, " he died with his boots on." The decline of the boot is another illustration of how the practical has BOO COLE'S DICTIONARY OF DRY GOODS. 33 driven out the picturesque. When courtiers wore powdered wigs and lace ruffles, boots were indispensable, but in this unpoetical age the male por- tion of humanity has no time to expend upon useless furbelows and trap- pings. The army officer, of course, wears boots just as he always did; and the bugle-call to "boots and saddle " in a cavalry camp is as potent as of yore. But we are a nation of peace and army officers are few. Foreigners marvel that they can travel from Maine to Mexico and from Hatteras to to the Golden Gate without seeing a solitary soldier. But the soldiers of the soil, the industrial army of our country, still continue to wear a certain amount of boots, and the trade in them is by no means inconsiderable. The names of the lines made by the various fac- tories tell the story. There are " driving, ' " ditcher " and " freighters " boots, and there are " mining " and "lumbermen's " and " cowboys'" boots. Cow- boys wear fine calf boots with high heels and fancy tops. They job at $3 to $3.50 a pair. A line with Goodyear welt bring $4.25. A heavy calf mountaineer boot jobs at $3.75. For lumbermen and out door laborers in the northern latitudes, leather has given way to the felt and wool boots, worn in conjunction with a buckled rubber overshoe. Wool boots without leather stays sell for $8 to $9.50 per dozen. Certain philosophers have contended, with a great deal of force, that boots are an index of character. That eminent authority, Kirtley, has long adhered to this view. " Men who wear boots " he tells us, " are superior for many reasons. They manifest, in the first place, decent reverence for the example of their forefathers. Boots, they know, were worn by the men of the olden time — the men who expelled the British invaders from our shores, and founded this mighty Republic. They are not unaware that George Washington, when asked by a Virginia cobbler to don a pair of patent leather pumps, nailed the ear of the offender to the town pump. Then, too, they recall the preference for boots of every man who has made his mark in'the commercial, professional or the political world. Allegiance to boots has invariably been synonymous with uninterrupted and marvel- ous success. Disloyalty to boots has provoked certain and ignominious failure." In the manufacture of shoes there are two main divisions. The minor division — the making of "turn" shoes — embraces all work in which there is only one thin, flexible sole, which is sewed to the upper while outside in, and turned over when completed. Slippers and ladies' thin kid shoes, are examples of this class of work. In the other division the upper is united to an insole, and at least one outsole. In this are comprised all classes, shapes and qualities of goods, from shoes up to long-top boots, with all their variations of lacing, button- ing, congress, etc. Till within recent times, shoemaking was a pure handi- craft, but now machinery effects almost every operation in the art. In the beginning of shoemaking inventions the principal difficulties to overcome were encountered in the operation of fastening together the soles and 3 34 COLE'S DICTIONARY OF DRY GOODS. BOO uppers. The first success in this important operation was effected when means other than sewing were devised. In 1809 David M. Randolph ob- tained a patent for fastening the outer sole to the inner sole by means of little nails. This invention may be said to have laid the foundation of machine boot-making. In 1810 M. J. Brunnel patented machinery for fastening the soles to uppers by means of metal pins or nails. Apart from sewing by machine or hand, three principal methods of attaching soles to uppers are in use at present. The first is "pegging;" the second is "riveting," or "clinching," with iron or brass nails, the points of the nails being turned by coming in contact with the iron last used. The third method, "screwing," has come into extensive use since the standard screwing- machine was introduced. The standard screw machine, which is an Ameri- can invention, is provided with a reel of stout, screw-threaded brass wire, which is inserted into and screwed through outsole, upper edge and insole. Inside the upper a head presses against the insole directly opposite the point of the screw, and the instant that the screw and head touch the wire is cut level with the outsole. The screw, making its own hole, fits tightly in the leather, and the two soles, being both compressed and screwed firmly together, make a perfectly water-tight and solid shoe. The principal dis- advantage in the use of standard-screwed soles is the great difficulty met with in removing and levelling down the remains of an old sole when re- pairs are necessary. The various forms of sewing-machines by which uppers are closed, and their important modifications for uniting soles and uppers, are also princi- pally of American origin. The first important step in the difficult problem of sewing together soles and uppers by a machine was taken by L. R. Blake, tn 1858. Blake's machine was ultimately perfected as the MacKay sole-sewing machine — one of the most successful and money-making in- ventions of modern times. Blake's original machine was very imperfect and was incapable of sewing round the toe of a shoe; but a half-interest of it coming into the hands of Gordon MacKay, he with Blake effected most important improvements in the mechanism, and they jointly in 1860 pro- cured patents which secured to them the monopoly of making machine- sewed boots for twenty-one years. On the outbreak of the Civil War, a great demand arose for boots, and there being at the same time much labor withdrawn from the market, a profitable field was opened up for the use of the machine, which was now capable of sewing a sole right around. Machines were leased out by the MacKay Company to other manufacturers at a royalty of from ^ to 3 cents on every pair of soles sewed, the machines themselves registering the work done. The income of the Company from royalties increased from $38,000 in 1863 to $589,000 in 1873, and con- tinued to rise till the main patents expired in 1881, when there was in use in the United States nearly two thousand Blake-MacKay machines, sewing yearly 50,000,000 pairs of boots and shoes. The range of machinery for making and finishing other parts of a shoe. BOO COLE'S DICTIONARY OF DRY GOODS. 35 used in a well-equipped factory, is very extensive, embracing- machines for cutting leather, pressing-rollers for sole-leather, and cutting-dies for stamp- ing out soles and heel pieces. For finishing there are scouring, sand papering and burnishing machines for the soles, and stamping machines for marks and monograms. In short there is not a single operation neces- sary in shoemaking, however insignificent, for which machinery has not been devised. This country consumes more than 200,000,000 pairs of boots, shoes and slippers annually. It is safe to place the figures at 17,000,000 pairs a month of all kinds. When some circumstance occurs which forces the people of this great country to wear their shoes a week or a fortnight longer than they are accustomed to doing, it produces a perceptible effect upon the shoe and leather trade. The entire trade is very quick to feel the effect of unseasonable weather. This sensitiveness is accounted for by the fact that the shoe business is comprised of but one class of goods alone, while all other branches of merchandising and manufacturing are cc.nposed of scores of different lines. The manufacture of shoe "lasts" is to-day a fine art. Makers of statues and sculpture may commit errors that the ordinary observer will not perceive. But manufacturers of lasts are without this immunity. They must build well and truly, and their dumb models, inanimate as they are, must have the curves and grace and anatomical peculiarities of the human foot. The beauty of the foot depends upon the elasticity, symmetrical aliveness of each toe and muscle, and upon the length of the toes relatively to the contour of the whole foot, and upon the curve of the outer side of the sole. There never was a handsome foot in the classic sense that had short toes, and there never was a foot that fully satisfied the sense of beauty but was arched or curved on the outside. The inner curve is far more com- mon, and exists frequently when the outer side is as flat as a negro's. Lasts are made of the trunks of maple and persimmon trees. A last factory is an interesting sight. Rugged tree trunks, redolent with forest life, are hauled by a fatal chain to a vicious circular saw. The big clumsy slices of wood are rapidly cut, roughed, and placed in the silent drying room. In another part of the building are lathing machines busily trim- ming the homely blocks into shape. Then comes the paring of heels and toes. Next the shaving and finishing, which is followed by plating the heels and toes of the lasts with iron. Sandpapering wheels smooth irreg- ularities on the grain, and finally it is coated with shellac. In all these operations, conducted so skillfully and rapidly, the eye and hand of an artist is constantly employed, for if the slightest imperfection occurs the last has to be cast aside. [See Leather]. Bootee (boot-ee'). A trade-name for a half or short boot for women. Boot-powder* Massive talc, or soapstone reduced to powder, used to dust the inside of a new or tightly-fitting shoe, to facilitate drawing it on. 36 COLE'S DICTIONARY OF DRY GOODS. BOU Boucla (boo-clay'). A style of weaving in which a rough, knotted sur- face is produced. These bunches or knots are formed in the warp or weft threads prior to weaving, and appear at short intervals over the surface of the fabric. This weave is generally confined to woolen dress goods and cloaking. Bowing: (bo'-ing). The old process of preparing the fur for the body of a felt hat. Usually about 3 ounces of fur was spread upon a platform of boards about 5 feet square, over which a large bow some 6 feet long, strung with catgut, was suspended. This bow was held in the left hand of the hatter, while with the right he tugged or twanged the string of the bow and made it vibrate upon the fur, and into it with great dexterity and the nicest judgment. This operation has always been considered a beautiful sight to a stranger, as the hatter goes on plucking the string, and the string playing upon the top of the fur which lies upon the left hand side of the platform. The fur touched by the string is made to fly from one side of the boards to the other with the greatest regularity. In this operation the different materials are tossed to-and-fro and mixed with a much greater regularity than if drawn by machinery. One half of the intended hat, called a bat, is. bowed at a time, and both in nearly a triangular shape, which is pressed and gently rubbed with the hands backward and forward so as to create a friction on the surface fibers, thereby interlacing the out- side filaments, by which means the safe-lifting of the two half -solidified por- tions of the future hat is secured. The one-half being laid upon the other they are joined together by overlapping two of the three sides, thereby giving to the intended hat the form and figure of a hollow cone, but so tender that none but an experienced hatter could handle it. This finishes the operation of "bowing," after which come felting and shaping, for de- scriptions of which processes s°2 Hats. Box Coat. Early in the present century an overcoat with a cape, in- tended for drivers or travelers on the outside of a coach. At present, a short overcoat, usually of a light and delicate color used for attending operas and balls and the like. Sometimes called an Opera coat. Box-Plait. A double fold or plait, as on a shirt bosom or a woman's dress; a method of folding cloth alternately in opposite directions so as to form a kind of plait from each side. Braid. A narrow textile band or tape formed by plaiting or knitting together several strands of silk, cotton, wool, or mohair, used for the trimming and binding of garments. The production of silk and mohair goods form a branch of the larger silk manufacturing trade; which more than most others is free from season fluctuations. In silk varieties since 1887, and in mohair since 1890 the bulk of these goods consumed by the domestic trade have been manufactured in this country. The braids produced at Patterson, N J., outrival the best that Europe can produce, whether in quality of material and consequent durability, in exellence of BRA COLE'S DICTIONARY OF DRY GOODS. 37 weaving, or in finish. In the numbering of braids they are designated as being of so many "lines" according to the number of ribs they possess. If a braid has four ribs running lengthwise from end to end, it is called a 4-line braid. In numbering cords and other similar materials there is no uniform system adopted. Their description is supposed to be based on the number of main strands that enter into their construction, but this is not always the case. The majority of standard wool dress braids, such as "Goff's," "Corticella," etc., are numbered 61, which signifies that the braid is composed of 61 threads. This may easily be determined by counting the ribs — which will be found to be 15 — each rib or plait being composed of 4 threads = 60 + 1 thread necessary to start the web = 61. On account of one thread being necessary to start the plaiting of a braid, all braids if "sized" according to the number of individual threads which compose the texture will be found to bear odd numbers. Formerly they were all so numbered, but in recent years the width of fine silk and mohair braids is indicated by the number of longitudinal ribs in their tructure. Brandeuhurgs. [Named from Brandenbourg. in Germany.] A variety of ornamental buttons formed somewhat in the shape of a long, narrow barrel, smaller at the ends than in the middle, and made of silk on a wooden mold or foundation, usually connected with loops and worn on the front of garments and to fasten men's heavy overcoats; corresponding to frogs on ladies' cloaks. [See Frog.] Breakfast Shawl. A small, square checked shawl, folded diagonally and worn around the neck by women. Breast Clout. A bib. Breech Clout. A cloth of any description, covering the breech and loins of Indians, Africans and other uncivilized peoples. Breeches. A bifurcated garment formerly worn to cover but the hips and thighs; improperly used in the sense of trousers or pantaloons. The word is derived from Anglo-Saxon breech, which indicates the lower part of the body behind, or the hinder part of anything. The " Geneva " Bible, an English translation issued from Geneva in 1560, by several British divines, has been called the " breeches " Bible, because in the story of Adam and Eve, a passage (Genesis III, 7) was translated: " Then the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked, and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves breeches." Later and more fastidious translators make the passage read " aprons." Bride. In lace making and needle work a loop, link or tie connecting two different parts of the work together. [See Lace.] Broad Lace. A wool lace or embroidery made in bands about four inches wide and used as an ornamental border to the upholstery of a car- riage or car. Broadcloth. A fine "woolen" cloth, commonly black, with a smooth, 38 COLE'S DICTIONARY OF DRY GOODS. BRO glossy surface, principally used in making men's garments, so called from its breadth which is usually 60 inches. Broadcloth is woven of the finest grades of felting wools. When taken from the loom it does not present that polished appearance which is its distinctive feature as seen in the shops of tailors. In the loom it is rough and dull-colored, with the threads which compose the warp and woof plainly showing. All broadcloths are subject to the action of fulling or felting, with the result that the wool-hairs of the weft and those of the warp become mutually entangled to such, an extent that these cloths never unravel when cut by the tailor, and no hemming of a garment is required. Twelve hours in the fulling mill will reduce a piece of cloth two-fifths in breadth and one-third of its length. This shortening and narrowing result is the effect of \ts felting \n the fulling mill during the operations of scouring and washing, every fibre of the wool of which the cloth is made having clung to its immediate neighbors (both warp and weft) and with the spirit of true friendship, they remain forever in each other's embrace, the cloth being transformed from a loose to a solid fabric. Upon every fibre of wool are minute scales, so very minute, indeed, that it requires the aid of a powerful microscope to enable the beholder to discern them, and even then but faintly. These scales, which cover every filament of wool, are thin and pointed, overlapping each other quite similar to the scales of a fish or the shingles upon a house. On a single filament of merino wool, as many as 2400 barbed scales, like teeth, project- ing from the center of the stem have been counted in the space of one inch. On Saxony wool there are 2,700 while other wools fall to 1,600, 1,700 and 1,900, and none have been found to have so few as 1,000 to the inch. The cause of that mysterious and curious operation called felting, is the existence of these scales. Of all the fibres only wool can be felted, because none of the other fibres possess these minute scales. Till lately the best posted manufacturers and the investigating philosopher were equally, at a loss to explain upon what principle the felting effect was pro- duced. Take, for instance, a handful of wet wool; squeeze and press it, work it a little with the hand, and then observe the effect; for immediately upon pressing it a certain locomotion is thereby conferred upon every fibre of the handful, which is increased by every turn of position that is given. The rolling and pressing change the position of each fibre. A friction is produced upon every member composing the mass; a footing, as it were, is obtained from the scales of each, and the wool being all bent or curled, a progressive motion goes on, interlacing each other in their travels, result- ing in a compact, dense body, which challenges the patience and perse- verence to undo. Every hair has been traveling in its own individual direction, boring, warping, grasping, holding and twisting amongst its fellows like a collection of live worms. This is "felting." After the felting process is carried to the desired extent, the cloth is slightly napped, and sheared to produce an even smooth surface; and wetted, steamed, ironed BRO " COLE'S DICTIONARY OF DRY GOODS. 39 and pressed many times to make the polished surface. " Steaming " con- sists in passing hot live steam through the rolled piece, and alternating with cold water, just as a barber acts when shampooing a customer. This fastens the bloom and nap, and preserves the beautiful peach-like appear- ance of the finish. After being carefully dried it is sheared and cropped, so that the top hair or down is taken off, and the under growth of down made a regular length. ' The finest piece of broadcloth which ever left a loom was manufac- tured at the woolen mills of Vassalboro, Maine. It was first exhibited at the World's Fair in London in 1851, and next at the Centennial in 1876, being pronounced by the judges in that line of goods as surpassing any- thing^of the kind ever displayed; in fact there is no record of the manu- facture of any broadcloth superior in either texture or finish, and the only reason, as assigned, why these superior fabrics have not been made on a commercial scale, is because of their extremely high price. Broadcloth is also the name given to a wide fabric made of "woolen" yarn, with a slightly napped face, exclusively used for ladies' dresses. Its origin is derived from the material used for men's wear, from which it dif- fers chiefly in weight and finish. Broadcloth and ladies' cloth are terms often used to signify the same fabric, and, while the two are practically the same cloth, there is a difference between them. Broadcloth has a twilled back, and is of heavier weight and closer shorn than ladies' cloth, while ladies' cloth is a plain weave, with a heavier nap. [See Wool, Woolen.] Brocade. A fabric woven of any material or combination of colors, in which a design of flowers or foliage is inserted. Brocades in the olden time were rich fabrics, woven with gold and silver and silk. To prepare the golden thread in those days, a flat gilded ribband was used over a silk of the nearest possible tint to the metal, and the principal skill in this prepara- tion was to have the circumlocutions of the metal around the silk in such manner that the edges were drawn as closely as possible to each other, without overlapping. The manufacture of these golden threads was brought to such a degree of perfection that they Avere in high favor with the public taste. There early existed in Milan, Italy, a great factory using a secret process which made a thread, only one side of which was golden. Ornamented threads of hemp and flax, and flat threads of copper were also made. The Chinese economically employed bands of gilded paper upon the silk, and sometimes used them without other support than their own fabric. But these were very ephemeral, and were rarely used except as tapestry or ornaments, as they needed constant protection from the moisture of the atmosphere. Afterward, the foundation of " brocades " was of silk, relieved with flowers or ornaments of gold or silver, and later the name brocade was given to fabrics ornamented with flowers and other figures in which no metallic thread was employed. In the 13th century a large factory for the 40 COLE'S DICTIONARY OF DRY GOODS. BRO manufacture of brocades was in operation at Lucca, Italy, but the gover- nor forced the workmen to abandon the city. Three hundred of them went to Venice, where encouraged by the offer many privileges, they founded a new factory. For a long time afterward the Venetian factory flourished and turned out immense quantities of fine goods. In the course of the latter century this factory invented a modification of brocade, and gave the name of damask (curtain) to the new fabric. This textile, although it contained but half the gold or silver used in brocades, showed a much richer and more even surface. The metallic thread was not passed round a thread of silk, but in passing the clofh between heavy rollers the metallic thread thus represented ornaments which had the appearance of brilliant leaves of gold or silver in a single piece, similar to the curtain damask of the pres- ent time. This process was kept secret for a long time by the manufacturers, but the immense advantages accruing to Venice attracted the attention of the French government, which employed a celebrated expert to go there and ascertain the methods employed. The attempt of the expert was not fruit- less, and factories for making the new brocade immediately sprang up in Lyons. There are many rich brocades of the original sort still produced in India, especially in the looms of Benares. These gold brocades are called kin-cobs, and in style and essential character are older than the use of silk in Babylona, Phoenicia or Egypt. Japan takes now as for centuries past, the front place in the production of figured silks of all kinds, especi- ally gold wrought brocades, rich with flowers and other ornaments, figured damasks and other beautiful fabrics. There are two kinds made in Japan, gold thread brocade, and silk damask brocade, or brocade inwrought with flowers and foliage. Gold and silver is very largely used in the weaving of these fabrics. The Japanese have many proverbial expressions which show the high estimation in which they hold their brocades, such as: Kokioye Nishiki — or " Clothe yourself in brocade when you return home, Tzurure wo Kite mo Kokoro wa Nishiki — or " He wears rags, it is true, but his heart is of brocade." Brocaded. This term is used to describe a fabric upon the surface of which a figure of any kind is formed by the threads of the warp or filling be- ing raised in such order as to produce the pattern required. The word has much the same application to silk and wool textures that "damasked" has to linen textures, or to worsted stuffs when used for upholstering purposes. [See Loom, Weaving.] Brocatel (broc-a-tel'). A coarse or inferior brocade or figured fabric, commonly made of silk or cotton, or sometimes of cotton only, but having a more or less silky surface; used chiefly for curtains, furniture-covering, tapestry linings, and linings for carriages. Broche (bro-sha'). [From French broach, to sew or stitch], Broche properly means sewed or stitched; or, any style of weaving ornamented BRO COLE'S DICTIONARY OF DRY GOODS. 41 with threads which form a pattern on the surface in imitation of stitching; the term has a meaning similar to "brocaded" when applied to woven fabrics: as a broche shawl, a broche ribbon. [See Cashmere Shawls.] Broche Shawl (bro-sha'). A variety made in imitation of genuine Cashmere shawls, distinguished by its "cone" pattern, or round scroll work. They were first made at Paisley, Scotland, and were of a peculiar bluish color, and known to the trade as Paisley shawls. At present they are made in France, and red is the predominating color; called either Broche or Paisley. Brush Hat. The old-fashioned brush hats were made of beaver fur, first made into a felt cloth, and then finished with a flowing nap. This nap was produced in the process of sizing by being constantly "brushed" with a hand-brush — hence the name. The best of these usually retailed for $15. Buckle. A metal appliance for fastening together different articles and portions of dress. The origin of the buckle is clouded in a great deal of uncertainty, but it is known to antedate as an ornamental device for shoes all other contrivances. Of exactly what material they were first manufac- tured history does not enlighten us. In England and France, and even in our own country, in the year 1781, all gentlemen of tone sported on their shoes a large, square buckle, plated with silver, and as ladies soon adopted the reigning taste, "it was difficult to discover their feet, covered with an enormous shield of buckle, and men wondered to see the active motion under the massive load." Buckles and buttons at this time were worn of such immense size as to occasion the issue of a caricature entitled "Buckles and Buttons, or I'm the Thing, Damme!" but in 1791 the massive loads became unsupportable, and suddenly went out of fashion, strings for shoes being adopted. In consequence of this a large class of ingenious artisans in the manufacturing districts of England were thrown out of employment. In 1792 a deputation of these buckle-makers presented a petition to the Prince of Wales (after- ward George IV) setting forth the distressed condition of the thousands who had been engaged in the department of buckle making. The Prince promised not only to wear buckles on his own shoes, but to order the mem- bers of his household to do the same. But the commands of royalty were powerless when opposed to the mandates of fashion. Buckram. [Said by some etymologists to have been derived from bucca, a hole, from the fabric being woven loosely and open, and afterward gummed, calendered and dyed; by others, the fabric is said to have taken its title from the place of its original manufacture, Bokhara, in Tartary; also conjecturally referred to as having been derived from L. bouquena, goat's skin. Formerly spelled bokeram, bouqueran, bockaran, buckeram.] A coarse unbleached linen cloth, stiffened with glue or gum, used as a stiffening for keeping garments in a required shape, and recently also for 42 COLE'S DICTIONARY OF DRY GOODS. BUC binding books. Buckram was originally a very different material to that now known by the name. It is described in the fourteenth century as a " fine thinne cloth " ranking with the richest silks, and as late as the beginning of the sixteenth century this stuff was held good enough for lining to a black velvet gown for Queen Elizabeth. There can, however, be no doubt that buckram of a common description was early applied to a dress lining, as the prices on many old invoices do not show a fine material, so that the character of the fabric must have undergone a great change prior to the fourteenth century, even much more so than it has since done. Buckskin. A soft kind of glove leather, yellowish or blue-gray in color, made originally by tanning deer-skins with oil and wood-smoke, but now sometimes being prepared from sheepskins. At present, in its prepa- ration a great deal of manipulation is required, the softness of which is its chief characteristic, being produced by the use of either oil or brains in dressing it. [See Leather.] Buff. A kind of . thick, Uncolored leather, originally and properly made of the skin of the buffalo, whence its name, but since the extinction of this animal, made of the skins of cattle. [See Leather.] It is dressed so as to be as flexible as possible, and without a glazed or artificially colored surface. Buff Coat. A military coat made of buff-leather, in favor at the time of the English civil wars. The buff coat was commonly so thick and unyielding as to be considered proof against the sword, and even against a pistol-ball, except when fired at short range. Buffing. The operation of diminishing the thickness of a hide of leather by means of a currier's knife or splitting machine, for the purpose of increasing the suppleness of the leather ; hence the layer so shaved off. Bugle (bu ' -gle). A shiny, elongated glass bead, usually black, used for decorating female apparel. Bugle trimming consists of these glass ornaments attached to a silk or gimp foundation; similar to passamenterie Bullion-fringe. A fringe of thick twisted cords, such as will hang heavily, covered with fine gold or silver thread ; used for epaulettes and the trimming of uniforms. Also called bullion-embroidery . Bunting. A light loosely-woven single width worsted dress goods, woven both plain and laced. Bunting is also the material out of which all train flags are made, as well as National flags and signals for ships. Dis- tinguished from Nun's Veiling by being but single width, of coarser and more open texture, and composed of "worsted" while Nun's Veiling is "woolen." [See Wool, Flags.] Burlap. A coarse, heavy material made of jute, flax, hemp or man- lila, and used for wrappings and upholstery; outside coffee bags are made of burlap. [See Jute, Hemp.] BUR COLE'S DICTIONARY OF DRY GOODS. 43 Burl. To pick knots, loose threads, burrs, etc. from, as in finishing cloth. To cleanse cloth, as with fuller's earth or a similar substance. Buskin (bus '-kin).. [From "bore's-skin," of which they were first made.] A half-boot or shoe, strapped or laced to the ankle and the lower part of the leg, worn by the ancients. At present a low-laced, low-heeled slipper worn by women. Bustle. Derived from busk, which in the 16th century is described as being a "flexible strip of whalebone or other stiffened materialised by fleshy women to keep their stomachers down, and to stiffen their stays;" also a "quilted or plaited thing to keep the body straight." Bustles have been worn of various shapes and dimensions, at different periods, since 1841. At present they consist of a sort of a pad or wire spring, worn by women for the purpose of improving the figure, causing the folds of the skirt to hang gracefully, and preventing the bottom of the skirt from interfering with the feet in walking. Butcher's Linen. A coarse and heavy bleached linen material, used principally as a backing for shirt bosoms. Butter-cloth. A thin and open unsized muslin, used by dairymen to wrap their rolls of butter; similar to cheezecloth. Buttons. [Fr. bouton, from bout, end, extremity, budj. A catch of various forms and materials, used to fasten together the different parts of dress. In ancient times buttons were far from being as universally used as they are now. Clasps, hooks and eyes, or things made of wood, were the articles most generally used in fastening the two edges of garments, and with these rude things the people of those days had to be content. Now, however, buttons are made of various materials. Horn, bone, agate, india- rubber, mother-of-pearl, various woods and vegetable ivory are but a small part of the substances which have been pressed into this service; while for covering buttons there is used lasting, brocade, twist, velvet, silk and mohair. Button manufacture did not assume any special form until the 14th century, when buttons of gold and ivory were used as ornaments for the dress of both sexes. In England, at the commencement of the 17th cen- tury, the button trade had assumed formidable proportions, and large quan- tities of bone, steel and wooden buttons were shipped to this country. The first that were manufactured in the United States was in the year 1826, by Samuel Williston. While he was dragging along as a country store-keeper at East Hampton, Mass., his wife bethought her that she could cover by hand the wooden buttons of that time and thus earn an honest penny. From this humble beginning the couple advanced in their ambition until they had perfected machinery for covering buttons, the first employed in this coun^ try. From this sprang an immense factory, and then others, until Samuel Williston made half the buttons of the world. His factories are still run- ning at Leeds and East Hampton, Mass., coining wealth for the proprietors. 44 COLE'S DICTIONARY OF DRY GOODS. BUT There are two systems used for the measurement of buttons, the Eng- lish and the French. English measurement runs 14, 16,18,20, etc., "lines,'' while the French runs 4, 4>£, 5, 5)4, etc. An English " line " is one-fortieth of an inch, or 40 lines to the inch; the French "line" may be expressed thus .08887 of an inch. The French line measurement is said to be obso- lete, yet it is every day in practical use. To show in what relation the respective systems stand to each other, see the following: English Measure 18 20 22 24 26 28 French " 5 h% 6 6^ 7 7^ Vegetable Ivory buttons are made in large quantities in this country, at Leeds, Mass., and at New York and Newark. The ivory nut, as it is called by the trade, is grown in the hot regions of South America. The principal point of shipment is Colon, on the Isthmus of Panama. Like the banana, the ivory nut is perennial in its native clime, and maybe found in all stages from the bud to the ripened nut at all seasons of the year. The nuts grow in great bunches of about fifty, incased in a shell, as are chestnuts in the burr, though the shell outwardly resembles in roughness the surface of a pineapple. The entire cluster of nuts in this shell is as big as a man's head. This shell comes off easily after the nuts are ripe. At this stage they fall from the trees, which are fourteen or fifteen feet in height, and are packed on the backs of natives to the points of shipment. These are ship- ped to this country and kiln-dried, sawed into slabs of the proper thickness from which the buttons are cut by a lathe, the holes being drilled in by a power lathe. One of the peculiar features of the material, in relation to buttons, is its susceptibility to coloring matter. It can be colored any shade that is desired by the manufacturers. The artistic tailors and dressmakers make use of this to great advantage in the adaptation of buttons to gar- ments, even in making up mottled goods buttons in perfect harmony with the material may be secured. The grain of the nut is white and of even texture, so that it is easily carved, sawed and worked into any desirable shape The trees are not farmed or raised artificially as is the banana tree, but grows in its natural state and in its own manner in the primeval forests, the same as the hickory or the chestnut or the walnut. About 4,000 tons of the ivory nut are brought to this country annually, and lying stacked up on the pier at New York resemble large hay-stacks and are interesting as illus- trative of the great variety of extraordinary things brought to this market from various parts of the world and the ingenuity of those who have clev- erly adapted them to the uses of mankind. Owing to the cheapness of the raw material, there is not more than $150,000 per annum involved in the traffic. 1,500 persons in New York alone are employed in handling the nut and manufacturing it into buttons. Unlike rubber and bone, ivory is not affected by heat or cold and is not liable to break in the eye. The cost of manufacturing is the principle item of expense, about 80 per cent of the cost of vegetable ivory buttons being the labor. The greatest production in this country was from 1880 to 1890, but the Germans having the advan- BUT COLE'S DICTIONARY OF DRY GOODS. 45 tage of cheaper labor are now able to successfully compete with American manufacture. The duty is forty per cent, fifteen per cent of it having been a raise under the McKinley act. Metal buttons are made of various materials, the variety known as gilt buttons being made of a mixture of copper, with a small portion of zinc or brass mixed with copper, common brass being unfit for gilding. The gild- ing is performed by means of an amalgam of quicksilver and gold. The buttons are cut out of large wide sheets of this metal, and the shanks are affixed by solder. This work is all done by machines, the process being so rapid that one workman can prepare 12 gross in an hour. Brass buttons are simply stamped out of sheet brass, and the ornaments are struck by a die. Plated buttons Site made out of copper, plated with silver, and are chiefly used in liveries and uniforms. The figures or designs upon them are formed by stamping with dies. The cheapest and commonest kind of > metal buttons are those which are stamped in pewter, and chiefly used in the trimming of military jackets. They are very soft, but not being in- tended to bear any stress, but merely to exhibit the number of the regi- ment or some such figure they answer a purpose. Upholstered buttons, or cloth covered buttons, have to undergo six different operations before they are turned out completed. The covering must first be cut out slightly larger than the size of the button. This is done by an ordinary die and mallet. The cutter, however, becomes so ex- expert, that he can punch upwards of 100 gross per day, and if he has whole cloth to cut from and lay it in several breadths deep, he can cut as high as 1000 gross daily. The next part of the button to be made is the tin mold, this being stamped out of a sheet of ordinary tin; these are pro- duced at the rate of 600 gross a day. The little tin mold next goes to a machine, where it has a hole cut in the center for a shank to protrude. It is then called a "collet," 600 gross being the daily capacity. Paper filling must next be cut; the machine for this is so rapid that it makes 700 revolu- tions a minute, punching some 15,000 gross of these cardboard wads daily # Making the back is the fifth process. The "collet" is placed in a mold and then covered with a coarse cotton cloth, upon which the cardboard filling is placed. This is pressed down and forms a solid button with the shanfc. These can be made at the rate of 90 gross daily. Lastly the cover is placed in another machine, the back being set in the socket of a punch which descends with great force, clamping the collet tightly round the completely finished button. Fifty gross of these can be made each day on a machine. Men are employed to cut the cloth and tin, but the balance of the work on upholstered buttons is done by girls, who earn from $6 to $7 per week. Various small button-making machines have been invented, by the use of which retail merchants can in a few moments produce first class buttons of any size from the same material as a dress, jacket or other garment is made, thus doing away with all the bother of matching shades, now so much a nuisance to lady customers. The cloth is cut in small squares 46 COLE'S DICTIONARY OF DRY GOODS. BUT and pressed over wooden molds by the machine. The cost of the mach- ines vary from $6 to $10. Great quantities of dress buttons are now made from potatoes. It is not generally known, but nevertheless a fact, that if the common Irish potato be treated with certain acids it becomes almost as hard as stone, and can be used for many purposes for which horn, ivory and bone are employed. This quality of the button adapts it to button-making, and a very good grade of buttons is now made from the well known tuber. The potato buttons cannot be distinguished from others save by a careful exam- ination, and even then only by an expert, since they are colored every con- ceivable shade, and are every whit as good-looking as a button of bone or ivory. Their cheapness is their recommendation, and will, no doubt, be largely employed in the future. Shoe buttons for ladies' shoes are made of button board, which is a paper material in sheets about a quarter of an inch thick. These sheets are cut in strips one-half inch in width, by the button manufacturer, each sheet making 56 strips, and from each strip 100 buttons are punched, which equals 5,600 buttons per sheet. Four hundred sheets make a ton of button board, or enough to make 2,240,000 buttons. The number of buttons required to supply the demand of shoe manufacturers may be dimly estimated when it is stated that one firm alone uses 18 tons per month, producing 40,320,000 buttons. Pearl buttons are made of pearl shells, or what is known as natural pearl, having a clear, pearly inside of various degrees of whiteness. Some large snail-like shells are obtained in New Zealand, others of the mother- of-pearl variety are found on the coasts of Australia, while the finest come from China and the Persian Gulf. The raw shells bring all the way from 43 cents to $1 per pound in this market. In the first process of cutting out the disc for the button, the shell is held in the hand of the workman against a tubular saw, something like an ordinary gas pipe, and is very quickly sawed out. In order to do this and leave a clean and perfect edge, the saw must be kept very sharp, and it can readily be seen that the workman is called upon to use his best judgment in sawing the discs out of the shell, so as to get as many perfect ones as possible. From the first workman they go the second, who turns them in a lathe, and cuts out whatever pat- tern is required. Next comes boring the holes, polishing, putting on the shank where it is a button of that kind, and boxing, after which the article is ready for sale. It should be borne in mind that in all these processes each button has to be handled separately, and, though in many other lines of business wonderful improvements have been made in the direction of adapting machinery to special kinds of work, yet in the pearl button indus- try there has been little or no change for a hundred years. And as the tools required are of a simple kind, and the rest of the process depends upon experience and good judgment, it looks as if it was always destined to be a hand industry, and therefore peculiarly subject to outside influences BUT COLE'S DICTIONARY OF DRY GOODS. 47 which affect the cost of labor. Neither is there a fixed value to raw pearl shells, the price fluctuating daily according to supply and demand. Until the latter part of 1890 the bulk of pearl shirt buttons were made at Bir- mingham and London, England, while pearl dress buttons for the most part were made at Vienna, Austria. On the 1st of April, 1891, there were but seventeen pearl button factories in the United States. This increased to ninety-five in one year. Wages of button "turners" range from $18 to $23 per week, and boys and girls employed in finishing the goods are paid from $6 to $10 per week. Over 700 persons obtain a living at this industry in Newark, N. J., where formerly but twenty were employed. Factories have been located at Providence, R. I., Springfield, Mass., Philadelphia, New York, Brooklyn, Chicago, Detroit, and several other places, furnish- ing work for over 6,000 people at remunerative wages. None of these fac- tories existed before the tariff of 1890 was imposed, as the American work- man could not compete against wages of $3 and $4 a week earned by the Austrian button makers. The result of the tariff has been to reduce the imports of pearl buttons in 1891 to $200,000 against an amount of $3,500,000 in 1890, though a large portion of this sum was for over-importations pre- vious to the passage of the tariff act. There are three classes of shells rec- ognized by manufacturers out of which pearl buttons are made: 1st. The Macassar, which is a pure white, and from which "three-quarter super,'' "super," and "extra super" buttons are made. 2d. The Mussell, of which are manufactured the "half-fine grades." 3d. The Manilla, which produces the lowest grade goods. The Macassar is a pure, clear shell; the Mussell has a white inside with a yellowish or blackish back, while the Manilla is a dirty yellowish color throughout. Smoked pearl buttons are made of dark colored shells. The McKinly tariff on pearl buttons is 2% cents per line per gross and 25 per cent advalorem, equal to a straight rate of about 400 per cent. The United States consume 12,500,000 gross annually. New York manufacturers have attempted to import from Europe what is known as "pearl blanks," round discs without grooving or eyes. Except that they are not pierced or shanked they correspond in appearance with the ordi- nary pearl button of commerce. The manufacturers assert that these arti- cles are not buttons, but merely "manufactures of shell," upon which the duty is only 40 per cent advalorem, claiming that the only thing known as a button in trade and common use is an article made with eyes or a shank. It was decided by the courts, however, that the ball or blank, or other spe- cial form of pearl, fashioned by skilled labor, is in fact a button, and that shanking, piercing or grooving the button is simply an auxiliary process, inasmuch as having reached such a stage of manufacture they were unsuit- able for use except as buttons. As far as the tariff is now concerned a "blank" is a button. Agate buttons used to be manufactured in England exclusively, but they have lost the industry. It came about in this way. A smart French- man, F. Bapterosses by name, went to England and hired to the agate but- 48 COLE'S DICTIONARY OF DRY GOODS. CAD ton makers as a common workman, thoroughly studied the business and got possession of the secrets. He then returned to France, where with the aid of the French Government he constructed a large plant and was ena- bled to produce agates at half the cost of the English goods, which of course ruined the latter industry. This man accumulated an immense fortune out of the agate button business and gave employment to thousands of French workmen, and was made a Knight of the Legion of Honor by his Govern- ment in recognition of his services to mankind — that is, the French part of it. He visited the Centennial in this country in 1876. Agate buttons are made of a mineral substance known as feldspar, found in the roofs of cav- erns at Briare, France. The raw material is taken to the factory and ground into a paste, after which it is molded into buttons and baked; they are then sewed on cards by machinery. On all of Bapterosses' goods will be found the letters "F. B." printed on the back of each card in script letters. These are the Frenchman's initials. They are the best goods made. The protective tariff on them is 25 per cent, advalorem, but there is not an agate button made in North America. There is only one other agate factory in the world, and that is in Germany, but its pro- duct is not so good, the Germans being unable to procure feldspar that is perfectly clear and white. They are branded on the back " R. C." and on inspection it will be noticed that they are not so well burned as the "F. B." goods. These specks seem to be a matter the Germans cannot over- come. The common milk-white agate buttons are termed lentille, it being a beveled edge. The same shape is made in a pearly color, and called pearly lentille. Printed agates are printed lentilles. Caneles are agates with little canals around the edge. Bourrelet is a raised edge, and cuvette is a concave button. These are all 4-hole, and are all made both "lentille" and " pearly lentille," with the exception of the printed, which is made in lentille only. Pearly lentille is the only variety made with but two holes. These are the staple lines. In addition there are numberless fancy varie- ties used especially for wash goods and which have, to a certain extent taken the place of the expensive pearl button. Caddis (cad ' -is). A coarse serge. The variegated stuff worn by the Highlanders of Scotland. Cadet Gloves. See Gloves. Calender. A machine consisting of two or more steel cylinders revolv- ing very nearly in contact, between which is passed a woven fabric, for finishing by pressure the surface of linen, cotton and other texile fabrics; often aided by steam heat communicated from the interior of the cylinders. The word calendering is a corruption of cylindering. The object is to give cloth a perfectly smooth, even and equal surface, and sometimes, to produce a glaze, as in jaconets, sateens, silesias, etc. The domestic processes of starching and ironing afford a simple illustration of the object and result of calendering. Before the final calendering the fabric is flatly smoothed CAL COLE'S DICTIONARY OF DRY GOODS. 49 by passing over warm cylinders. The fabric is then simply passed between plain cylinders, which produces the desired effect by flattening the threads. By means of a cylinder with a pattern raised upon it, the amount of this flattening can be made unequal on different parts of the cloth, producing a watered effect. Glazing is produced by the rollers being made to move with different velocities, so that one side of the fabric is rubbed as well as pressed by the surface of the roller moving the most rapidly. A copper roller is used for glazing, so hot that if the machine stops it burns the goods. Calfskin. The best calfskin is tanned in France, with the liquor ex- tracted from the bark of the evergreen oak, a species indigenous to that country. One single tannery in France employs 12,000 workmen and has been in existence over 100 years. This establishment ships its product to every clime and country on the globe, even to every city in the United States where there is a wholesale leather house or a boot and shoe factory. One of the reasons for the superior quality of French calfskin is that fully 90 per cent of the raw hides the tanneries receive come from England, Ire- land, Italy and other populous European countries, where the calves are stall-fed. It being a well known fact among tanners that range or grass-fed animals produce the poorest and most inferior hides for making fine leather. Another reason is they employ the most expert and skillful labor that can be ootained, and make no endeavor to shorten the time requisite for prop- erly tanning the leather. Calico. The word "calico" has a queer origin. Many centuries ago the first monarch of the province of Malabar gave to one of his chiefs, as a reward for distinguished services, his sword and all the land within the limit of which acock crowing at a certain temple could be heard. From this circumstance the little town which grew up in the center of this terri- tory was called Calicoda, or the cock crowing. Afterward it was called Calicut, and from this place the first cotton goods were imported into England, bearing the name of calico. The printing of calico has come to be a wonderful art-science. In this country there are two classes of calico printers — those who make the cloth, print it, and sell direct to jobbers, and those who merely print the cloth for jobbers or commission merchants at piece-price. "Grey" print cloth may be purchased in New York or Liverpool even by retail dealers, who in turn may take it to the calico printer and have the patterns put on. Ordinary grey cloth, 64x64, usually sells for 3 and a fraction cents per yard; and 56x60 cloth at 3 cents, or a fraction under 3 cents, per yard; while the cost of printing the same varies from one to two cents per yard. One pound of raw cotton will make 8% yards of 64x64 calico cloth. The tariff on imported calico is 4}i cents per square yard. The following table shows the price of the best print cloth and standard sheeting in compari- son with. the price of cotton for four years: 50 COLE'S DICTIONARY OF DRY GOODS. CAL 1889. 1890. 1891. 1892. Middling cotton Iltfc. I2c. 8>£c. 7 5-16c. Standard sheeting.. 7#c. 7#c. 7c. 6>£c. Print cloths, 64x64 3 15-16c. 3^c. 2.91c. 3^c. "Standard" sheeting weighs 2.85 yards to the pound. When the grey cloth is received, fresh from the hands of the weaver, it is put through a critical examination for flaws and imperfections in weaving. The webs of cloth that pass inspection are then handed over to a girl who stitches the ends of several together, forming a required con- tinuous length, 300 yards being the minimum run a printer cares to accept to one coloring of a pattern. Upon each printing piece, of say 300 yards, are then placed certain marks for purposes of identification, and which will be visible and recognizable after printing. The next process is singeing, the purpose of which is to remove all surface unevenness and fuzz, the existence of which after printing would leave a blotched and defective appearance, a completely smooth face being absolutely necessary. Singeing to the uninitiated is probably the most perplexing process through which the cloth passes ; at first sight it seems that nothing will save the cloth from destruction. The cloth passes over and in passing is pressed against semi-circular platinum plates heated to almost white heat by the passing through them of electric currents. Great caution is necessary in the folding of the cloth preparatory to its going through this fiery ordeal ; if any hitch should occur to prevent its running freely and smoothly its ruin is inevitable. The rate at which it is made to travel, singes about 125 yards of cloth in one minute. The next operation the cloth undergoes is that of bleaching, which is divided into two branches : 1st, "print-bleaching", in the case of which the goods are bleached as a preliminary process to being printed all over ; and 2nd, "white-bleaching" which applies to goods to be finished "white", or unprinted, or merely lined or dotted as in the case of calico shirting or percales. In "white" bleaching it is only necessary to satisfy the eye, but in "print-bleaching" the cloth must be chemically pure, otherwise the colors in the subsequent printing process would be dull and blotchy, the colors refusing to combine evenly or perfectly. The cloth next goes through the process technically known as " sour- ing", a series of alternate and repeated acid treatments and washings. A solution of sulphuric or muriatic acid and one of chloride of lime are in turn used. None of these "souring" processes can be dispensed with, though their tendency is to weaken or rot the cloth. The chief cause of tender printed calico is carelessness at this point, too strong a solution of acid being used, or the boiling and washing-out afterward of the acid not being sufficiently thorough. The cloth is now as free from foreign matters as it is possible to get it, and contains only the identification marks referred to, and after being wound upon rollers is ready for starching. The object of starching is to fill up the spaces between the threads in order that the pattern may be imprinted plainer. What ought to be, and CAL COLE'S DICTIONARY OF DRY GOODS. 51 by reputable factories really is used, is pure starch, either of corn or potatoes, made into a stiff mucilage and blued with indigo. The cloth passes ever a roller into a long trough of starch, and as it comes out is caught between a pair of rollers and the superfluous starch squeezed out and thrown back into the trough, the cloth passing on to the drying machine. Many factories use a great deal more starch or " sizing " than is necessary, in order to give light-weight cloth an appearance of heaviness. The cloth now being ready for printing, the design is selected and the rollers engraved. These rollers are of polished copper, cylindrical in form, the pattern being engraved around its entire circumference and from end to end, a different roller being required for each color or shade in the pattern. In establishments of any considerable extent many thousands of these copper cylinders are kept in stock, involving an enormous outlay of money. Colors as applied to cotton printing are of two kinds, substantive and adjective. The substantive or topical colors are such as will unite immediately with the cotton, and the printing of such colors on the cloth is called the steaming process. The adjective colors are those that will not unite with the cotton without the use of a mordant, it being a well known fact that cotton in itself has no affinity with dye, but must be induced to cling to it through a chemical medium. A mordant is the chemical medium or foundation over which the proper colors are to be printed. Alumnia and oxide of iron are the mordants most commonly used for fixing of the color in calico printing; mordants are liquid in form and almost colorless. As the mordant must be applied to the cloth through the medium of the engraved pattern on the roller, a quantity of fugitive color, (one that is easily washed out) is added that the outline of the pattern may be dis- cernible, and this is called sightening color, because it enables the operator to see that his pattern is being properly produced. Pressing against each engraved roller is another roller of wood covered with cloth, called the "furn- ishing" roller, which transmits the color from a reservoir beneath it and in which it revolves. The mordants having been put into the reservoirs, a nice arrangement has to be made so that in fixing the engraved rollers the pattern may be exactly adjusted for the transmission of the color the cloth. This is done with mathematical precision and without a hairbreadth of vari- ation; these printing machines are of various sizes according to the number of colors to be printed, some being capable of holding 16 sets of rollers. The cloth now begins its journey entering at the rear of the machine, where it is dealt with by the back-tenter, whose duty it is to see that it is carefully and evenly delivered. When it passes from the rollers upon which it is placed it travels along with a back cloth moving beneath it, and so finds its way to the blanket with which and the back cloth it moves until it is received between the drum and the engraved roller, in this part of the process receiving the mordant. When it has passed over the mordant rollers the cloth moves out in front of the machine in view of the printer, who watches to see that the pattern has been accurately rendered. The cloth 52 COLE'S DICTIONARY OF DRY GOODS. CAL has now to be dried, which is performed by means of steam heated cylinders. When in a dry condition, it is subjected to a process known as "ageing," which extracts from it to a great extent the acetic acid, leaving the pattern firmly fixed in the fibre of the cloth in what is called a free base, which is the true mordant stain or substructure upon which the final colors are to be built. The process following this is "dunging;" its object is to completely wash off the remainder of the acid, the sightening colors, and any other loose matter at the same time, leaving the mordant in its pure form in the fibre. The material that has been found most conducive to these ends, strange as it may seem, is cow's dung; its action is a subject of conjecture, and has never been defined in precise chemical terms. The final process prior to the reception of the coloring matter is a thorough washing in soft water. This leaves but a faint, scarcely distinguishable outline of the pattern, but upon this will be built up the desired color or colors. We will now visit the dye-beck and be introduced to a substance called alizarine which produces in its action an almost magical effect. Here may be seen the long piece of cloth that has gone through the process already described, with scarcely an outline of pattern visible plunged into a vessel contaning alizarine, (a yellowish-brown fluid) and after immersion brought out full fledged calico, displaying the different effects of colored patterns, reds, pinks, heliotropes, purples, etc., according to the various printings of the mordants. This alizarine, the effect of which is here described, is a coal tar product, and to the uninformed observer the revelation of the results of the produc- tion of colors from coal tar, is remarkable. To return to the dye-beck, a bath of the alizarine is formed by the dyer, heated to boiling point; through this the cloth is passed, coming out of it the required color or colors. The next operation is called "clearing" and consists in boiling the cloth in soap and water; this has the effect of brightening the colors. When cleared, the cloth is taken to undergo certain finishing operations. It is first run over a machine to open it to its full width; it is then passed be- tween cylinders for the purpose of calendering it; thence to the folding machine to be made up in piece form, when it is ready for market. In the above description the pattern we are supposed to have followed, is printed on a white ground; to effect the production of a white pattern on a dark ground, the mordant is made to cover the whole surface of the cloth. The pattern, such as small leaves, sprigs, dots, etc., is printed with acid which discharges the mordant and leaves the pattern white; Simpson's mourning prints are good examples of this work. Such styles are known as acid discharges. Into these white spaces other colors may be printed if desired. This latter process is called "padding." One requisite in fast-color printing is a plentiful supply of water as soft as possible, and free from iron and magnesia in undue proportions, which would prevent the proper action of the chemicals. In this respect the United States has been particularly favored by nature in the districts CAL COLE'S DICTIONARY OF DRY GOODS. 53 selected for calico-printing. The wealthy and enterprising corporations engaged in this trade, having the finest raw cotton in the world, possessing the newest and most perfect machinery invented, and an enormous and ever-increasing home market, are enabled to command the services of the most skillful operators, the most enthusiastic and devoted students of art v and the most scientific investigators in the sphere of chemistry. Lan- cashire, England, was long regarded as the native home of calico-printer, but as is often the case, the child which has wandered to a far-off land has eclipsed the achievements of the parent, and thus to-day America stands unrivaled in this, the art-department of commerce. Calico-printing originated in India, where the abundance of dye-stuffs and the preference for cotton fabrics naturally lead to the development of this process. The name also originated in India from the port of Cali- cut, from which over a century ago the fabric was first imported to European countries. From about the year 1800 the United States has been familiar with these goods, through their production in England, and was almost entirely dependent upon the mother country for all our manufac- tures in this line. Up to 1840 English calico or prints covered in a great variety of printed styles, were produced by various distinct processes. Madderwork, [see Madder and Turkey Red] however, was the chief product, and through its durability deservedly has maintained to the present time its superiority. The nature of the process, however, prevents the variety of effects which the modern process of coloring has been brought to so high a degree of excellence. Indigo work [see Indigo Blue] also has been largely employed of late years, and holds rank with madders for fastness of color, but lacks variety the same as madders. Aniline colors date with the second half of the century and are coal tar, or petroleum extracts. Within the memory of the older dry goods merchants, English prints were the chief goods of this class in dealers' stocks in this country. "Hoyles" purples, chocolate chintzes, "Potter's plate work," and other familiar English prints supplied the larger part of the goods consumed here. Among the early American printers who are high standard, were the Merrimack, Cocheco, Sprague, and Richmond companies. All these were producers of madder work, and every country woman before the Civil War was as pronounced in her preference for one or the other of these, as the women of to-day are for their favorite make of spool cotton. These printers adopted as high standard a cloth counting seventy-two threads warp and weft to the inch, width twenty -five inches; but later on when printers increased and the English article was driven out of the market, the standard became sixty-four threads both ways, to the inch, and twenty-four inches wide, and so remains to this day. The so-called Chintzes of early days were English or French wide cal- coes, printed by hand-block processes, and ruled at prices so high that the dames of early days prized their chintz gowns more than those of today their 54 COLE'S DICTIONARY OF DRY GOODS. CAM silk dresses. The production of calicoes reached its greatest extent in the seventies. Since then the increase of colored woven cottons, such as ging- hams and chambrays, and later satteens, have materially diminished the use of calico, (per capita) and many printeries are now stopped that then yielded their millions of yards to the annual product. The chief producers of today are the Merrimack, Cocheco, Manchester, Pacific, Simpson and Windsor, each of which produce fancy and staple work, while American, Arnold and Washington are the main producers of oil and indigo styles. Cambrasiiie (cam ' -bra-zene). A name given to batiste and cambric of fine quality. Cambric. The town of Cambria, France, was long famous for its man- ufactures of fine muslins. Here in 1520, was first made a fine thin muslin of pure linen, called cambric in compliment to the city. This fabric was much used for the fine ruffs [see Ruffs] of that period, as well as for ker- chiefs, etc. As long ago as 1588, 60,000 pieces of linen cambric per annum were made at Cambria. The Scotch were the first people to imitate the the linen cambric in cotton, and termed it cambric-muslin. It is made of fine cotton yarn, hard twisted and highly calendered, in width 36 inches. There is also a cheap cotton fabric manufactured for dress linings, called respectively "glove-finished" and "glazed" cambric, width 21 inches.. Cameline (cam'-e-lin). A fabric used centuries ago as a material for dress. It is commonly said to have been made of camel's hair; but as it is repeatedly in old invoices mentioned as a cheap stuff, it is probable that it was an imitation of the genuine Eastern fabric, [see Camlet.] Some authorities think this fabric was identical with what we now call Cashmere. Camel's Hair. The fiber known as Camel's hair comes from Southern Asiatic Russia, Tartary, and Africa; the quality from the latter country is the finest. Its native color is the light brown as seen in the goods made from it, and is its most distinctive feature. In preparing camel's hair for weaving, it is separated into "tops-long, coarse hairs, and "noils" — the short fine, curly ones — by combing, precisely as mohair, alpaca and other comb- ing wools are treated. The "tops" are used for coarse cloths. The staple of the "noils" is about one inch in length, and the feeling extremely soft and silky. It is the noils only that is used in underwear, hosiery, dress fabrics, shawls, etc. Camel's hair is often mixed with wool or cotton to make various grades of goods. Good grades of raw "noils" sell for 60 cents per pound. It is not unreasonable to suppose that camel's hair will at no distant day become a fibre of common use in the United States. The camel is numerous over an immense area of the earth; he is a large animal and his coat is heavy; the globe is constantly being ransacked for new and superior materials for clothing mankind and for decorating his home. Until within the last few years, camel's hair fabrics have been very high- priced, but as the advantages possessed by this material came to be ap- preciated the demand for raw material was proportionately increased. A CAM COLE'S DICTIONARY OF DRY GOODS. 55 steady demand by the manufacturers lead to a larger production and sup- ply; competition is developed, and these causes have lowered the former high prices until now camel's hair can be bought as cheaply as fine wool fabrics. Camel's Hair Shawls. The cashmere shawl, which is made of the fine hair of the Cashmere goat, is sometimes erroneously called Camel's hair. The high price of these shawls is due, not to the cost of the raw materials, but to the fact that each one is a splendid work of art, that is slowly and patiently wrought and sold as great pictures are sold, for a price befitting their artistic worth. Camlet. A rich fabric used for dress as early as the thirteenth cen- tury. It was more costly and finer than cameline, and is frequently men- tioned as being in use down to the end of the seventeenth century. At pres- ent a very durable, plain woolen cloth for cloaks is termed camlet. All the kinds of camlet are in a certain sense imitations of Oriental camel's hair cloth, which is characterized by the straggling "top" hairs over the surface. They are made of hair, especially of Angora goat hair, with wool or silk, and present a veined or wavy appearance. Canton Flannel. A cotton cloth napped heavily on one side, used chiefly for under garments and bandages. Canton flannel received its name from Canton, China, on account of having been first imported from that city. [See Teasling and Napping.] Canvas. [From L. Cannabis, hemp.] Originally canvas meant any coarse texture woven of hempen thread. Evolution has corrupted the pronunciation to plain canvas, and changed the material to cotton and linen. At present it is known as unbleached cotton or linen cloth, never twilled, but always plain-woven, used for tailoring purposes, tents, sails, etc. Honeycomb, Java, Penelope, Aida, Railroad and Congress, are varieties of canvas, woven in small square meshes, used for working fancy embroi- dered toilet articles with the needle. Also a carefully woven linen fabric used as a surface for oil paintings. It is prepared by stretching it tightly on long frames and covering it with one or two coats of neutral colored paint. Four kinds are known to the trade: Single Prime, Smooth, Roman and Twilled. Cap. See Hats and Caps; Baby Caps. Cape. A circular covering for the shoulders and adjacent parts, either separate or attached to the top of a garment. Any short circular garment hanging from the sholders, without arms, worn for protection against the weather. Capote. A loose, roomy cloak for ladies, properly with a cape and hood, but without sleeves, made of light cloth and covering the person completely, reaching nearly to the ground. Cappadine (cap'-a-din). A sort of silk flock taken from the upper 56 COLE'S DICTIONARY OF DRY GOODS. CAP part of the silkworm's cocoon after the true silk has been wound off, used for shag in making rugs. Capuchin (cap'-u-chin). A large loose hood worn by the women of tne 18th century; also a hooded cloak of the same period. Cardigan Jacket. A coarse, heavy, rib-knitted worsted or cotton jacket for men's and boys' wear, deriving its name from the town of Cardigan, Cardigan County, England, 240 miles north-west of London. A "size" in cardigan jackets is 2 inches, the numbers ranging from 1 small to 7 large, being equivalent to 34 to 46. Carding. The process of opening and combing wool, flax, hemp, cot- ton, for the purpose of disentangling the fibers, cleansing from extraneous matter, separating the coarser parts, and making fine and soft for spinning. Upon the successful performance of this operation much of the beauty of the manufactured material depends. Carding was once necessarily per- formed by hand, coarse wire brushes being used. The old-time hand cards consisted of short wires passed slantingly through leather strips, which were then nailed upon a board. Two of these brushes were always used by the operator, one in each hand. The first carding engine was patented in England in 1748 by Lewis Paul, and afterward greatly improved by Ark- wright. In the earlier carding machines the fibers were fed by hand to a cylinder upon which "cards" were laid in strips parallel to the axis, and were removed from these strips by hand as they became full. In modern cotton-carding machines a loose roll of fibers, called a lap, is placed in guides which deliver it to the feed-roll, on passing through which it is seized by the card-teeth of the main cylinder. Other small cylinders suc- cessfully remove the fibers from, and deliver them to, the main cylinder, all the while getting them more and more in the desired order. The tangles and knots, which are not loosened by the action of these cylinders, project beyond the teeth of the main cylinder and are caught by top-cards from which they are removed and cleared by hand. The original lap, finally drawn together into a ribbon or sliver, traverses a funnel or trumpet and is passed between successive pairs of rollers, which draw out and condense the sliver and deliver it to the drawing-frame where it is doubled and drawn preparatory to spinning. [See Spinning.] For fine work the oper- ation of carding is repeated. The principle of the wool-carding machine is identical with that of the cotton-carding machine, being chiefly distin- guished from the latter by a great number of small cylinders called urchins. Wool fibers are always oiled to prevent felting and facilitate carding. [See Felting, Wool, Cotton, Linen.] Cardinal. A member of the Sacred College, a body of Roman Catholic ecclesiastics who rank in dignity next to the Pope and act as his counselors in the government of the church. About the middle of the 18th century these cardinal priests wore a short cloak of deep scarlet to distinguish their CAR COLE'S DICTIONARY OF DRY GOODS. 57 office, hence arose the color now known as cardinal red; at present, however a rich, deep-red color, somewhat less vivid than scarlet. Carpets. A heavy woven or felted fabric, usually of wool, but also of cotton, hemp, straw, etc., used as a floor covering, made in breadths to be sewed together and tacked to the floor. The word is supposed by some to have been originally derived from Cairo, a city in Egypt, but more proba- bly from the Latin carpeta, woolen cloth, through carpere, to pluck wool. Formerly the carpet was in one piece, like the present Persian carpet, and was sold (as it still is in the East) for covering beds, couches, tables, etc., and for hangings. The first woven carpets were produced in Egypt, Baby- lonia, Persia and Hindustan, whence they were introduced into Europe, where they are supposed to have been first manufactured by the French in the year 1600, and next in England in the reign of James I, about 15 years later. In Fuller's Church History of England, published in 1556, it is stated that "private men's halls were hung with leather cloths; their tables and beds were covered with capes (mantles) instead of carpets and coverlets." The earlier fashion of floor covering was a spread of sweet rushes or straw, and it is only within comparatively modern times that fabrics have been used for that purpose. Down to the period of the Valois Kings of France (1300 to 1400), as shown in many paintings, the practice was to strew the floors with rushes, hay, sweet smelling herbs, flowers and foliage. This custom prevailed until the time when velvet-pile or ornamental carpets came into use and the looms of Europe succeeded in imitating them. The strewing of the floors then gave place to the velvet fabric. The manufac- ture of carpets is traced in the records of French Monastic Orders as far back as the 10th and 11th centnries; but in all likelihood these were merely embroidered and not woven fabrics and instead of being in general use were only found in exceedingly rare instances. The actual manufacture of carpets in Europe is assigned to the reign of Henry the IV of France, be- tween 1589 and 1610, and is said to have been introduced there direct from Persia. Carpets may be described as migratory manufactures, as in almost every instance, the industry after being successfully established in a town, has been taken elsewhere, the carpet still retaining, however, the name of the town where it was first made. Thus, Axminster carpets which were first made at Axminster, England, are now produced in Glasgow, and the Wil- ton factories long ago transferred their business from Wilton to Kilmarnock; Kidderminster carpets are no longer made at Kidderminster, but instead in Scotland and at Yorkshire, England; while Brussels carpets which were once made exclusively at Brussels, Belgium, are now made the wide world over. In Asia, where carpets were first invented, they are seldom used ex- cept to sit or sleep upon, thus their use even has been perverted. Prior to the American Revolution, woven floor coverings, with the exception of domestic rag carpets, were almost unknown in this country. A few "Scots" carpets from the "other side" had found their way into some 58 COLE'S DICTIONARY OF DRY GOODS. CAR private city houses, but such a rarity were these considered that country people, on being ushered into apartments where they were laid, instinct- ively tip-toed around them, in awe lest they should soil them. Ten years later, it appears by early newspapers, small importations were being made. In an advertisement in the New York Gazette of June 30, 1760, a firm states that they will sell among other goods at their store in Smith street, some "Scots" carpets. In 1761 the same firm advertises Turkey carpets, and in 1763 both English and Scots carpets. In 1776 the only floor covering in general use was the rag carpet before mentioned, made with a stout yarn warp supplied by farm-house spinning wheels. Then ensued the long war of the Revolution, and the consequent commercial depression. The ma- jority of the people, possessed of but little wealth before the war, were now in no condition of temper or purse to encourage the importation of English goods. Before the close of the year 1791, it is said, the first car- pet factory in the United States was erected by Wm. P. Sprague at Phila- delphia. To-day the annual product of that city alone, if laid in line, would almost girdle the globe. The first carpet made by the Philadelphia mill was a hand-made, finger-tufted fabric, designed for the United States Senate chamber. Attracting the attention of Alexander Hamilton, it induced him in his report on finance for that year to allude to the new home industry, and to recommend as an encouraging measure, the imposition of a small duty on foreign made carpets. There soon sprang up in Philadel- phia and elsewhere small works for the production of two-ply, (or, as they were called, "Kidderminsters,") three-ply ingrains and Venetian carpets. In 1800 Jacquard [see Jacquard,] invented the simple, yet wonderful machine which has always borne his name, its first application being to the manufacture of figured goods. In the course of a few years a number of factories were started. In 1825 a carpet works was in full operation at Medway, Mass., which later merged into a company now second to none in the world — the Lowell. Up to 1840 the weaving of carpets of all descrip- tions was performed by hand. The attempt had been repeatedly made in England to adapt the power-loom to ingrain-weaving, but without success. About this time, Erastus Brigham Bigelow, a young but already successful inventor, turned his attention to carpet weaving, and was trying, with small success, to interest carpet manufacturers and obtain the pecuniary aid for his experiments in weaving ingrains by power. The object sought for was a loom that could make rapidly a carpet of smooth, even surface, good, regular selvedge, and figures that would match perfectly. In weav- ing by hand the weaver can only approximate to regularity of figures by the closest attention to his work and the exercise of superior skill and judgment. Mr Bigelow's improved method of producing figures that would match by steam power, was patented in 1845. The same machinery was found to be adapted to the weaving of Brussels and tapestry, the weaving of which by power had previously been considered an impossi- bility. In 1840 ingrains were being woven at Lowell by hand looms at the CAR COLE'S DICTIONARY OF DRY GOODS. 59 rate of eight yards per day. With the adaptation of power forty yards per day could be produced. The rate of increase in Brussels was from four yards per day to twenty yards per day, and in Axminster from one and a half yards to fifteen. The application of steam not only economized time and labor, but it improved these fabrics until they sur- passed the best of their kind in any other part of the world. The new invention not only revolutionized the weaving departments of carpet fac- tories, but infused new life into the industry of the whole country, building up small villages of a few hundred inhabitants into prosperous towns, numbering their populations by thousands. Carpets may be divided into two general classes: one, a double fabric consisting essentially of two distinct webs woven at the same time, and held firmly together by the weft threads, showing a different pattern upon either side. The other general variety have the raised pile npon one side, like that of velvet. Ingrain Carpet consists of a cotton or wool warp with a wool filling, and is woven in strips one yard wide. It is composed of two distinct webs interwoven together at one operation, and is therefore a double or two-ply carpet. Three-ply carpet is composed of three distinct webs, which by interlacing and interchanging their threads produce a different pattern on each side, and at the same time permitting much greater variety of color, with a corresponding increase of thickness and durability in the texture. The best quality of all-wool "Extra Super" ingrain has 1080 warp threads to the yard, 30 to the inch; and thirteen and a half pairs of filling-threads to the inch. This is the largest number of filling-threads beaten into any "extra super" carpet made on a power loom. In some patterns these threads are doubled and twisted to produce certain effects in color. To make cheaper qualities of carpets these filling-threads are lessened a half pair at a time until they are reduced to six pair to the inch, which latter grade is about the cheapest quality made under the title of all-wool ingrain. Thus the quality of ingrain carpets is determined by the number of pairs of filling-threads per inch, and is known in trade as 6, 8, 10 up to 13^ pairs per inch. This is similar to the manner of indicating the quality of Brus- sels and tapestry by the number of "cords" or "wires" per inch. "Twelve- pair Supers" (or mediums) contain twelve double woolen threads to the inch in the filling, and 960 warp threads to the yard. This grade is usually pre- ferred by consumers on account of its being all-wool and holding its color better — although as a matter of fact they are not as strong as the best "Extra Super" with wool filling and cotton warp. These latter have the same number of threads as the all-wool Extra Super. Wool-filling ingrain carpets are not made in lower grades than 8-pairs to the inch. Union Extra Supers were first made of cheap wool and cotton carded together for the high colors, and while the filling-threads were part wool and part cotton, the warp was all of cotton. At present, competition has so cheapened them, that they are mostly all cotton. All grades below this variety are made of 60 COLE'S DICTIONARY OF DRY GOODS. CAR cotton, or cotton and shoddy-wool termed in trade 12-, 10-, 8|-, 7- and 6-pair cottons. Some of the finest grades of ingrain carpets now manufactured are copied after the most artistic patterns of Body and Tapestry Brussels, both in color and design. In England ingrain carpets are called Kidder- minster, while in Scotland they are termed Scotch carpets. Ingrain is a term used in connection with many textile fabrics mean- ing dyed before woven, that is, dyed in the grain or thread before the oper- ation of weaving, in distinction from printed or stamped fabrics. Brussels, or Body Brussels as it is sometimes called, was first manu- factured in Brussels, Belgium, in the year 1710. In 1720 they were first produced in England by some French Huguenot weavers who many years before had been driven out of France by the revocation of the edict of Nantes. In regard to the annulling of this edict which had been in force for nearly one hundred years, and the consequent exodus of the Huguenots to England and other countries it has been well said: "Nothing short of a great history could tell how the manufactures of all European countries were improved and stimulated by the peaceful incursions of over a million of these steadfast, industrious and highly-skilled artisan refugees. They were the thriftiest and readiest hands in France; they carried the arts and taste which were at that time the special gift of their country to every city and country in Europe and America. They crowded into the armies which were arrayed against their oppressors, they helped to man the ships which destroyed the navy of France; they planted their industries in a hundred places, and gave wealth and prosperity to other lands. No discovery whether of science or adventure, no victory, whether over inanimate matter or adverse forces, has had a greater influence upon the fortunes of England than the signing of the decree which, intended to coerce these worthy artisans wrought more disaster upon its authors." A number or these religious refugees settled at Wilton, England, and in the course of time began the weaving of carpets. They obtained a royal charter and formed themselves into a corporate body for their mutual protection. One of the peculiar terms of this charter forbade the weaving of carpets anywhere within ten miles of the little town of Wil- ton; thus early was the "protection of home industries" inaugurated. It is easy to see how the carpets became known as "Brussels," without doubt from the city where they were first made, and also "Royal Wilton"— Wilton from the town, and Royal from the charter. When borders came to be more extensively used they were stock numbered the same as the carpets to which they belonged. Frequently there was a stair carpet, also, which matched the carpet and border, and had the same stock number. These were then and are to this day distinguished by the terms, "Body" " Border " and " Stair." Body Brussels is a very superior texture, com- posed of a linen back and a woolen pile, having a rich, corded appearance. The quality of Brussels and Tapestry carpet is partially determined by the number of these cords per inch, varying from 8 the cheapest to 16 the CAR COLE'S DICTIONARY OF DRY GOODS. 61 best. The surface of a Brussel carpet is composed of loops of worsted yarns packed closely together. When any one loop is formed the par- ticular worsted thread of which the loop is a portion sinks beneath the linen or cotton cross-thread (weft) and remains with other threads in the body of the fabric until it is required to form another loop on the surface. These surface loops are held in position by the cross-threads (weft). Not being tied or knotted should any individual loop be caught or pulled by a sharp point in brush, broom, boot or claw, then the worsted underneath will be drawn above the surface and the loose ends will form what is called a case of "sprouting." These loops which are collectively called the pile, constitute the figure or pattern, and are produced or raised from the linen back, by inserting a series of wires between the linen foundation and the superficial yarn, and looping the yarn tightly over each wire, which leaves a distinct row or "cord." These wires are withdrawn as the weaving proceeds, and there is left a smooth, looped surface as seen in all Brussels carpets. The colors are usually limited to five, (called 5-frame or 6-frame, as the case ma»y be) though in the best goods six colors are introduced. These are warp-dyed and are carried entirely through the linen background from end to end of the piece of carpet. The best qualities are usually 5-frame, that is, the pattern is composed of five different colors. Each is a continuous layer of thread dyed in the yarn, running from end to end of the web, which rises to the surface at close intervals as indicated by the design, and then goes out of sight and sinks into the body of the carpet, showing indistinctly the pattern on the back side. These are the main characteristics which distinguish Brussels carpets from tapestries, in that each color is composed of a thread of itself, dyed in the yarn, which runs the full length of the web, the colors, not being used to produce the pattern on the surface sink- ing into the body, causing the carpet to be heavier and firmer and showing indistinctly the pattern on the back. Tapestry Carpets or Tapestry Brussels, are manufactured by a very ingenious process which was invented and patented in Scotland in 1832. It is composed of one thickness of worsted yarn printed before weaving with the colors which will compose its design when woven. This is woven into a stiff inelastic back composed entirely of jute or hemp. The method of weaving tapestry is a combination of weaving and printing, a pile or surface imitating and very similar to Brussels being produced, in which any desired number of colors is available, while only a single thread is used in making the pile, instead of the five or six which run through Brussels texture. In tapestry weaving the ordinary process of printing is reversed. Instead of the fabric being first woven and then printed, the thread is stamped and afterwards woven up as the warp, forming the pile of the carpet. One thread, or two treated as one, some times miles in length, is colored by steps of half an inch or so, faster than the Swiftest runner could make half the distance. When the thread has a been partill- 62 COLE'S DICTIONARY OF DRY GOODS. CAR colored in this manner it forms the elements, as it were, of the intended pattern of the fabric. Singly in the long thread it exhibits no regular figure, but when woven up in the proper order the pattern comes into view little by little as the thread is looped around the wires. Unlike the weav- ing on the Brussels principle, in which the colors cannot exceed five or six, any desired number of colors and shades can be introduced in a Tapestry carpet. The manner of looping over the wires is exactly the same. The back side of Tapestry shows nothing but the plain linen backing into which the pile is woven ; though sometimes unscrupulous manufacturers stamp the back in imitation of a Brussels weave for purposes of deception. The color wears off and the pile sinks down, showing the foundation of the carpet much sooner in Tapestry than in Brussels, but as an offset to this the former are proportionately cheaper in price. Like Brussels, Moquetts and Wiltons they measure 26 inches in width. The quality is determined by the number of "cords" to the inch, termed in trade 10-wire, 9-wire, 8-wire Taps, and so on, the less number of wires or cords to the inch the cheaper and less durable the carpet. Wilton Carpet is a variety of Brussels carpet in which the loops are opened into an elastic, velvet pile, and is so named from being origin- ally made at Wilton, England; but they differ from Brussels in this: When the wires upon which the loops are formed are drawn out, the worsted loops are cut, giving the fine upright pile or "plush:" To effect this the wires over which the yarn is looped, are not round and smooth as the Brussels wires, but are flat and furnished with a knife-edge at the top, which when withdrawn cuts the pile. Wiltons are made of extra fine, non-felting wools, which produce a surface extremely dense and lustrous. Among the re- spectable "middle-society" class of this country it is the abiding hope and never-faltering ambition of every good housewife to some day to carpet the front parlor with a genuine Wilton. No matter in what community she may reside, the possession of a Wilton affords her a prestige approached only and never excelled by solid walnut furniture or a Steinway Grand. The manufacture of Wilton is said to have been introduced in England through the exertions of Lord Pembroke. These carpets have the advan- tage of being executed in very beautiful designs, especially the Royal Wilton, in which the pile is raised much higher than in the common fabric of the same name. In the Wiltons made from high class Brussels there are nearly three thousand threads of worsted warp employed on the 27-inch web. Moquetts is the French term for "tufts of wool." The carpets known by this name are woven substantially after the manner of Brussels, the colors being dyed in the yarn; differing in this, however, that the pile is looped, first in a very coarse foundation to which is afterwards attached a another foundation for the purpose of giving the carpet weight and firm- ness. In Moquetts the loops instead of being left corded in rows are cut open into an elastic velvet pile, leaving a "plush" appearance. Moquett CAR COLE'S DICTIONARY OF DRY GOODS. 63 might be termed an American carpet, not being in much demand in other countries. In coloring they are soft and delicate. The pile of Moquett is much longer and deeper than that of a velvet carpet. Velvet Carpets are Tapestries cut after the Tapestry proper is made, and though handsome in effect, if the design be good, are neither so durable nor so rich as Wiltons, being like Tapestry made from one length, or frame, of parti-colored yarn, looped and then cut by passing through a machine in which a small knife passes under each row and severs the loops. The patterns have more lustre than in the Tapestries, caused by the colors being given off from the ends of the wool instead of the sides as in Tapes- try. Imperial Brussels is a variety of Brussels in which the pattern is raised above the ground and its loops cut so as to form a pile, while those of the ground remain uncut. Axminster Carpets owe their origin to James Templeton, of Scotland, who obtained a patent for his invention in 1840. They were first made at Axminster, England, hence the name. Axminster is at present but a small town of about three thousand persons, and no longer produces the floor covering which so much delighted our forefathers. These carpets are pile fabrics, woven into a strong linen or hempen backing and can be woven of a depth equal to any Oriental production. Their manufacture involves two distinct weaving operations: First, the preparation of "Chenille" strips which form Xh^. filling ; and second, the carpet weaving proper. The pattern or figure for the carpet is first prepared on paper, and accurately drawn in its proper colors. This is then cut into long, narrow strips and given to the Chenille weaver to guide him as to the colors he is to use, and he proceeds in the regular order that they were cut, with length after length till the whole pattern is woven up. This first web is cut into shreds or strips along its whole length, according to the number of "chenilles" it contains, and the loose edges faced together by a peculiarity in the weaving, so that a double pile projects upward from a finely woven center-rib or back. These chenille strips now form the filling for the second weaving and being woven into a strong linen foundation in the same order that the strips were cut from the original paper pattern, the colors consequently all come together properly, and the parts of the whole design come out gradually as the second weaving proceeds. Axminster carpets are classed with the very finest, surpassing in the depth of pile and beauty of coloring some of the present Oriental productions. These carpets are frequently three inches thick, and for durability cannot be excelled. It is seldom they find their way into any but wealthy families, as the best grades cannot be secured for less than $9 per yard, although imitations are made as low as $1.25 per yard. Aubusson Carpet is a variety made at Aubusson, France, generally in one piece to suit the size of the room. They are the finest and most costly loom carpets brought to the United States, being made in the hand or 64 COLE'S DICTIONARY OF DRY GOODS. CAR needle-work style of the East Indian carpets, and are highly esteemed for the elegance of its design and coloring. They are generally ornamented with designs after the antique arabesque, but these luxurious articles are necessary confined to the opulent, as the great majority of the middle class in France scarcely know the use of carpets, which are so general with us, tile floors being the most common among them. As previously stated, the manufacture of carpets was introduced into France from Persia by Henry IV. and the magnificent royal factory still exists at Aubusson, in the South of France. Chenille Carpet is a variety in which the weft is of chenille instead of yarn. The pattern is dyed in the chenille itself, nothing showing on the surface of the carpet but the ends of the chenille fringe. Felt Carpet is one in which the fibers are matted or felted together without spinning or weaving, consisting of strips of felt set on edge and tightly laced through the center. They are the same on both sides, and are distinguished for their great durability and softness. Knitted Carpets are made in Germany, and are knit of strips of tex- tile goods, such as woven rag carpet is made of. The knitting is done with wooden needles, and for convenience in this respect is made only about twelve inches wide, the widths being joined together by sewing in the usual manner. The knitted carpet is more durable than the woven rag carpet. Knitted carpet schools have long been established in many towns in Ger- many, and it is stated that itinerant carpet makers travel from place to place teaching the art of carpet knitting for a small remuneration. Kidderminster Carpets in England are but another name for our two- ply or three-ply ingrains. In Scotland they are called Scotch carpets. Venetian Carpets are of the simplest kinds, the texture of which is plain; a striped woolen warp on a thick woof of thread, made of hemp, cotton or woolen, and the warp is so thick as to cover entirely the woof. It is not known that what is called Venetian carpeting was ever made at Ven- ice, Italy. Hemp Carpets, made entirely of hemp, were first imported from Rus- sia, but are now made in this country in considerable quantities. They are extremely cheap and durable, but are used chiefly in offices, passages, and places where a cheap carpet is required to deaden sound. An excellent floor covering for offices and business rooms is also made of cocoa fiber. It is woven open to let the dust pass through, and is extremely durable and cheap. Paper Carpet is a variety made of a hard and tenacious paper called hession, which is produced by subjecting the paper pulp to the action of chloride of zinc and then to strong pressure, by means of which the pro- duct is rendered hard and tough like leather. It is finished both plain and in imitation of ornamental woods. Fraternity Carpets are made in ingrain, especially for the use of lodges and secret societies. They are splendidly worked out and colored CAR COLE'S DICTIONARY OF DRY GOODS. 65 with designs and emblems peculiarly appropriate to the order for which they are intended. Dutch Carpet is a very strong and cheap wool ingrain carpet, usually woven in stripes and checks. Rag Carpets were first invented and woven during the early part of the present century by the economical settlers of New England. Until about 1874 no large factories for the weaving of rag carpets existed in the United States, the industry being carried on solely by families residing in rural communities. It is, however, fast becoming one of the lost arts, such as the making of flexible glass and the manufacture of Tyrian purple, being slowly but surely driven out by the superior appearance and low price of ingrains. While it is always possible to get the inferior factory-made arti- cle, yet that is not the sort that is associated with an old-fashioned room, with its high-post bedstead, whitewashed walls and diamond-paned win- dows. In those days the rags were cut and sewed by the log fire in the long winter evenings, and often the carpet was woven on the old wooden loom in the up-garret. For every three yards of carpet woven, required one and a quarter pounds of cotton carpet chain. If the weaving was hired the charge was 23 cents per yard, the weaver providing the warp, and an average days' work was about sixteen yards. List carpet is very similar to rag carpet, being made of the list or selvedges of woolen cloths obtained from tailor shops or clothing factories. It is made at all the regular carpet factories, a full yard wide and 130 yards to the roll. Persian or Oriental carpets are similar in their weaving to the Gobelin tapestry manufactured in France. This tapestry, as is well known, consists of tufts of wool (Fr. moqitetts) or silk sewed on the strings of the warp by means of small shuttle needles. The Persian carpet is formed by knotting into the warp tuft after tuft of woolen yarn, over each row of which a weft shot is passed, the particular pattern being produced by different colored threads, hand wrought upon the warp. In Persia there are entire tribes and families whose only occupation is carpet and rug weaving. These dispose of their productions to the native merchants, who ship them either to Smyrna or Constantinople, where they meet with English or American purchasers. Persia has always been particularly rich in the various products of the loom. Carpets, now so extensively made and used in all civilized countries, had their origin in Persia, which still produces perhaps the most beautiful specimens in the world. Their durability may be imagined from the fact that the floor of one of the largest palaces at Ispahan is still covered with a fine carpet made in 1582. The Persian habit of sitting and sleeping on the ground probably lead to the manufacture of fabrics specially designed to meet the re- quirements of such a custom, and the carpets which thus had their or- igin in the common necessities of ordinary life afterwards found their way as luxuries to other countries. The finest Persian carpets are now made at Kurdustan The pattern does not represent a flower bouquet or other 66 COLE'S DICTIONARY OF DRY GOODS. CAR objects thrown up in relief from a uniform ground like most of our de- signs, but looks more like a layer of flowers strewn on the ground. A real Kurdustan carpet is worth $20 a square yard. All carpets in Persia are made by hand with the aid of the simplest machinery, the loom being simply a frame upon which the warp is stretched. The wool consists of short threads of yarn woven and knotted into the warp with nothing else but the naked fingers. The long beautiful pile is formed by merely clipping the ends of the wool until an even surface is obtained. Not being "manufactured" in the proper sense of the word, the Persian is incapable of repeating over and over the same pattern. Each carpet is different in design from the one preceding it. This sort of weaving allows the maker to follow the bent of her lively imagination, always ac- companied by a sense of what is beautiful; she does not mind small irregularities in details, if the general design of the carpet has a pleasing and artistic effect. These carpets are now what they always were in manufacture, and probably, in the majority of instances, in design also — abounding with strangely fantastic forms, luxuriantly and harmoniously colored, and manufactured of materials second in durability only to the floor of which they form the cover. The Persian carpet is rarely large, and are mostly made by the women and children in the villages. The colors formerly used by the Persian weavers were imperishable. Carpets a hundred years old show no want of freshness of color, but rather soft tones like ancient oil paint- ings. The use of aniline color is strictly prohibited. A recent traveler in Asiatic Turkey gives a concise description of how Oriental carpets are woven in that country: "A loom primitively constructed of trunks of trees, as nature made them, is inclined against a wall; a trunk so ar- ranged that it can be turned round holds the threads of coarse wool, and a second supports the completed work. Balls of colored wool hang from a string, from which the women (the men do not work at the looms) take detached threads to form knots, each of which ties two threads of warp. After making a series of knots and consolidating them by means of a comb, they insert from right to left one or two threads of wool, and then pass on to the next series. The tufts which result from this work are combed and leveled with scissors. The patterns are worked from old models, which have decended in the family, or from designs received with orders from Smyrna, though of late years not a few orders have come direct from European and American agents." From a strictly artistic point of view, carpets should be darker in tone and more broken in hue than any portion of the room, both because they present the largest mass of color and because they serve as a back ground to the furniture placed upon them. As a general rule, lighter carpets may be used in rooms thinly furnished than to the contrary, as we should other- wise have too overpowering a mass of shade. The pattern should always be proportioned to the size of the room, as a small figured carpet in a large CAR COLE'S DICTIONARY OF DRY GOODS. 67 room makes the floor space appear larger than a large figure would, and vice versa. "Sprouting" of carpets is a peculiar disease to which only Tapestry and Brussels are liable, consisting of the bobbing up of loops above the surface of the carpet. The trouble is especially liable to occur in first- class goods, in which the yarn is fine, soft and highly dressed. A rough table-castor or the jagged nail in a shoe has caused many a case of sprout- ing. There is but one remedy, and that is to clip off the loose ends with a pair of sharp scissors. By careful, close clipping the threads by degrees get flattened down and the trouble ceases. If this is not done at once these loose ends are liable to be caught again and again by the feet of the passers by, and the first injury made greater by the loops being dragged out further. The worst enemy of these two varieties of carpets is the common broom in the hands of a maid more muscular than intelligent. If possible, a new Brussels or Tapestry carpet should be exempted from sweeping for the first month; that is, until the loops get trodden down somewhat. If sweeping is regarded as absolutely necessary, the only proper thing to use is a good carpet sweeper run over the surface with the utmost possible care. In every case of complaint from a customer, the retail dealer should be es- pecially careful to place the matter in the hands of an experienced clerk, whose special business it should be not only to see to the remedy, but also to ascertain the cause of the trouble. Sprouting is not a fault or defect of the carpet, but a natural and unavoidable feature of the fabric, which the manufacturer can do nothing to prevent, neither can he have done any- thing to produce it; The following table shows at a glance how to cut economically and to the best advantage carpets with patterns ranging from 13 to 30 inches, so that they will match when made up. The table is thoroughly reliable, and will be found very valuable in saving time and waste, both to the salesman and carpet-sewer: ft. in. ft. in. ft. in. ft. in. ft. in. ft. in. ft. in. ft. in. 13 inch pattern cuts at. . 7 7 8 8 9 9 10 10 11 11 13 14 1 15 2 14 " 8 2 9 4 10 6 11 8 12 10 14 15 2 16 4 15 " 10 11 3 12 6 13 9 15 16 3 17 6 18 9 16 " 9 4 10 8 12 13 4 14 8 16 17 4 18 8 17 " 9 11 11 4 12 9 14 2 15 7 17 18 5 19 10 18 •' 9 10 6 12 13 6 15 16 6 18 19 6 19 " 9 6 11 1 12 8 11 3 15 10 17 5 19 20 7 20 " 10 11 8 13 4 15 16 8 18 4 20 21 " 10 6 12 3 14 15 9 17 6 19 3 21 22 ' " 11 12 10 14 8 16 6 18 4 20 2 22 23 " 11 6 13 5 15 4 17 3 19 2 21 1 23 24 " 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 25 " 10 5 12 6 14 7 16 8 18 9 20 10 22 11 25 26 " 10 10 13 15 2 17 4 19 6 21 8 23 10 26 27 " 11 3 13 6 15 9 18 20 3 22 6 24 9 27 28 " 11 8 14 16 4 18 8 2L 23 4 25 8 28 29 " 12 1 14 6 16 11 19 4 21 9 •24 2 26 7 29 30 " 10 12 6 15 17 6 20 22 6 25 27 6 In making calculations do not figure too close, as some carpets stretch or shrink a little, or a new piece of the same pattern may occasionally be made half an inch smaller or larger by the manufacturer. 68 COLE'S DICTIONARY OF DRY GOODS. CAS Cashmere (kash'-mere). [Also written cachemere (and with altered form and sense cassimere and kersymere) ; so-called because first made in Cashmere, or Kashmir, the native name of a state and valley in the Hima- laya mountains north of Panjab, India; also the name of a fine-wooled goat or this same region]. An all-wool fabric used for ladies' dresses, originally made from the fine downy wool of the cashmere goat, but since 1824 has been manufactured both in England and America of . soft, prime native wool. It differs from merino in being twilled on one side only, and from henrietta in being finished with a more subdued luster. Cashmere Chevron. See Cote de Cheval. Cashmere Shawls. [Also called India shawls, and sometimes erro- neously termed camels' hair shawls.] These wonderfully wrought and ancient fabrics date back 4,000 years. The shawl cloth of Babylon, the silky textures of Ruth, the mantles of Thamar, and the long pieces of cloth worn by biblical characters were none other than shawls of eastern manu- facture. When these Asiatic veils or mantles took the form of the modern shawls is not precisely known, but it seems from certain French records that they were introduced into Europe about 1739 by the wives and daugh- ters of the French ambassadors to India. The first manufacture of shawls is believed to have originated in the valley of Cashmere, in the northwest of India. Though not so flourishing as it once was, the manufacture is still prosecuted in this province to a very considerable extent. The genuine cashmere shawls are the very best made, possessing unequalled fineness, delicacy and warmth, and characterized by great elaboration and minute detail of design, and by the glowing harmony, brilliance, depth and endur- ing qualities of the colors. These excellences are due to the raw material, which consists of the very fine, soft and flossy under wool of the cashmere goat, and to the unwearying patience and inherited skill of the Oriental weavers. A single goat does not yield more than three ounces, and the fleece of ten goats are requisite for the manufacture of a shawl a yard*and a half square. These goats which produce the finest down in the world are reared upon the cold, dry table-land of Thibet, from 14,000 to 16,000 feet above the level of the sea. The goat thrives sufficiently well in many other climates and countries, but in the sultry plains of Hindostan it has hardly more hair than a greyhound, and though in higher latitudes the hair is.more abundant, it is for the most part shaggy and coarse. It is only in the intensely cold and dry climate of Thibet that it yields the peculiarly soft downy wool that constitutes the material of the cashmere shawl. The wool is sorted with patient care by hand, and spun into a fine thread, a work of so much delicacy, owing to the shortness of the fibre, that a pound of undyed thread is valued at $12.15. The shawls are woven in rudely con- structed looms, a fine one often occupying the labor of three or four men a whole year in weaving; and it is to this slow and laborious process that their high prices are due. It is said that although $3,500 has been known CAS COLE'S DICTIONARY OF DRY GOODS. 69 to be paid for a single shawl, that but few of the finest ever leave India. The commonest qualities range in price as low as $50, and consumes from sixteen to twenty weeks in making. A first-rate shawl weighing about seven pounds may cost at the place of its production $1,500, made up thus: material $150, labor $750, duty $350, miscellaneous expenses and profits $250. There are several classes of these fabrics, principal among them being those woven all in one piece, either solid white or black or dyed of various colors; the class comprising embroidered shawls in which over a plain ground is worked by needle a minute and elaborate pattern; another class are those that are made in small strips or squares and sewn together with such precision and neatness that it is simply impossible from either side for the seam to be detected. The " cone " pattern, with its flowing curves and minute cornucopia of flowers, is characteristic of this latter class. Probably the finest specimen ever produced represents a map of the city of Shrinegar, the capital of Cashmere; the streets and houses, gardens and temples, with the people walking about among them, and the boats on the deep blue river being seen as plainly as in a finished photograph. Besides shawls, an immense variety of articles are made in Cashmere of shawl stuff. In 1822 pure Cashmere goats were introduced into France, and since have been unremittingly improved by cross-breeding until a fairly satis- factory result in the union of the most essential qualities of the wool — abundance, luster and softness — has been reached. By the aid of the draw loom and Jacquard loom French manufacturers have succeeded in weaving Cashmere shawls very similar to the Oriental in external aspect. To produce shawls altogether identical on both sides was a more difficult task. In both modes of manufacture, the piece is mounted by drawing the warp through the harness and ground treadles. The weaving of imitation shawls is executed as usual by as many shuttles as there are colors in the pattern, which are thrown across the warp in the order indi- cated by the design. The greater number of these weft yarns being intro- duced only at intervals into the web, many remain floating loose at the back of the piece, and are cut afterward without affecting in the least the quality of the texture. The deception would be very complete if the reverse of the shawl did not show the cut ends. It is said that the shawl merchants of India greatly admire the ingenuity of the French weavers in imitating Cashmere shawls, but condemn them on account of their harshness. The latter is largely due to the manner of washing the yarn. In Cashmere soft water is used in a solution of rice starch, which greatly adds to the peculiar softness and gloss of the yarn. Amritzer is now the principal entrepot of the shawl trade between India and Europe. Imitations of the real Cash- mere shawls made at Nimes and Lyons, France, are called "Broche," while those made at Paisley, Scotland, are known as "Paisley shawls." The common black shawls made of twilled Cashmere dress fabric, and fringed, usually worn by elderly women, bear no relation to the above 70 COLE'S DICTIONARY OF DRY GOODS. CAS described products of India. These latter are known as "square," "long," and "double." The "squares" range in size from 56x56, 60x60, up to 80x80; the "long" from 56x60, 60x64, up to 84 inches in length, while the "double" are twice the size of the "long" shawls. Cassimere. [From Cashmere.] A general term applied to a class of all wool cloths used for men's clothing, woven plain or twilled, coarse or fine of "woolen" yarn. The pattern of Cassimere is always woven in the loom, and the cloth is never napped. In order to make the pattern more distinct, Cassimeres on leaving the loom are slightly felted and then are subjected to the process of singeing, to remove from their surface all superfluous nap or the ends of wool which have been ruffed up in weaving and milling, producing a smooth, clean surface. It remains a mooted ques- tion which are the better for wear for men's clothing, worsteds or cassi- meres. The advocates of the latter contend that the looser and more pli- able a wool cloth is woven and the greater amount of elasticity pre- served, the better it will produce a resisting surface. [See Woolen and Worsted, Weaving.] Cassinette. [From Cashmere.] A cloth for men's wear made with a cotton warp and a fine woolen weft. Also called Kerseynette. Cassock. A loose form of cloak or outer coat, particularly a military one, worn by men. Also a long clerical coat, buttoned over the breast and reaching to the feet, and drawn in at the waist by a broad sash. In the Catholic Church its color varies with the dignity of the wearer: priests wear black; bishops, purple; cardinals, scarlet; and the pope, white. If lined with fur it is called a pelisse. Castor. The beaver, and by extension the fur or hide of a beaver. The fur of the Castor beaver is used in the manafacture of fur hats. Also, a heavy quality of broadcloth used for making overcoats is sometimes termed castor. [See Gloves.] Catgut. A sort of linen canvas with wide interstices. The intestines of sheep, dried and twisted, used for strings to violins and guitars. The popular supposition that these strings are made of the gut of cats, is erroneous. Celluloid. A combination of gun cotton and camphor. Its success- ful manufacture and introduction has only been accomplished in the past twelve years. Celluloid consists of vegetable fibre, treated with certain acids; this fibre is then united with camphor and other substances to make it elastic and capable of being molded in any form. Of recent years there has been much experimenting indulged in for the production of a whiter and clearer substance than celluloid. An Austrian has invented a material called celluline that, combines some of the properties of glass and cellu- loid. It is made by dissolving 4 to 8 parts of celluloid wool (gun cotton), in about 100 parts of alcohol, by weight, and adding 2 to 4 per cent of cas- CHA COLE'S DICTIONARY OF DRY GOODS. 71 tor oil and 10 per cent of resin or balsam. The mixture is then dried on a glass plate at a temperature of 120 degrees. The compound soon solidi- fies into a transparent sheet. The addition of magnesium chloride reduces its inflammability and zinc white gives it substantially the appearance of clear ivory. By increasing the relative proportions of castor oil and resin, the toughness and pliability of leather is imparted to the material. Clialli (shal'-i). A name originally given to a superior dress fabric of silk and wool, first manufactured at Norwich, England, in 1832. It was thin, fine and without gloss, but its chief characteristic was its absolute freedom from dressing. The name is now applied to an extremely light- weight dress fabric made of either cotton or wool, or a mixture, woven without twill, either plain or with printed figures. All-wool Challi does not differ essentially from the old fashioned muslin-delaine. Neither fabric wrinkles easily and both possess a cool, dainty look especially suited for the summer season. Most Challi patterns are copied from French silks, which in part accounts for their unusually tasteful designs and artistic effects. Chainbray* A variety of plain-woven ginghams, always of one color and without pattern. It is made of extra fine cotton yarns and stiffly sized with pure starch. The fabric gets its name from Cambray, France, where it was first woven of linen. Channeling Machine. A machine for cutting the channel in the soles of shoes and boots, into which the thread is sunk. Chasuble (chas'-u-ble). A sleeveless vestment or coat, devoid of but- tons or other fastening, and provided with an opening in the center through which to pass the head. The chasuble is the principal garment worn by a priest when celebrating the mass or holy communion. It is held to represent the seamless coat of Christ, or charity symbolized by it. The material is usually rich stuff, silk brocade or velvet. Check. In textile fabrics a pattern of squares of alternate colors. Properly, a check should have no divisions between the squares more than a thin boundary line; that is, it should resemble the ordinary chess-board. [See Plaid.] The word check is derived from a custom practiced by the courts of Europe of settling accounts and computing money by means of counters or tallies on a table covered with a square checkered cloth; the word having been originally derived from French echequier — a chess-board. Cheese-cloth. A thin, limp muslin, bleached or brown, used by dairy- men to cover their cheese. A variety of cheese-cloth called cotton bunting is woven smooth and of better texture, and is used by women as a cheap white dress goods. It is entirely free from sizing. Chemise (she-mez'). [From Arabic camis, shirt.] The innermost garment worn by women, anciently known as a " shift " or " smock." Chemisette. [Diminutive of chemise). An article used by ladies for 72 COLE'S DICTIONARY OF DRY GOODS. CHE covering the neck, made of some light fabric, as lace or cambric, usually worn under a waist cut low, in imitation of the exposed portion of a man's shirt bosom. Chenille (she-neel'). [French for " caterpillar."] A beautiful descrip- tion of cord used for embroidery and decorative purposes. The name denotes the appearance of the material, which somewhat resembles the hairy caterpillar. Chenille cord is usually made of silk, though sometimes of silk and wool, and for cheap fringes of wool alone. Chenille Cloth. A fabric made with a fringed silken thread used as a weft, in combination with wool or cotton; a fur-like surface is thus pro- duced, whence its name. Cheviot. A twill-woven, napped " woolen " cloth, originally made from the wool of Cheviot sheep. These sheep were formerly native to the Cheviot Hills, near the boundary between Scotland and England, but are now extensively reared in the United States. The genuine cheviot is a superior fabric for men's clothing, being strongly woven of carefully- selected wool, and finished with a closely curled nap. The value of cheviots depend more on their construction than their appearance, and few can discern from the latter the character of the former. Since about 1888, an immense demand has sprung up for this fabric in the ready-made cloth- ing trade, and while some genuine and wearable cheviot was made up, yet the very composition of the cloth admitted of a wide field for the lowering of the standard, without much risk of detection, with the result that the quality of late has sadly depreciated. The same reasons which account for the imitating of cheviots account also for the imitating of many other first-class fabrics: first, the greed of manufacturers; and second, the public's demand for cheap grades of a popular fabric. Consumers who are obliged to select according to their purse nevertheless expect and absolutely demand the same weaves and patterns that are displayed for the delecta- tion of their more favored brethern. This can only be supplied by the pro- duction of an inferior and ofttimes worthless fabric. Imitations of cheviot are made to look well, and appear a marvel of cheapness, but an examina- tion shows their weight to have been increased by the addition of flocking or shoddy. Apparently they seem strong, but a sudden pressure on any part will cause a rent while the face will be off in a week's wear and the poverty of the goods plainly manifested. Such a cloth possesses no intrinsic value, and pandering to cheapness only results in damaging the reputation of genuine cheviot. [See Woolen.] Cheviot Shirting. A term which formerly signified a cotton fabric free from starch or dressing, but of late years has come to include all medium grades of single-thread, soft-finished shirt cloth. Chiffon (shif'-on. French pron. she-f on'). A variety of thin trans- parent silk gauze woven so fine and sheer that ordinary print may be easily read through it. It is stated that one pound of the warp of Chiffon will ex- CHI COLE'S DICTIONARY OF DRY GOODS. 73 tent eight miles. It is both black and white, printed and plain; 45 and 20 inches in width. It is used for neck and sleeve trimming and for draping over silk foundations, ladies handkerchiefs, etc. Chijiini (chi-je'-ma). A variety of Japanese drapery siik, dyed in fast colors; in width thirty inches. China Silk. A term applied to the plain silks woven in China, Japan and India on the primitive hand looms of those countries. The warp and weft are identical in size and color, and are woven in evenly, producing a beautiful natural luster. Real China silk is easily recognized on account of the imperfections which always mark hand-spinning and hand-weaving; some of the threads being heavier than others, a somewhat irregular o r " faulty " surface is produced. The bulk of these fabrics come from China and Japan, India silk being almost a myth, so little of it is made and so lit- tle sold. Choice in the market lies practically between the products of China and Japan, about nine-tenths being from China. The difference between these two is not seen by the casual observer. The weave of Japan is smoother, softer in quality and much more beautiful. They wear about equally well and there is no perceptible difference in the price, the range in both being from 50 cents to $3, the latter price being for an extraordinary- quality, a yard wide. The usual width is twenty-six inches. Many persons confound the China and India silks. The China silks are distinguished by their somewhat coarse, irregular threads and by their softness. The India silks have more body and a more even surface, and are better adapted for long outside garments, traveling dresses and petti- coats, as they shed the dust; the Chinas are eminently fitted for tea gowns and under-clothing which is to be worn next to the skin, as it laundries well. Almost every city and country town in China is largely devoted to the cultivation of the silk worm, which is carried on usually by young girls. Frequently along some of the narrowest streets of the over-populated cities may be heard the clatter of the loom and the rattle of the shuttle in a little bit of a half-lighted establishment, the door of which is scarcely five feet from that of the opposite shop. A loom stands on each side of the entrance, and the weavers at work are well-nigh in the street, if the paths between the houses may be termed such. This is a characteristic silk fac- tory of that interesting country. Two men working hard all day weave only about three or four yards of " China silk," and get for their day's work about twenty cents. The name " China silk " has also been adopted in the United States recently for a class of machine-woven silks made in imita- tion of the more serviceable hand-loom product. These imitations are three inches narrower in width and lack the soft quality of the eastern fabrics, and are also free from the imperfection of uneven threads. Both the hand-wrought and power-wove varieties are printed in much the same fashion as calico. When the figure is white upon a dark ground the silk is bleached, then run between rollers that print the ground, leaving the figure 11 COLE'S DICTIONARY OF DRY GOODS. CHI blank. Colored figures on white or light grounds simply reverse the pro- cess. Complex patterns, employing many colors, have a separate roller and printing for each tint. Chinchilla. The Indian name for a squirrel-like animal found in the mountains of South America. The ancient Peruivans were accustomed to employ the wool of these animals in the manufacture of fine fabrics. The fur is beautifully fine and of a pearly-gray color, rolled into little tufts, much used for muffs and tippets, lining for cloaks, etc. Chinchilla over- coating is a thick, heavy, double-woven fabric, with a napped surface rolled into little tufts in imitation of Chinchilla fur; manufactured in all colors and qualities, used for men's overcoats and ladies' cloaks. Chin- chilla is made both all wool and "union," usually with a slight nap raised on the wrong side for the procurement of warmth. The fabric differs from Frieze in not being so heavy nor so shaggy, and from Montenac and Fur- Beaver in having the nap rolled or curled into small tufts. [See Weaving, Teasling.] Chine (sheen; French pron. she-na'). [From the Fr. chiner, color, dye.] A term applied to the fabrics in which the warp is dyed in different colors at short distances, so that a mottled effect is produced; or in which a double thread, formed of two smaller threads of different colors twisted together, is used to produce a similar mottled or speckled appearance. In plain Chine silks the threads are colored in a similar manner, so that when woven up into the fabric the peculiar reflections of light, giving the appearance of shadows, is produced. Figured Chine silks have a plain ground, but the flowers and bouquets forming the pattern have an indistinct and cloudy appearance, produced by the breaking of minute particles of color into one another. Chintz (Hindoo chhint, spotted). Cotton cloth printed with flowers or other patterns of bright colors, and finished with a glaze. The only dif- ference between Chintz and Cretonne consists in the glazing of the former, which is effected by calendering. Chintz is also known under the name of furnitnre print, from its extensive use in covering furniture. About 1850 glazed chintz was greatly used for furniture, and some of the patterns which have survived are quite surprisingly bad. For this reason, and the fact that chair covers were gone out of fashion, the majority of the world got tired of Chintzes, when some enterprising manufacturer saw the beauty which might lie in a fabric called Cretonne — which is simply a Chintz with- out a glaze. It is a question whether Chintz is ever either suitable or salable in a town. Its extreme daintiness' seems as out of place in the grime and grind of a city as the innocent chat of a country cousin seems almost like a reproach to the short-haired advocate of "women's rights." But the soft tints and darker shades of Cretonne are always harmonious, and it is asserted by artists there is no fabric with the exception of Brocade which CHI COLE'S DICTIONARY OF DRY GOODS. 75 looks so well for upholstery purposes. Chintzes are all block-printed, the principal dyes being madder, weld and indigo. The earliest mention of cotton-printing occurs in Pliny, in the first century, A. D., who records his surprise at seeing the Egyptians exercise this wonderful method of dyeing, by which the white cloth was stained in various places, not with dye stuffs, but with substances which had the prop- erty of absorbing colors. Herodotus mentions a Scythian tribe who stained their garments with the figures of animals by means of the leaves of a tree bruised with water, " which would not wash out, but lasted as long as the cloth." The Egyptians probably learned the art from India, for there was communication between the two countries before the first century, the time of Pliny. The India Chintzes were in much request in Europe before the art of making them had been introduced and simplified there; most of them were made by very tedious processes, a great part of the pattern being painted by hand. The parts intended to be white were covered with wax before the material was thrown into the dye-vat, and the process of afterwards re- moving the wax occupied considerable time and no small amount of pa- tience. Small quantities of these goods were at intervals shipped to Eng- land and Holland as early as the 12th century, and there seems to be little doubt that an attempt was made in Europe in the direction of printing pat- terns on cotton as early as 1634. The introduction of cotton printing into Europe is mainly due to the Dutch, the Dutch East India Company having taken the India Chintzes to Holland before they were heard of in England. Flemish emigrants imported the art into England about 1676, and later other works sprang up to supply the London shops with Chintzes, their im- port from India having been prohibited by Parliament in 1700. This in- fringement of the rights of consumers having been received with equa- nimity. Parliament next proceeded to pass a law prohibiting the wearing of all printed cottons — -a law which actually endured in force for 16 years and nipped the rising industry in the bud. In 1736 this unjust law was re- pealed, but the cotton-printer was handicapped by having to pay a duty of 6 pence on every square yard of Chintz he turned out. Later on this duty was decreased to 3 pence, but it was not until 1831 that it was repealed alto- gether. The passage of these obnoxious laws was chiefly due to the extreme jealously of the silk and woolen weavers — a feeling which reached its cli- max in the London riots when the silk weavers paraded the city and tore the calico gowns off every woman they met. Notwithstanding such un- favorable beginning, the cotton-printing industry gradually triumphed, until to-day calico goods are part of the national need and an immense addition to the national wealth. [See Calico, BlockPrinting, Cotton, Cretonne.] Chudder. [From Hindoo chaddar, mantle, shawl]. The name given in Europe to the plain shawls of cashmere of solid color, without pattern except a herringbone twill, or if embroidered, having the embroidery the same color as the ground. 76 COLE'S DICTIONARY OF DRY GOODS. CLA Cladding-. [From clad, to clothe]. A word sometimes used for clothes and clothing. Claitll. A Scotch word for cloth. Clamp-dyeing. See Flags. Clerk. [From Latin clericus, clergyman, priest, whence our words clerical, clergy, ecclesiastic, clerk, etc]. In its original sense a learned man; a man of letters; a scholar; formerly a man who could read, an attainment confined chiefly to ecclesiastics. At present by extension, one who is em- ployed in an office, public or private, or in a store or warehouse either to keep accounts or act in the capacity of salesman. Clan Tartans. [It. tartanianna, linsey-woolsey, or cloth of different materials and colors.] A term descriptive of the parti-colored plaids long worn by the different clans of Scotland. They were of various combina- tions of colors. The exact date of the introduction of clan tartans into this country which at different times have assumed so many wonderful and picturesque varieties, is assigned to 1822. The fashion of wearing these gaily colored plaids has been revived from time to time during recent years, and have been variously styled Scotch Plaids, Clan Tartans, Tartan Plaids, etc. The numerous clans into which the Highland population was divided had each a special tartan plaid by which it was distinguished. Many new and imaginary " sets'' have been invented by manufacturers in the United States, with the result of introducing confusion in the heraldry of tartans, and of throwing doubt on the reality of the distinctive " sets " which in the olden time were undoubtedly recognized as badges of particu- lar clans. [See Plaids.J Clay Worsted. A variety of flat-twilled worsted woven with a twill similar to that of serge, the diagonal lines lying flat on the surface and barely perceptible. On account of the warp and weft being slackly twisted the cloth does not take a gloss as in the case of the ordinary hard-twisted worsteds. The name is derived from an English manufacturer, and it is from England that the best qualities are obtained. Cloaks. [Originally spelled clokke and until recently cloke. The word is derived from clock, which piece of mechanism, when first made, was of the shape of a bell, and sounded the hours with a clapper. The cloak when first used for a garment was bell-shaped and without sleeves, hence the name.] Properly a loose outer garment without sleeves, worn by either sex as a protection against the we'ather; at present, however, the term is used for any sort of sleeved wrap, long or short, worn by women. Though a garment of great antiquity, cloaks have in the course of many centuries varied but little, save in being at times short or long, ornamental or useful. They have frequently been common to both sexes, and by English laws of the time of Edward IV (1441 — 1483) were legally regulated as to the length they should be cut and who should wear them. Then no person under the degree of a lord was allowed to wear a cloak which was CLO COLE'S DICTIONARY OF DRY GOODS. 77 not of sufficient length "as being upright to cover his private members and buttocks upon pain of being fined fourty shillings." The fashion of wear- ing short cloaks has frequently recurred, and cloaks of light and costly materials have been worn by men, particularly in the dissolute courts of the early Stuarts. It was one of these latter garments which Sir Walter Raleigh gallantly threw upon the muddy ground that Queen Elizabeth might pass with dry shoes, which act of gallantry ingratiated him into the Queen's good will and brought him life-long favors. Under the name of Spanish cloak this garment was worn from about 1800 to 1840 in Great Britain and America, the shape being a half-circle; it had a broad collar, often velvet or fur, which was continued down the edges of the cloak on both sides. The same garment is still worn as the most common winter dress in Italy. At the present day, when well-fitting, stylish and comfortable cloaks may be bought for very little money, the wonder is that the styles are not more varied. The styles in the United States are more varied than those of the outer garments for men, but hundreds of cloaks of the same pattern may be seen in the streets of a city any day. Cloaks are garments on which women cannot show much originality in making them at home, as they can on dresses, and the styles are, therefore, fixed by the designers employed by manufacturers. In many instances the styles depend on the material to be used, as it would be useless to design a style with many puffs and folds for a thick and heavy material. Besides if the style be good the cloak is acceptable to many women whether it be suited or un- suited to their figures. In making cloaks, where the demand may be some- times for 500 of a certain style, each piece of cloth is thoroughly examined by experts in regard to measure, texture, and color, and then it is sponged by machinery made especially for that purpose. All "smooth" cloths and those with finished faces are sponged by copper rollers, and the machinery is so arranged that from the time the cloth starts until it is folded dry, it is not touched by the operator. The cloth is then ready for the cutters, with all its imperfections marked. Each cutter has a separate check upon which have been entered the particulars about the cloth, style, and proper pat- terns. If the quantity be large enough for the cutting machine, it is marked and laid in folds, but small pieces are cut by hand with shears. After the cloth has been cut according to the provided patterns, the bun- dles are carefully compared with the orders, and then a ticket is made for each garment, on which is a place for each worker to put his or her num- ber, so that a complete record is kept of every hand thac works on the garment. The garments then go to the seamers, who are employed the year round to seam them on machines specially adjusted for that par- ticular work, being provided with a fixed gauge that insures a perfectly uniform seam. Expert seamers can work at machines that make 3000 stitches a minute. For the detection of any possible mistakes and imper- fections in the fit, the garments are tried on models before being sent to 78 COLE'S DICTIONARY OF DRY GOODS. CLO the trimmers. The collars, cuffs, facings, etc., of each garment are cut ac- cording to the style designed, and, with the "body" sent to a workman who particularly excels in that portion of the labor. After leaving the finisher the garment is inspected again by the foreman, and if it be not satisfactory, it goes back to the workman for alterations. After the mak- ing of buttonholes and the sewing on of buttons and ornaments, the gar- ments go to the presser, and from here to the final examiners and model, who are responsible for the fit and workmanship, and who see that the ma- terials and trimmings are right, and that any changes that may have been ordered to suit certain customers have been properly made. Then they are ready for packing and shipping. Records of the shape, cloth, trimmings and buttons, or any other parts of the garment, are kept in duplicate, so that a copy of any garment can be made at any time. Sometimes cloaks that are in fashion in the East for a year do not reach the far West until a year or more afterward, when some particular style may be favored more than another, and the orders for it be larger than those for any other. By turning to the records, exact duplicates of any style can be made at any time, provided that the material be in the market. One of the most important if not the most re- sponsible positions in a cloak factory is that of the model, or "figure," and upon securing good ones depends the prosperity of the establishment. The fact that women for the position of models are paid from $12 to $18 per week for comparatively easy work is an indication that they cannot be had in great numbers. It requires no experience to be a model, but it does re- quire natural grace and fine physical proportions — in fact, "the female form divine." Good looks do not count, though a show-room figure must have attractions and dress much better than the fitting-model in the work-shop. Manufacturers as a rule require a woman of about 5 feet, %% inches in height. She seldom goes under that, but sometimes half an inch more is desirable. The professional figure has a natural grace about her that can- not be acquired by artificial means. Any young woman who has the heigth mentioned above, a bust measurement of 36 inches, waist 24 inches, length of back from 16j^ to 17 inches, arms 24 inches, neck 12)4 inches, hips 42 inches, and 13*4 inches across the shoulders, is a perfect figure and can find steady employment in any cloak house at any time she chooses. The show- room models generally have a contract for all the year around and are paid in full for the same, but they seldom have anything to do except in January and Febuary when the buyers flock to market for the purchase of spring goods, and in July and August when they lay in a supply of fall and winter wraps. The workroorri models are always kept busy. They are the hardest worked of any in the establishment, for upon her is tried twice at least every garment turned out. The sample, or trying-on model must be the most perfect. She, too, is compelled to toil the year round. Large houses employ from 12 to 15 models. In Europe the method of cloak manufacture is not carried on as in CLO COLE'S DICTIONARY OF DRY GOODS. 79 this country. In both England and Germany, and in Berlin especially, the cloakmakers, in a way, get their styles from Paris. They willingly pay a high price for the brains and ideas of the French fashion-makers. The majority of these come from Worth, the fountain-head of Fashion. When the season opens the manufacturers have a large assortment of patterns ready for all countries and tastes. The buyers come, select their styles, place their orders, with changes here and there, or with other combinations and sorts of materials. When the manufacturer has booked his orders, he buys his stock. Then he gets his cloakmakers, who take the goods, trim- mings and belongings to their shops, where they have to do all the spong- ing, cutting, modeling, sewing, pressing and finishing and deliver the gar- ments ready for shipment. If there are any defects in the work the cloak- maker has to make them good. The manufacturer has no further respon- sibility, except to pay the men the stipulated price, and no other function than the furnishing of the goods and patterns in the manufacturing opera- tions. Clock. [From Ang.-Sax. clokke, a time-piece, which, in its original form, was bell-shaped]. A term applied first in 1543 to a bell-shaped orna- ment or flower upon the sides of hoods and hose. At present, any figured ornament on the side of the ankle and leg of a stocking, either woven in the fabric or embroidered upon it. Cloth, [Formerly cloath, origin uncertain.] A fabric or texture of wool or hair, or of cotton, flax, hemp, ramie, silk, or other fiber formed by weaving or intermixture of threads, and used for garments or other cover- ing. Specifically, in trade, a fabric of wool, in contradistinction to one made of other materials. Clothes. Garments for the human body. Dress; vestments; raiment; vesture; clothing; personal attire. According to statisticians, there are about five hundred millions of the human race who are well clothed— that is, who wear garments of some kind. Seven hundred millions cover only certain parts of the body, and two hundred and fifty millions go entirely naked. History teaches that man originated in tropical regions, hence it is reasonable to suppose, on account of the mildness of the climate, that in the first stages of his existence the garments adopted by man consisted of only such as were required for decency. As the population of the earth grew and gradually extended northward to less favorable regions, and was divided into nations and classes of society, additional clothing became necessary, both for comfort and as a distinguishing badge of nation or of class. Philosophers assert that clothes are our friends or our foes all the days of our lives. They control our very health to say nothing of our worldly credit, and are never without some influence, pleasurable or the reverse, upon our associates. [See Dress, Costume, Colors, Fashion.] Clothier. A retail dealer in ready-made clothes for men; a clothing merchant. Merchants sold cloth ages ago, but ready-made-clothing mer- Nails. Inches. 16 36 4 [= 9 1 2^ 80 COLE'S DICTIONARY OF DRY GOODS. CLO chants were unknown in the world sixty-five years ago. Among twelve hundred millions of the earths' people clothing stores are still unknown and unheard-of institutions. One hundred years ago in all civilized countries tailors went from house to house and made up garments from home-made cloth. About sixty years ago tailors began keeping shops, where people took their cloth and had their garments made. Gradually the tailors began to keep cloths for sale, and were called merchant tailors, and a few years later clothing stores sprang up. Cloth Measure, A standard system formerly employed for measur- ing the length and surface of cloth sold by the yard, but now practically out of use, the yard being divided into halves, quarters and sixteenths. The table is: Yard. Quarters. 1 = 4 = 1 = Cloth of Gold. A splendid fabric of very ancient origin, first men- tioned in Deuteronomy XXXIX, 3: " And they did beat the gold into thin plates, and cut it into wires to work it in the blue, and in the purple, and in the scarlet, and in the fine linen, with cunning work." Both round wires and flat strips of gold were early employed in weaving cloth of gold. In the latter case, the strips were wound round silken thread. Most frequently the gold threads were woven with a web of silk, but instances of stuffs wholly composed of gold are common. Some old historical writers, almost contemporary with the time of the great jenghiz Kahn (1162-1227), the Mongolian emperor, state the latter had in his possession at the time of his death, "apiece of cloth beautiful beyond description, which he claimed was of pure gold, containing 130 shades of color." A shred of cloth of gold is still preserved at Leyden, Germany/ which was discovered in one of the ancient tombs at Tarquinii, in Etruria (7th century, B. C.) In this, tissue gold forms a compact covering over bright yellow silk. The use of cloth of gold in England was most profuse from the reign of Edward I to that of Henry VIII (1239 to 1497). The House of Commons, in the reign of Richard II (1350), presented a petition, praying that no knight or lady under forty pounds land by the year " do wear any precious furs, cloth of gold, ribbon of gold or silk, on pain that they lose all that they have." In the various wardrobe accounts of the sovereigns of both England and France, from this time forward, frequent entries are found of cloth of gold, etc. At a very early date in mediaeval ages, fraudulent imitations of gold threads were made from copper-gilt wire and from gold leaf hammered upon vellum and afterward cut into strips. The practice of covering fabrics with leaf -gold gilding had been sufficiently frequent as to call for the inter- ference of Parliament. In England, in 1619, " the better to prevent the un- necessary and excessive vent of gold and silver foilate (gold-leaf) within CLO COLE'S DICTIONARY OF DRY GOODS. 81 this realm, none such shall henceforth be wrought or used on cloths, etc.," armor and banners excepted. However, but little attention was paid to this edict. Two years later, a Scotch law was passed " whereby no persons were to wear cloth of gold or silver, nor gold and silver lace on their clothes, nor velvets, satins, or other silk stuffs," except certain persons of rank. Heavy silk, inwrought with gold and silver, the richest and costliest which textile industry in general can furnish has always been used for ceremonial gar- ments by the Chinese and Japanese, and for the furnishing for the richer theatres and temples. The use of gold paper in Japanese brocade, or cloth of gold, has recently awakened great interest with silk manufacturers in various countries. The paper is cut into narrow strips and is then either spun around silk thread or is itself twisted into a thread and woven in. The fabric in this way looks just as if it were inwrought with genuine gold, but differs in that it is cheaper and more flexible than the actual gold. From historical records it will be seen that cloth of gold has been, in nearly all ages, worn almost exclusively by the nobilitv and the church until within the present century, when in the cycles of fashion succeeding, it has been appropriated for various articles of costume worn by ladies in general. [See Brocade.] Coal tar colors. A name given to a numerous class of colors de- rived from coal tar by various complex chemical methods. From ordi- nary soft coal is obtained the means of producing over 400 shades of colors, nearly all of which are useful in dyeing fabrics. They are more often and properly called aniline colors, as aniline was the first of them discovered. [See Aniline.] Coat. A principal outer garment; any covering for the body. Speci- fically an outer garment worn by men, covering the upper part of the body. In the early middle ages it was identical with what is now called a tunic, or sometimes with the cassock and corset (which see). Coats of modern form, fitted to the body and having loose skirts, first appeared in the regin of Charles II (1630-1685). Since the beginning of the 18th century the coat has been of three general fashions; a broad skirted coat, now called the Prince Albert, so named in honor of Queen Victoria's illustrious consort; the cutaway coat; and the sack coat which has no skirt. About 1860 the long-used swallow tail coat was discarded, and the Prince Albert took its place. This was too staid and uncomfortable a dress coat for young men, and very soon tailors improved upon it. They made it shorter, whittled the sides away to a tapering skirt and cut it to fit, and made it of fancy colored cloths as well as of the old broadcloth. This was the the modern cutaway coat, and it has taken such a hold with the public that it is now the most popular article of dress in men's clothing. Coburg 1 . A thin dress fabric woven of worsted and cotton, twilled on one side, and used as a substitute for merino and paramatta cloth. It was first introduced in England in 1838, shortly after Victoria's marriage with 82 COLE'S DICTIONARY OF DRY GOODS, COB Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg ; most probably aiming at popularity through that event. In England the term coburg is applied to all cotton-warp, twilled worsted dress fabrics either of double or single width. Cobweb lawn. Fine white linen or cotton lawn. [See Lawn.] Cochineal (kotch ' -i-neal). A dyestuff consisting of the dried bodies of a species of insects. It colors a brilliant crimson, which can be changed by acids to an orange-red, and by alkalis to violet; a beautiful scarlet dye is also prepared from it. The cochineal insect is extensively cultivated in the tropical countries of America, in Algeria, Java and the Canary Islands, especially the island of Teneriffe, from whence about five million pounds are exported annually. The female only are valuable for their color, and are collected twice a year. They are killed by baking them in rude ovens or immersing them in boiling water. The cochineal is a fat, dark, spherical little body, looking like a black currant, and with neither head, legs, nor tail to the casual observer. In fact, he is so inanimate that one may crush him between finger and thumb without any qualm of conscience. He is nothing but a black currant sure enough and the ancient Greeks held the idea that they were a sort of berry, though the bright carmine from his body which serves him for blood and the dyer for dye, is a better color'than the juice of the currant. A cochineal plantation has a singular aspect. The • larvae, like that of the silk-worm, being very delicate have to be tied upon cactus plants, which is to be their nursery and their nourishment at the same time. Thus may be seen hundreds of the shoots of the cactus all bandaged with white linen, as if they had the toothache. In this way the insects are kept warm and dry during the winter, and induced to adhere to the plant itself. When they are full grown, they are ruthlessly swept away from their prickly quarters, baked or boiled to death and dried in the sun. The shriveled anatomies are then packed in bags, and sold for about $25 per hundredweight. Cocked Hat. A hat turned up evenly on three sides, such as naval and military officers wear on full-dress occasions. Such hats were in general use in the last century by the American patriots, and also by the Pilgrims. Cockle. [Derived from cockle-shell, which is a variety having wrinkles or crimps over its surface.] A term in trade signifying to pucker or con- tract into wrinkles; to rise into frequent uneven ridges or puckers. Often used in reference to worsted or mohair fabrics when wet. Cocoa Fibre. Cocoa matting and cocoa carpeting are made of what is technically called "coir," which is the thick, fibrous husk surrounding the cocoa-nut when first plucked from the tree. This husk is spun into a small cord and the matting or carpet is woven thick and heavy and rather open in texture to permit the dust and dirt to sift through it; especially used where much rough wear is expected. These husks, which are largely imported from India and Ceylon, were formerly considered useless, but are COI COLE'S DICTIONARY OF DRY GOODS. 83 now commercially more valuable than the nuts which they cover. Coir is particularly esteemed for ship ropes on account of its peculiar property of resisting the action of salt water, whereas fresh water makes it rotten. Coiffure (koif'-ur; French pron. kwo' -fur). A head-dress; the manner of arranging or dressing the hair. Collar. [From Latin collum, the neck.] Originally a peculiar badge worn around the neck by Knights of different orders. It consisted of a gold chain, enameled, etc., to which was attached the badge of the order to which the Knight belonged. It was worn at court chiefly on state oc- casions.which were called collar days. These bands were first worn during the 16th and 17th Centuries, and have varied from the plain band, which was nothing more than the simplest of collars, to elaborately trimmed falling bands, which ornamented with lace and needlework, fell far over the shoulders requiring a receptacle to themselves for storing away; hence was derived our present "band-box." Collars and Cuffs. Articles of attire for both men and women, made usually of linen, and starched. The quality is denoted by the "ply," which ranges from 2-ply to 5-ply. Ladies' cuffs range in size from 7 to 9; boys' cuffs from 8 to 9; men's from 9 to 12. Men's collars range in size from 14 to 20; boys' from 12 to 14>^; ladies' from 12 to 16. One "size" of both cuffs and collars is one half inch in their length. Colors. In its relation to textiles, color is that quality or appearance of a fabric which is perceived by the eye alone independently of its form. Hue is the distinctive quality of a color; the respect in which colors may differ though possessing the same luminosity and chroma. Thus scarlet and crimson differ in hue, but buff and yellow chiefly in chroma. The word hue is always applied to the modifications which it receives from the addi- tion of a smaller quantity of another color. Chroma is the degree of de- parture of a color from that of white or gray. Tone means, the various modifications which a color is capable of receiving from white (which lowers its tone) or black (which heightens it). In fewer words, it is the mod- ification which any color is capable of receiving from the addition of black or white. Tints are the colors considered as more or less bright by being modified by the addition of white. Shade is any degree or variation of a color, as lighter or darker. There are but three primary colors generally recognized: blue, red and yellow. These are called primary because they cannot be produced by compounding any other colors. The secondary colors are green, purple and orange. These are called secondary because blue and yellow make green; red and blue make purple, and red and yellow, orange. From these are derived the tertiary colors: olive, citrine and russet Purple and green make olive; orange and green, citrine; purple and orange! russet. Thus we have the three classifications denoting all the colors proper extant. The varieties of tones, tints, hues and shades obtained from these three classes are as kaleidioscopic in their possibilities of combination as 84 COLE'S DICTIONARY OF DRY GOODS. COL the alphabet of letters. The hand of man or the skill of the artist will never exhaust them. At the present time there are recorded processes for the production of 16,000 differently colored dyes, each capable of forming a different color upon textile fabrics. Cattle are excited by a bright red color because that color is the com- plementary one to green; and as the eyes of the cattle are all day long fixed steadily upon the green of the herbiage on which they feed, articles of a red color must necessarily impress their vision with greatly increased and contrasted intensity, with the result of causing them to grow madly ex- cited. Colors not only influence cattle, but human beings also: On this point some curious experiments are reported to have occurred in the hos- pitals of Italy, as to the effect of colors on the nerves of the sick and in- sane. In many hospitals of that country special rooms are arranged with red or blue glass in the windows, and also red or blue paint on the walls. A violent patient is brought suddenly into a blue room and left to the effects of that color on his nerves. One maniac was cured in an hour; another was at peace in his mind after passing a day in a room all violet. The red room is used for the commonest form of dementia — melancholy, usually accompanied by a loss of appetite or a refusal to take food. After three hours in a red room, a patient afflicted in this way began to be cheer- ful and asked for food. Many sane persons are curiously sensitive to color and shapes in surroundings, certain combinations effecting them with almost physical pain. As no surroundings are so inevitable as people's clothes, dress must be held responsible for a certain amount of intended pleasure or annoyance to others. It is said that one's own apparel is not without a certain influence on the wearer's own mind. A new color seems to bring a new atmosphere with it, and changes oddly enough the level of thought. Balzac, the French author, says that a woman's character always finds expression in her favorite color. A woman who prefers orange or green gowns is, he thinks, quarrelsome. Those who sport yellow hats or who go clad in black without cause are not to be trusted. White indicates coquetry. Gentle and thoughtful women prefer pink. Pearl-gray is the color of women who consider themselves unfortunate. Lilac is the shade particularly affected by over ripe beauties; therefore according to this au- thority, lilac hats are mostly worn by mothers on their daughter's wed- ding day, and by women more than forty years old when they go visiting. Wool has generally the strongest affinity to color, when it comes to dyeing. Next to wool silk and other animal substances receive it best. Cot- ton is the third, and hemp and linen follow successively. As a rule pig- ments and dyestuffs do not produce permanent colors, and some substance is required to produce an affinity between the cloth and coloring matter. The substances that are employed to act as this bond of union are called "mordants," [see Calico and Dyeing] whose uses were known to the Egyptians and other nations of remote antiquity. Specifically, mordants in dyeing and cloth printing, is a body which, having two-fold coloring par- COL COLE'S DICTIONARY OF DRY GOODS. 85 tides, serves as a bond of unity between them, and thus gives a fixity to the dyes; or, it signifies a substance which, combined with the coloring parti- cles in the pores of the textile filaments, renders them insoluble in soapy and weak alkaline solutions. Mordant is also the substance previously applied to the goods in order that they may afterward retain in part the dye. The chemical activity of the sun's rays is well known, and certain colors seem to be decomposed and precipitated more readily under the influence of light. It is not surprising, therefore, to find that light should also have a very marked effect upon dyed colors. Under the prolonged influence of light and air almost all colors fade, and according to their rel- ative behavior in this respect they are broadly divided into two classes, namely, those which are "fast to light" and those which are "not fast to light." Each of the seven colored rays of the spectrum possesses a differ- ent fading power. White light is the most active, then follow the yellow, blue, green, orange, violet, indigo and red rays. Direct sunlight is more energetic than diffused daylight. The light of the electric arc acts in the same manner as the sun, but is less powerful. According to the best author- ities on colors, the presence of moisture assists very materially in the fad- ing action of light, so that even some fugitive colors, dyed for example, with safflower annato or orchid, do not fade if exposed to light in dry oxy- gen or in vacuo. The term "fast color" generally implies that the color in question resists the fading action of the light, but it may also imply that it is affected by washing with soap and water, or by the action of acids and alkalies, etc. In its wide sense it means that the color is not affected by any of those influences to which it is destined to be submitted, but its tech- nical influence is often restricted. Many colors may be fairly fast to wash- ing with soap and water, and yet be very fugitive toward light; or they may be fast to light and yet very sensitive to the action of acids and alkalies. The term "loose color" generally implies that the color is much impover- ished, or entirely removed, by washing with water or a solution of soap; it may, however, also mean that it is not fast to light. The word "perma- nent" as applied to color, generally denotes that it is fast to light and other natural influences. A "fugitive color" is generally understood to be one which is not fast to light. In the absence of any definite meaning being attached to the above terms, it becomes imperative in speaking of the fast- ness of a color, to refer especially to the particular influence which it does or does not resist. Combing- Wool. See Wool, Worsted. Comforts. The history of the manufacture of comforts, or "bed comfortables " as they were styled formerly, is an interesting one. For seventeen years the machine-made article has been turned out with con- stantly increasing improvement in the process of manufacture, but previous to that the old quilting frame and later the sewing machine were utilized, and nearly every family made their comforts at home. Now, the machine- 86 COLE'S DICTIONARY OF DRY GOODS. COM made comfort is produced at so low a figure that but few housewives take the time to make them by hand, to say nothing of the expense which would in all probability be more than it would cost to buy them ready-made. With the increase in the output of factory goods, has followed in turn a falling off in the sale of cotton bats to the trade, which were formerly so largely in demand by the ladies of this country in the making up of the article referred to. It is estimated that about 3,000,000 machine-made comforters pass into consumption annually, and as the average wholesale price is about $1.00, a very fair idea of the volume of business consumated each year can be formed. Prices range from $4 to $60 per dozen, the latter being of silk and down, and the former composed of the dust and shoddy of woolen mills. Sizes run from 60x72 up to 78x84 inches, but the average and best selling size is 75x78 inches. The fabrics of which comforts are made are all printed specially for the purpose and on very wide cloth. Prints are largely used, though satteen covering is increasing in use year by year. Down comforts are the best as well as the most expensive variety manufactured. Formerly all down comforts were imported and the high price of the foreign-made article placed it among the luxuries which were only within the reach of the well-to-do. Now, however, with improved machinery and a larger demand United States manufacturers are able to produce a down comfort which can be retailed for $5, bringing this beauti- ful and most comfortable of comforts within the reach of the average housekeeper. Commission Merchant . An individual or firm who sells goods on a per cent, either in his own name or in the name of the foreign or domestic manufacturer, and intrusted with the possession, management, control and disposal of the goods sold ; differing from a broker, who is an agent employed merely to make bargains and contracts between the jobber and manufacturer. Composition Cloth. A material made from long flax, dressed with a chemical which renders it perfectly waterproof ; used for trunk covers, and in the manufacture of canvas bags. Convent Cloth ; An extremely light weight dress fabric, with a silk warp and wool weft, the weave resembling that of linen momie cloth as seen in towels, etc. It comes in white and plain colors. Cony Fur (co ' -ny). The fur of rabbits and other burrowing animals, used for making felt for hats, and also in the manufacture of a cheap grade of fur caps. [See Fur.] In the 17th century the Mexicans made many beautiful cloths out of cotton and cony fur which they exported to Eng- land. The Abbe Clavigoro in his History of Mexico says : " They wove their cloths of different figures and colours, representing different animals and flowers, which were as delicate and fine as those of Holland. Of feathers interwoven with cotton they made mantles and bed curtains, car- pets, gowns, and other things, not less soft and beautiful. With cotton COP COLE'S DICTIONARY OF DRY GOODS. 87 they also interwove the finest hair of the belly of rabbits and hares, after having made and spun it into thread ; of this they made beautiful cloths, and in particular winter waistcoats for the lords." Cope. A large, loose outer garment ; a cloak ; a mantle. A large mantle of silk or brocade worn by catholic priests in processions. As dis- tinguished from the chasuble, the cope is a processional or choral vest- ment, while the chasuble is sacrificial or eucharistic. In the University of Cambridge, England, the ermine robe worn by a doctor in the senate-house on congregation day is called a cope. Cordage and Twines. Cordage is a general term for all kinds of hemp rope, from cables 12 inches in circumference to common quarter-inch clothes line. Ropes were among the earlier necessities of man, and have been known in all ages, among all people. There is probably no fibre known but what man at some time has utilized in the manufacture of ropes. Of all these raw materials the one best adapted for making cordage, on account of its cheapness as well as wearing properties, is hemp. A good hemp rope is hard but pliant, yellowish or greenish gray in color with a certain pearly luster. A dark or blackish color indicates that the hemp has suffered from fermentation in the process of curing, and brown spots show that the rope was spun while these fibers were damp, and is con- sequently soft and weak in those places. Cordage is numbered by inches and fractions of inches of diameter. Twine, which is commonly known as a strong cord or string, is usually numbered as follows : Nos. 1, 2, 3, 4 flax ball twines, suitable for hardware merchants and manufacturers, ex- press companies, etc.; Nos. 5, 6, 7, 8, fine flax, grey and colored twine for stationers, and Nos. 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, red, blue and other colors for druggists, etc.; Nos. 14, 16, 17 bleached flax twine for fancy goods, cutlery, etc.; Nos. 15 and 18 jute and cotton twines for grocers, dry goods stores, etc. There are about $8,000,000 worth of flax and hemp twines made in this country every year, not the big sorts, such as ropes and cables, but just the num- bers one to eighteen, lumped under the broad head of twines. Besides these there is a large quantity of cotton string made, and here and there still a few paper ones, though the latter — invented when cotton was high-priced in the North during the war, and then quite common — are now seldom seen There are but 8 twine factories in the United States : 2 in New Jersey, 3 in northern New York, 2 in Massachusetts, and 1 (the largest) in New York City. The latter employs 800 hands and turns 14,000 pounds per day of finished twines and shoe thread, ranging in price from 14 cents to $1.50 per pound. In addition to these eight factories, there are scattered through the Eastern states a few small establishments, but there are none, large or small, in the West or South. [See Flax, Linen, Hemp.] Corded Fabrics. A general term used in trade to signify reps, Bed- ford and whipcord, pipecord, ottoman and other novelties in dress goods 88 COLE'S DICTIONARY OF DRY GOODS. COR woven with a rib or cord forming the predominating characteristic of the fabric. Cordovan (cor '-do-van). [From Cordova, a city of Spain, where it was first made.] Leather made from the hides of horses. Also called cord- wain. Corduroy (cor-du-roi ' ). [French cor du roi, royal cord or King's cord]. A heavy cotton material, corded or ribbed on the surface. It is ex- tremely durable, being especially used for the garments of men engaged in rough labor, field sports and the like. The construction of corduroy is the same as that of velvet (which see), with a twill foundation and a pile surface. The cords are produced by a peculiar disposition of the pile threads, they being "thrown in" where the corded portions are, and absent in the narrow spaces between them. After leaving the loom and subject- ed to the operations of "brushing" and "singeing" to give the cloth a smooth and finished surface, it is piece-dyed, usually in shades of olive, slate or drab. [See Weaving.] Cork. A species of oak, growing in the south of Europe, especially in Spain and Portugal and in the north of Africa, having a thick, rough bark, for the sake of which the cork tree is often planted. It grows to the height of forty feet, and yields bark regularly every eight years for 150 years. This outer bark, which grows to a thickness of two inches, is the common cork of commerce, and is used for many purposes, especially for stoppers for bottles, inner soles of shoes, etc. Cork Leather. A variety formed of two sheets of leather with a thin layer of cork between them, the whole being glued and pressed together. Corkscrew Worsted. [So-called from its fancied resemblance to the twists of a corkscrew.] A particular weave which has for several years been extensively employed in the manufacture of "worsted" goods, more especially in cloths intended for men's clothing. The prolonged duration and success of the corkscrew pattern has had but few parallels in the his- tory of cloth manufacture, though, at present, clay worsted and cheviot are fast driving it out of popular favor. The structure of the ordinary class of corkscrew worsted is based on the sateen-twill principle. It is predicted that the time is not far distant when fickle fashion will cease entirely to smile on this particular weave, and then they will have had their run — together with broadcloth and doeskin, they will exist only as memories of things that have been. [See Worsted, Woolen.] Corset. [French corse, body; Latin corse tus, a close-fitting garment.] A close-fitting waist, usually made of quilted jean, stiffened with whale- bone, etc., worn by women to give shape and support to the figure Corsets of various forms and eccentricities have been worn ever since the eyes of man have admired the graceful form of woman. Always with one aim and object in view, and that to more fully emphasize the beautifully rounded curves of the waist and hips. They have been known by many COR COLE'S DICTIONARY OF DRY GOODS. 89 names and in use by many peoples, but invariably for a single and self- same purpose. The Romans knew them under the title of corsetus, the Italians, corsetto; the Spanish name was corselete, the Portugese corsolet; while the English have dubbed them successively corsete,bodice, stomacher, stays and corset. The Parliament of England in 1450 forbid the wives of persons not having the yearly income of $200, and widows of less possess- 'on, to wear corsets of silk made out of the realm,, or any coverchief ex- ceeding a certain price. In the 15th and 16th centuries corsets were elab- orate affairs with skirts and sleeves attached to them and worked with lace and gold. They varied in length, shape and amplitude, being occasionally lined with costly furs and trimmings of every imaginable description. The old way of fastening a corset was to lace it up every time it was put on. This required considerable time. The later plan adopted by manufacturers and the one now universally used is to have at the front a pair of steel bands that are fastened by a little catch. These little catches are made of white metal, and there are four or five of them on each corset. The weight of a set of "catches" is not greater than an ordinary thimble, yet one Con- necticut firm uses about 32 tons of white metal a year to make these catches. The steel required for the stays amounts to hundreds of tons, and there are separate factories devoted to the production of the steels. The steels are tempered to about the consistency of a watch spring, and there is a surprising amount of work for 10 cents a pair upon these. Cor- sets, like other ready-made clothing are made of all sorts and sizes, and from all prices from 25 cents to $50 each. A full "size" of a corset means 1 inch, expressed 18, 19, 20 up to 40, and representing the actual waist measure of the wearer. Imported corsets are the most expensive of the ready-made kinds, but when made "to order" the highest prices are reached. Ordinary women will get along with a couple of corsets a year, costing $3, but when it comes to corsets made of silk or satin, and trimmed with costly lace and made to suit certain whims or different costumes, the cost becomes a very considerable item. Formerly corsets depended for their stiffness entirely opon whalebone, but when gas and coal oil destroyed the whale fishery and whalebone grew scarce and expensive, steel was in- troduced and substituted for whalebone. This was good for the fronts, but has never been available for the small bones at the sides. The principal substitute for whalebone is horn. This is chiefly manufactured in France from South American horns, and the stuff is imported cut into narrow strips ready for use. Efforts have been made to substitute cellu- loid, various kinds of wood and hard rubber strips, but nothing has yet been found so good as the whalebone or the horn. There are great corset factories at Newark, Detroit, New York and Chicago, but the larger part manufactured in this country are made in Connecticut and Massachusetts. The figures of the 11th Census show that there are over 10,000 persons employ- ed in the United States making corsets, the value of what they produce being about $10,000,000. Besides this, immense quantities are imported 90 COLE'S DICTIONARY OF DRY GOODS. COR from France and England, the total consumption being not quite 60,000,000 a year. The names and shapes of corsets are patented, and in the past ten years there has been much costly litigation over patents that would appear to be insignificant outside of the trade. Corset Jean. A double-fold, calendered cotton drilling, used princi- pally in the manufacture of corsets and for lining the waists of ladies' dresses. [See Jean.] Cote de Cheval (cote de chee'-val). A light-weight wool dress fabric, with a slight mixture of camel's hair, woven with a longitudinal cord like corduroy, in color both mixed and plain; known also to the trade as cash- mere chevron. Cotton. Among all the materials which the skill of man converts into comfortable and elegant clothing, that which appears to be the most ex- tensively useful, though it was the last to be generally diffused, is the beautiful product of the cotton plant. The native botanical home of cot- ton is in the far East. Since the 5th century B. C, India almost every- where throughout her wide-spread domain has arrayed, as she still arrays, herself in cotton, gathered from a plant of the Gossypium family, which has its wild growth there. More than two thousand years before England conceived the idea of applying modern industry to the manufacture of cot- ton, India had matured a system of hand weaving which during all that vast period received no recorded improvement. The people, though remarkable for their intelligence whilst Europe was in a state of barbarism, made no attempt to improve upon their laborious hand processes, nor was the cultivation of the plant either improved or considerably extended. Possessing soil, climate, and all the requisite elements from nature for the production of cotton to an almost boundless extent, and of a useful and acceptable quality, India for a long series of years did but little toward supplying the manufacturers of other countries with the raw material which they required. With the discovery of America, however, a com- petitor arose in the production of this valuable staple, which was soon to take first rank in the cotton-producing countries of the world. Tardy and uncertain as was the development of our cotton industry prior to 1792, the invention of the cotton-gin by Eli Whitney in that year, gave it a magical impetus which in a hundred years has placed the United States foremost among all nations for production and manufacture of this fibre. We have accomplished more by adpating the cotton-gin to this industry in one century, than India has accomplished in twenty, and have every reason to be proud of our record. It would be impossible to enumerate the results of this great mechanical invention. Its influence extends to all ranks of society and to every region of the world. Like the telegraph, the steam- boat, and other great inventions, the cotton-gin has had a striking influence upon modern civilization. It changed the occupation and modes of life of great multitudes in both Europe and America; it demanded and brought COT COLE'S DICTIONARY OF DRY GOODS. 91 about new inventions to supplement its work; it transformed the sluggish life of the South into a life of activity, power and wealth. Its effect upon the production of cotton was immediate and striking. Cotton was an un- important factor in the colonies prior to this invention, but a small amount being grown annually. In 1786 attention was called to the possibility of raising cotton for the English market, and more vigorous efforts were made. In 1791 the South produced 2,000,000 pounds, of which 190,000 pounds were exported. The following year, however, the exportation was but 50,000 pounds. So difficult, in fact, was the process of ginning (removing the seeds) that tobacco, indigo and rice bade fair to be the chief and permanent products of the Southern states. In the winter of 1892 — 93 came the in- vention of the cotton-gin. Encouraged by the hope of its success, the planters during the following season (1793) raised 5,000,000 pounds of cot- ton, and sent a half-million pounds to Europe. During the following year the use of the cotton-gin became more general in Georgia and South Caro- lina. It is not surprising, therefore, to find a product of 8,000,000 pounds in 1794, and an exportation of over 1,500,000 pounds. Year after year the area of the cotton-producing country, the number of planters and their slaves, and the amount and value of the crop, showed rapid growth. In 1800 the product was 35,000,000 pounds; in 1810, 85,000,000; in 1820, 160,- 000,000; in 1830, 350,000,000; in 1840, 880,000,000; in 1880, 3,200,000,000; in 1892, 4,500,000,000. The debt which the nation and the world owe to Eli Whitney is proclaimed by the eloquence of statistics. They indicate that Robert Fulton was not wrong when he said that "Arkwright, Watt and Whitney were the three men who did most for mankind of any of their con- temporaries." Nor was Lord Macaulay too extravagant in saying, "What Peter the Great did to make Russia dominant, Eli Whitney's invention of the cotton-gin has more than eqalled in its relation to the power and progress of the United States." Whitney's tomb at New Haven, Conn., bears the following inscription: ELI WHITNEY, The inventor of the cotton gin, Of useful science and arts, the efficient patron and improver. in the Social relations of life, a model of excellence. While private affection weeps at his tomb, his country honors his memory. Born December 8th, 1765.— died January 8th, 1825. The sowing-time for cotton extends from the beginning of March to the end of April, the early part of the latter month being considered the most eligible because of there being less danger to the young plants from the occurrence of frost — that fearful bane to the cotton planter. The'seed 92 COLE'S DICTIONARY OF DRY GOODS. COT is sown in ridges, paralleled by furrows, for the purpose of draining off the superfluous water. After the plants have attained a moderate height they are thinned out, so as to remove those that promise badly, and to leave sufficient space to those that are vigorous ; this space varies from 10 to 20 inches. The soil is carefully weeded and the plants are still further thin- ned, if their luxuriant growth should require that process as the season advances. As the summer approaches, and the frost has disappeared, the crop is liable to injury from the heavy rains and the attacks of a cater- pillar which feeds voraciously upon the leaves of the plant. The blossom then appears, varying in color from yellow to red, and lastly brown. From the blossom the pod is formed which in time bursts into a boll of snowy white. It is said that no crop in the United States presents an appearance so beautiful as growing cotton, especially at the gathering season, when the globes of snowy wool are seen among the glossy dark green leaves, exhib- iting on a single stem the expanding blossom, the bursting pod and the snowy flakes of ripe cotton. The season of picking commences in the latter part of July, and continues without intermission to the Christmas holidays. The work is not heavy, but becomes tedious from its sameness. Each hand is supplied with a basket and a bag. The basket is left at the head of the cotton row ; the bag being suspended from the picker's shoulder by a strap, and used to hold the cotton as it is taken from the boll. When the bag is full it is emptied into the basket, and this routine continued throughout the day. Each hand picks from 150 to 200 pounds of seed cotton each day ; however, some negroes of extraordinary ability go beyond this amount. The problem of gathering cotton from the plant in a more expeditious manner than is done at present by hand has racked the brains of mechanics for a generation, and a hundred devices more or less, have been patented which were designed to accomplish this purpose. The difficulty encountered by this host of inventors has been so great that up to the present time cotton is still gathered by hand exclusively. There has, however, been recently invented a machine which experts and planters, who are interested, think has at last solved the cotton-gathering problem. The new machine resembles the frame of a wagon on four wheels, and straddles the rows, so to speak ; a driving-wheel, set revolving by the machine as the horses draw it along,, turns several wheels placed horizontally on top of the machine. These wheels turn perpendicular rods that reach down on each side of the cotton row. To these rods are attached at right angles pieces of wires which describe rapid half circles, beating the cotton plant in their sweep, or "agitating it." This agitation knocks off the cotton, which falls on a movable floor and carries the fibre back to a huge bag fastened to the rear of the machine. A slight blow will usually cause the cotton to drop, but if any remains, fans in the top of the machine create an air current that blows off the residue. The ripening of cotton proceeds in three stages, that nearest the ground ripening first, then that about the middle of the plant, and lastly the top crop. The first COT COLE'S DICTIONARY OF DRY GOODS. 93 picking is usually small and unrenumerative ; the second picking is the heaviest, while the third or top picking is frequently poor, and in many cases abandoned entirely, so that it is estimated that of the cotton actually grown fully 10 per cent, is lost by abandonment, as it does not pay to keep the hands together for picking. The three principal varieties of cotton cultivated in the United States are the "Sea Island", the "New Orleans", and the "Upland" varieties, which taken together are unequalled by the products of any other part of the globe. The Sea Island cotton, grown in the soft and balmy climate of low-lying islands off the coast of Georgia, Carolina and Florida, where frost is scarcely known, has surpassed all other varieties of cotton in the length and beauty or its staple. The delicate and silken filaments render it highly valuable for the production of the finest yarns. It is never introduced into the coarser muslins, but is used for the most delicate fabrics, and exclusively for the manufacture of sewing thread, being also consumed in large quantities by silk manufacturers, the fine, soft and glossy fibre rendering a mixture with the thread of the silk worm difficult to be detected. The largest crop of Sea Island cotton ever harvested was picked in 1891-92, amounting to 68,000 bales, or about 40 per cent, more than any former crop. The average price is about 30 cents per pound. Over half of this cotton is annually shipped to Europe, to be manufactured into the finest grades of cotton fabrics. The long, bright fibre is also used largely in the manufacture of fine "silk" striped silesias for coat and sleeve linings; producing a stripe that no more visual and tactual examination can distingush from silk. "Upland" cotton is generally a light, flimsy cotton, of a weak and very unequal staple, used ordinarily for the filling, or weft threads. "New Orleans" cotton is superior to Upland, and has the preference on account of its Clean, soft, and glossy appearance. It is rather short in staple, but even and strong. [See Egyptian Cotton.] The following is the classification of the different grades of raw cotton in the markets of the United States : Fair, barely fair, strict middling fair, fully middling fair, barely mid- dling fair. Strict good middling, fully good middling, good middling, barely good middling, Strict middling, fully middling, middling, barely middling. Strict low middling, fully low middling, low middling, barely low middling. Strict good ordinary, fully good ordinary, good ordinary, barely good ordinary, strict ordinary, fully ordinary, ordinary. The full grades are fair, middling fair, good middling, middling, good ordinary and ordinary. The half grades are designated by the prefixes "barely", meaning the mean point between the. half grade and the next full grade above, and "fully" meaning the mean point between the half-grade and the next full grade below. 94 COLE'S DICTIONARY OF DRY GOODS. COT The average yield of cotton in the South varies from 140 to 180 pounds per acre. A bale of cotton, as it appears in commerce weighs 500 pounds, to produce which 1600 pounds of seed cotton is required ; and at the rate of 80 cents per 100 pounds for picking, it costs to pick one bale of cotton $12.80, or to pick the crop of 1892, of 9,000,000 bales, there was expended the fabulous sum of $120,000,000. "Seed cotton" is the term applied to the staple before it has been cleansed of its weighty proportion of seeds by the "gin". Every boll of cotton contains seeds resembling unground coffee, which, when removed, leave only about one-third in weight of clean cotton. After leaving the gin, it is wound in a fleecy state upon a large wooden roller and transferred to the carding machine. Carding of cotton is the process of disentangling and arranging in par- allel rows the fibres of the cotton so as to facilitate the twisting of them to- gether. Carding may be compared to the combing and brushing of one's hair, and the card combines the properties of the comb and brush, being a large brush with wire teeth instead of bristles. These teeth are inserted in strips of leather, which are fastened to the surface of a cylinder. Several of such cylinders are so arranged that the ends of the teeth are nearly in contact, and the cotton being brought to them is caught up, passed from one to the other and combed out, as the cylinders turn round, in the form of beautiful films or fleeces. These films, which are the width of the cylin- ders, are next contracted to a narrow ribbon by being passed through a funnel and drawn out in order to make them ready for the next process, called spinning. For spinning cotton there are two kinds of machines used — "throstles" and "mules." The throstle is employed in the spinning of yarn for warps. This yarn has its fibre more closely twisted than that spun upon the mule, and is more esteemed for certain purposes, especially for making sewing thread. The mule, or mule-jenny, differs from the throstle in that it spins a yarn much finer and softer, though more woolly in texture than throstle- yarn; mule-yarn, besides forming the weft of cloths, is also doubled and used for a variety of purposes wherein a lightly-twisted, thread-like yarn is not required. The principle of attenuating the yarn is, however, the same in both machines, consisting of several pairs of rollers turned by means of machinery. The lower roller of each pair is fluted or furrowed, and the upper one is covered with leather to induce it to take hold of the cotton. If there were only one pair of rollers, it is clear that the fibre passed between them would be drawn forward by the revolution of the rollers, similar to running a string through a clothes-wringer; but the cotton would merely undergo a certain degree of compression or flattening from their action. No sooner, however, has the fibre begun to pass through the first pair of rollers than it is received by a second pair, which are made to revolve four times as fast as the first pair, thus attenuating it, and so on through several sets of rollers, drawing the thread out finer and finer. By this ingenious 20 ' 20 ' 50 ' 50 ' 60 ' 60 ' 70 ' 70 ' 80 ' 80 ' 90 * 90 ' 100 • 100 ' COT COLE'S DICTIONARY OF DRY GOODS. 95 contrivance the mass of cotton may be drawn out into a thread of any de- sired length or size Cotton after being spun is folded in hanks of 840 yards each. The number or "size" of this cotton yarn depends upon the number of hanks, 840 yards long, that weigh one pound, as illustrated by the following table: Of No. 10 yarn, 10 hanks of 840 yards each weigh one pound " 840 « 840 « 8 4o .. 840 „ 840 « 840 " 840 Cotton is never woven in its natural state, that is, as it comes from the spinning frame. It always receives a dressing or coating of some kind of liquid " size," which is allowed to dry on the yarn before the weaving begins. The object is to diminish the roughness on the surface of the threads, and to increase their tension power, thereby facilitating the weav- ing. A manufacturing firm in Connecticut, some years ago, produced the finest cotton yarn ever woven into muslin by machinery — 700s. The same firm has produced since yarn No. 2150, but this was merely for experimen- tal and not for weaving purposes. A pound of the finest Sea Island cotton spun of this fineness would be a thousand miles in length. Some idea of the tenuity of cotton fibres may be formed when it is remembered that 14,000 to 20,000 individual filaments of American cotton only weigh one grain, so that there are about 140,000,000 to every pound, and each hair weighs only about the 1-17,000 part of a grain, and if the separate fibres were placed end to end in a straight line, one pound would reach 2,200 miles. The beauty or excellence of some cotton cloths consist in the close- ness of their texture; that of others, in the openess and regularity of the intervals between the warp apd weft threads. Recent experiments have shown that cotton may be heated to 248° F. for three hours without appar- ent injury. The same is true of printed cottons. The temperature, how- ever, if continued for a long period, will slightly alter the color of cotton, but will not otherwise injure it. According to the most reliable historical and manufacturing authorities, no cotton sheetings, shirtings, ginghams or checks were made in the United States prior to 1790. All these classes of goods were then imported, being of English manufacture, and of linen warp with cotton weft. The accompanying table gives the number of cotton spindles in the United States in 1880 and 1890. 1880. 1890. Alabama 49,432 96,647 Arkansas 2,015 13,700 California .... 96 COLE'S DICTIONARY OF DRY GOODS. COT 1880. 1890. Colorado Connecticut 939,376 1,023,928 Dakota Delaware..... 46,188 61,714 Florida 816 1,300 Georgia 198,656 442,148 Idaho Illinois 4,830 26,000 Indiana 33,396 61,868 Iowa 6,000 Kansas .... Kentucky 9,022 42,500 Louisiana 6,096 61,168 Maine 695,924 812,722 Maryland 125,706 176,800 Massachusetts 4,236,084 5,905,875 Michigan 5,100 Minnesota 1,708 Mississippi 18,658 54,800 Missouri 19,302 17,500 Montana .... N ebraska New Hampshire. .... .V... ..... V.V. V.! ............ 944,053 l,207,3i2 New Jersey 232,221 351,068 New York 561,658 619,472 North Carolina 92,385 321,070 Ohio 13,327 26,152 Oregon .... Pennsylvania 425,391 445,962 Rhode Island 1,746,539 1,948,958 South Carolina 82,334 351,040 South Dakota .... Tennessee 35,736 116,788 Texas 2,648 17,734 Utah 432 288 Vermont 55,081 62,775 Virginia 44,340 79,612 Washington .... .... West Virginia .... .... Wisconsin 10,000 32,128 Wyoming .... .... Total 10,653,435 14,385,024 England in 1890, had in operation 42,740,000 cotton spindles; European Continent 23,380,000; East India 2,490,000; Canada, Mexico aud South America 600,000, and Japan 100,000. The largest cotton mill in the world is that of Kranholm, in Russia. This colossal establishment contains 340,000 spindles, and 2,200 looms, and gives employment to 7,000 hands. COT COLE'S DICTIONARY OF DRY GOODS. CROP OF THE UNITED STATES FOR SIXTY YEARS. The average net weight per bale is 440 pounds. 97 Yeab. Bales. Yeab. Bales. Yeab. Bales. Yeab. Bales. 1829 870,415 1844 2,030,409 ' 1859 3,851,481 1877 4,485,423 1830 976,845 1845 2,394,503 1860 4,669,770 1878 4,811,265 1831. 1,038,848 1846. 2,100,537 1861 3,656,006 1879 5,073,531 1832 987,487 1847 1,778,651 1862-1865- No record 1880 5,757,397 1833 1,070,438 1848 2,347,634 1866 2,193,987 1881 - 6,589,829 1834 1,205,324 1849. 2,728,596 1867 2,019,774 1882. 5,435,845 1835 1,254,328 1850 2,096,706 1868 2,593,993 1883 6,992,234 1836 1,360,752 1851 2,355,257 1869 2,439,039 1884 5,714,052 1837 1,422,930 1852 3.015,029 1870 3,154,946 1885 5,669,021 1838 1,801,497 1853 3,262,882 1871 4,352,317 1886 6,550,215 1839 1,360,532 , 1854 2,930,027 1872 2,974,351 1887 6,513,624 1840 2,177,835 1855 2,847,338 1873 3,930,508 1888 7,017,707 1841 1,634,945 1856 3,527,845 1874 4,170,388 1889 6,935,082 1842 1,683,574 1857 2,939,519 1875 3,832,991 1890 7,313,726 1843 2,378,875 3,113,962 1876 4.669,288 EXPORTS AND DOMESTIC CONSUMPTION OF AMERICAN COTTON. Export to Europe- Consumption U.S., Canada, etc Total 1889-90. Bales. 4,885,326 2,431,757 7,317,C Bales. 4,700,198 2,372,641 7,072,830 1887-88. Bales. 4,602,248 2,259,606 Bales. 4,296,825 2,087,785 6,861,650 6,384,610 1886-87. Bales. 4,414,326 2,265,324 6,679,650 1884-85. Bales. 3,898,905 1,764,326 5,663,231 1883-84. Bales. 3,880,466 2,042,867 5,923,333 COTTON CONSUMPTION OF THE ENTIRE WORLD. Consumption Bales, 400 lbs. Great Britain. Continent. Total Europe. Total United States. Total World. 1880-81 3,572,000 3,640,000 3,744,000 3,666,000 3,433,000 3,628,000 3,694,000 3,841,000 3,770,000 4,027,000 2,956,000 3,198,000 3,380,000 3,380,000 3,255,000 3,465,000 3,640,000 3,796,000 4,069,000 4,277,000 6,528,000 6,838,000 7,124,000 7,046,000 6,688,000 7,093,000 7,334,000 7,637,000 7,839,000 8,304,000 2,118,000 2,197,000 2,375,000 2,244,000 1,909,000 2.378,000 2,423,000 2,530,000 2,685,000 2,731,000 8,640,000 1881-82 1882-83... 9,035,000 9,499,000 1883-84 9,290,000 1884-85 8,597,000 9,371,000 9,757,000 1885-86 1886-87 1887-88 10,167,000 1888-89 10,524,000 1889-90. 11,035,000 SOURCES OF COTTON SUPPLY. Total. Total. America Bales. 7,434,000 1,740,000 460,000 40,000 Bales. 290,000 Total Averageweight Bales of 400 lbs Egypt Smyrna .__ 9,964,000 455.1 11,336,000 98 COLE'S DICTIONARY OF DRY GOODS. COT Cotton Flannel. See Canton Flannel. Cotton Damask. A material woven in different colors, used for cur- tains and upholstery. [See Damask]. Cotton Rep. A heavy, corded cotton cloth used for the lining of curtains, etc. [See Rep]. Cotton Wadding. See Wadding. Cotton Velvet. See Velveteen. Cottonade. A coarse heavy variety of cotton cloth, woven plain or twilled, used for men's cheap clothing. Of recent years cottonade has lost its former popularity, on account of the more stylish cotton "cassimeres" and "worsteds" which have come into fashion, and also from the fact that shoddy woolen goods can be purchased for almost the same price. Many of the old cottonade mills which once did a flourishing business now do not make the old fabric except in small quantities for special orders. Countermand. [Latin contra, against, mandare, command]. An order in direct opposition to an order previously given, thereby annulling it and forbidding its execution. Counterpane. [A corruption of French counterpoint, point against point, in allusion to the panes or squares of which bed covers were often composed.] The top cover for a bed; a coverlet or quilt; specifically a coverlet woven of cotton, with raised figures, now called a Marseilles Quilt. [See Quilts, Marseilles.] Coventry Blue. Thread principally used for purposes of embroidery.of a vivid blue, very popular in England in the 16th century, and for many years manufactured at Coventry, whence the name. In a letter attributed to Shakespeare, with the long-winded title of A Compendious and Brief Examination of Certain Complaints of divers of our Countrymen in these our days, on the decay of Towns, the writer says: "I have heard say that the chiefe trade of Coventry was heretofore in making blue threde, and then the town was riche, even upon that trade in manner only; and now our threde comes all from beyond the sea; therefore that trade is now de- cayed, and thereby the town likewise." Coverlet. Quilt, coverlid, coverlet, counterpoint and counterpane at different times have been used to describe the same article. Our Saxon ancestors were not so nice in their night garments as we are. As a matter of fact, they lay during the night destitute of clothing, which we find de- nounced in the practice of servants throwing their chemises at candles to put them out. The bed for the Common people was a trough filled with straw, and over this was placed a skin or cloak, which is said to have been called a cover-lid. Painted or embroidered coverlids for the nobility were termed chalons, from their having been originally brought from Chalons, a town in France. The trade. of making these bed coverings brought about the current surname of chaloner. In 1454 an Act of Parliament related COV COLE'S DICTIONARY OF DRY GOODS. 99 that York City had been formerly supported by sundry handicrafts, and most principally by making' coverlets and coverings for beds, whereby great numbers of inhabitants and poor people in that city and suburbs have been constantly employed. But that of late years "sundry evil-disposed per- sons, apprentices not expert in that occupation, had withdrawn themselves out of that city into the county, and divers other persons inhabiting the villages and towns of that county and nigh to the said city, have inter- meddled with the said craft, and do daily make coverlets, neither of good stuff or proper size and do hawk and sell them abroad in the country, to villages and men's houses, etc., to the great deceit of the King's sub- jects," therefore it was enacted, that no person whatever, within or nigh to the county of York, shall make any coverlets for sale, but inhabitants alone dwelling within the city of York and its suburbs. Cowl. A hood attached to a gown or robe, and admitting of being drawn over the head or of being worn hanging on the shoulders ; worn chiefly by monks, and characteristic of their dress or profession. Crape. [The same word as French crepe, formerly spelled crespe, from Latin crespus, crisp, curled, frizzled.] A thin, semi-transparent fabric made of silk or cotton, finely crinkled or crisped, either irregularly or in long parallel ridges. It is made white, black and also colored. The black has a peculiarly sombre appearance, and is hence considered espec- ially appropriate for mourning purposes. Mourning or "hard" crepes are woven of hand-spun silk yarn "in the gum", or natural condition, the crimp being produced by pressing the fabric between heavy steel rollers, the surface of which are so creased and indented as to produce the pattern desired. Commercially the qualities are distinguished as "single", "double", "3-ply" and "4-ply". Albert Crepe is a variety composed of a union of silk and cotton. Victoria Crepe is of all cotton. 'Canton Crepe is a very cheap, soft cotton material woven with a wrinkled effect similar to Crepe de Chine. Crinkled Crepe is another airy fabric, woven after the manner of crinkled seersucker, dyed in solid colors. Im- perial Crepe is a crinkly gossamer silk fabric used for ladies' neckwear. India Crepe is a fine silk crepe gauze, of extremely light texture. Japan or "soft" crepe is, after silk damasks the favorite fabric of the Japanese for dress, and of late years has become very popular in the United States. The wavy appearance of this fabric is due to the peculiar manner in which the weft thread is prepared, the yarn from bobbins being twisted together in the reverse way, that is, one to the left and the other to the right. The cloth is then woven with two shuttles, four wefts being beat up of the /