WOOL SCOURING

Tuapeka Times, Volume II, Issue 55, 27 February 1869, Page 5

WOOL SCOURING

- Our Wandering Reporter, while in Tokomairiro lately, heard of some improvements in the art of wool scouring made by Mr. Forsyth, and reports as follows. I call;fi£»n Mr; Forsyth and asked permission to look over the works, and was first taken to tho sor* ting tables which arc 90 feet in length. These tables are so constructed of splits of wood as to admit of the small pieces of dirt passing through when the fleece is opened out. Thipre are in all about a dozen wool sorters who have large stalls, or bins, immediately in front, and behind, where the different classes of wool are thrown when sorted. To each of theso stalls are doors where the different wßßls rfre taken out to the seouring-house, with- • out in the least interfering wit^the operation of sorting. On going to the | scouring department, I found a 5-horse power steam engine at work driving machinery. Upon inquiry, I found the object to be as stated by Mr. Forsyth. . It appears that in wools of fine quality, a greater measure of yolk rises ;* this yolk absorbs dust on the tips of the wool, forming, in the first } instance, a paste ; but when it becomes i dry, it gets quite hard, and almost as difficult to deal with as tar brands. To remove this evil from the wool, a pair of heavy rollers is used, through which the scoured wool is passed when in a soft moist state. After passing through these rollers, a travelling cloth, driven by asfchurn, conveys the | wool to the washers. While listening to Mr. Forsyth's explanation, I was startled by the ringing of a bell close to my ear. The object of this \ bell appears to be highly important, and is occasionally rung by the washers if the machines deliver more wool to the washers than exactly keej)s them going. If the scoured wool is allowed to cool before rinsing in the cold-water, the soap, &c, fixes ifcself on the wool, and no amount of rinsing will restore it to its proper colour. The next operation, after passing through the hands of the washers, is to press out the cold water, and this is effected in another set of rollers, differently constructed, and having a fan revolving at a high velocity, which receives the wool after passing through the rollers, and delivers it into a large four-wheeled barrow, ready for drying. This fan does the work of from two to three boys; these boys are usually employed in breaking out the wool from the rolls left from the washers' sticks. Greater uniformity is obtained by the fan; anil the wool being nearly half dry, it appears almost like feathers. By this new process an immense benefit is derived — the wool is like snow, without a speck, and the quantity ot work done is greater than under the old process. There are seven men washing and scouring, and can scour, wash, and dry full 30cwt. per day. It is to be hoped the time and expense incurred by Mr. Forsyth in developing this improvement will meet with the reward it deserves ; and to all appearance he has no right to complain-— his warehouse, 90ft. x 40ft., is packed to tho roof with wool to scour.

Treading on a Train. — On a grand night at the opera hi Paris, a few weeks ago, the performance had terminated, and a charming woman, magnificently dresacdj was descending the stair-case, leaning on the arm of her cousin, dragging behind her a long train of primrose coloured silk, trimmed with flounces of rich Chantilly lace. A gentleman was clumsy enough to . step on the train of her dress. The lady leaned back, on feeling her progress arrested but too late to prevent a | slight crack from being heard. She gathered up the dressyithout appearing to perceive thatanything had occurred; but her cavalier assuming an air of im- j portance, cast a look of defiance, be- ; hind him, and muttered something in which the word " clumsy " was heard, j "" I will try and be less so to-morrow," whispered the innocent author of the accident, in his ear. Early the next morning, the cousin received a visit from the antagonist's second, - A duel took. place with swords, and as the other had promised, he proved his ad- ■ dress in the use of the weapon. Tae cousin was carried home with an awkward wound in his shoulder. The j bestr part Of the ' stoijy is, that the stranger obtained an introduction to the lady, and not only received her pardon for the unintentional mishap but has since made such progress in hdr'gbbd graces, that a marriage : is now talked of as shortly to take plate As to the cousin, he still keeps his bed and. vfill probably remain in it; until after the wedding. An impertinent editor in Alabama wants to know when we " intend to pay the debt of nature." We are inclined to think that when Nature gets her dues from Wni it will be by an execution. ~ [.^American Papier.".