Britain at Work
A Pictorial Description of Our National Industries

COTTON AT PORT, IN MILL, AND ON ’CHANGE. 289 survives in several districts, and even pursues his humble calling, amid the machinery rattle at Blackburn ; but the manufacture of cotton has developed so extensively that some of the mills, fitted with the latest appliances, specialise and confine themselves solely to spinning or to weaving, or other of the many processes through which the cotton passes on its bustling way from the ship’s hold to the wearer’s back or into use in the household. “You should go through a mill that does machines, which loosen its fibres and partially cleanse it. Then it is moved to the lapper, from which it emerges in fleecy roll, to claim the attention of intermediate lapper, or scutching machine. Here it is mixed, beaten, cleansed, and lapped again. In fact, it goes through a gradation of these processes, a system of stern discipline, that pounds and purifies it till it leaves the finishing scutcher in a felt-like fleece, in readiness for manipula- tion by the carding machines. The latter make the cotton cleaner than ever, but their Photo; E. P. Cardwell, Preston. HORROCKSES, CREWDSON AND CO., LTD.). SIZING ROOM (MESSRS. everything if you wish to get a good idea of the industry,” said a Manchester merchant on ’Change to the writer. “ Here’s just the man. What he doesn’t know about cotton isn’t worth knowing ! ” And, going through a spinning and weaving mill in South Lancashire, under the guidance of this shrewd expert, one was impressed by two things—the compre- hensive adaptation of machinery to cotton manufacture, and the silent deftness and ingenuity of the human workers in intense heat and brain-cracking turmoil. On entering the mill, you seem to feel that it is dominated by a great mechanical and nimble-fingered giant. The bale-breaker that mechanically opens the bale is not in use in this building ; but no sooner have you, on the ground floor, noticed the huge bale of raw cotton from America or Egypt in the rough than you find it in the opening 37 chief purpose is to straighten and lengthen the fibre, which is passed through the rollers, combed or carded, fined till it is almost as delicate in texture as a spider’s web, gathered in fan-like shape, and drawn into sliver, practically formed into ribbon, about an inch broad, which disappears into the revolving can in a continuous coil. On other machines it is subjected to various doublings and drawings, with the main objects of elongating and fining ; and in the slubbing frame the slivers, or ribbons of cotton, are passed through rollers, and wound on large bobbins. Even then the product of the far-away- plantation is given no rest. It is doubled, twisted, and wound on smaller bobbins, then passed through the roving frame, and ultimately drawn and spun into yarn in the “ mule.” The yarn is finished in the cop. Taking nothing for granted, the inevitable question