JUTE.

Gisborne Times, Volume XLV, Issue 3976, 8 July 1915, Page 6

JUTE.

James Logie, who is supposed t f > know more about jute than any one else in America, tells in a very interesting way how jute came to be known to Europe and the Most: “In 1840, on a Saturday afternoon, three Dundee flux spinners wore walking to tlieir beautiful residences in Droughty Ferry, about four miles east of Dundee, on the banks of the Tay, and as usual strolled along the docks. At that timo tliero were several Clipper Lino sailing vessels trading with Dundee in Indian products, principally grain, linseed, etc., and on this particular Saturday one of these vessels was discharging her miscellaneous cargo, and these eannv Scots observed a fibre in some quantity on the dock, and made enquiry as to what it was. They wore told it was some Indian product that had been obtained in, Bengal, and was suitable for the dunnage of ships. They examined tlio fibre a little more carefully and all thought it would ho possible to spin the fibre on their flax machinery. The result was that Monday morning they made a boo-tine for agents of the ship, and asked what they were going to do with this waste material. They got the reply, ‘Wo propose dumping it into the river,’ ; a nd' when they expressed a wish to experiment with it they were told they could cart it- away from the dock, and were welcome to it if they paid the cartage. Thus the jute industry started—for the fibre turned out t-o he nothing less than what we know commercially to-day as ‘jul.o.’ ”