WHAT IS "SHODDY?"

King Country Chronicle, Volume V, Issue 348, 29 March 1911, Page 7

WHAT IS "SHODDY?"

The question is often asked—What is shoddy ? In its widest sense "shoddy" means all fibrous materials of animal origin, which, having been once manufactured into cloths and Icl s, are recovered from this state and restored to a fibrous condition fit for manufacture. This re. armed fibre is known in three \ari:ti s, "shoddy proper," mungo, and car! oniscd wool or wool extract. For the invention of the first the world must thank a Hebrew secondhand denier in London. It was during Wellington's campaign in Spain, when the shortage in the supply of Span : sh wool drove the material to a great price. The quick wit of the old-do' man perceived that it would be a paying speculation to tear up old blankets and white tiannenls by curry-combs and mix the product with the little fresh wool that could be obtained. This was done, and these "doctored" bales realised a handsome profit for the inventive genius. A small weaver of Yorkshire named Benjamin Law discovered the secret and began the manufacture on a large scale. Shoddy "proper" is made only from "softs," that is, unmilled fabrics, like old blankets, flannels, and worn-out hosiery, which can be easily torn to pieces by curry-combs. However, the crafty Law or his partner. Parr, extended the process to "hard" rags or milled goods, working up the refuse end snippings of tailor shops into material for new garments. Quite a complicated machine had to be evolved before the scheme was successful, and the new product received its name "mungo" from the frequent ejaculation of Parr, in Yorkshire dialect, that in spite of all difficulties "it mun go." However, there was a large class of cloths called "union goods," where the warp is of cotton and weft of wool, which could not be utilised until a canny ship captain Corbett got the idea of destroying the cotton threads by weak sulphuric acid in a lead-lined vat. The acid infiicteti little apparent damage on the wool, which known as "carbonised wool" or "extract." However, it destroyed its felting properties and rendered it extremely brittle. It forms a large proportion of the cloth in all "cheap" clothing, but it is really useful for "stuffing" in the carriagebuilding, saddlery, and upholstring trades.