,transcriber's ,note3 ,italic text is enclosed in underscores4 ,additional notes will be found near the end of this ebook4 ,illustration3 7,cover7 ,the ,story of ,rope ,the ,history and the ,modern ,development of ,rope-,making4 ,compiled and ,published by ,plymouth ,cordage ,company ,,north ,,plymouth1 ,,mass4 ,,welland1 ,,ontario #aiaf ,copyright #aiaf1 by ,plymouth ,cordage ,company #ffc-aa-ae-e-bhejj ,,foreword ,the matter contained in this book originally appeared1 in substantially the same form1 as a series of articles in our monthly publication 8,plymouth ,products40 ,the story aimed to make better known an industry previously little understood and thereby to advance the cause of good rope4 ,first and last this 8,story of ,rope0 has had many interested and responsive readers4 ,encouraged by the large numbers of requests for it which continually come to us1 we are now led to publish it anew and with the hope that in its present improved form it will still further fulfill its original purpose4 ,,plymouth ,,cordage ,,company ,,contents ,,part ,i ,,historical ,,chapter ,,page ,i ,ancient1 ,medival and ,tribal ,rope-,making #aa ,,ii ,rope-,making in the ,seventeenth1 ,eighteenth and ,early ,nineteenth ,centuries #ai ,,part ,,ii ,,raw ,,materials ,i ,manila ,fiber #bg ,,ii ,sisal ,fiber #ce ,,iii ,the ,hemps--,american1 ,russian1 ,italian4 ,other ,fibers #dc ,,iv ,pine ,tar4 #di ,,part ,,iii ,,present ,,day ,,manufacturing ,,processes ,,methods ,,and ,,equipment ,,as ,,seen ,,in ,,the ,,world',s ,,largest ,,cordage ,,factory ,i ,buying1 ,grading and ,storing of ,fiber #ee ,,ii ,preparation of ,fiber for ,spinning--,formation of 8,sliver0 #fc ,,iii ,spinning of ,rope ,yarn and ,binder ,twine #ga ,,iv ,tarring of ,rope ,yarns and of ,small ,ropes #gg ,v ,forming and ,laying of ,ropes and ,cables--,ropewalk ,method #gi ,,vi ,forming and ,laying of ,ropes and ,cables--,factory ,method1 ,two-,machine ,system #he ,,vii ,forming and ,laying of ,ropes--,factory ,method1 ,single-,machine ,system #ia ,,illustrations ,,page ,ancient ,egyptian rope #ab ,nootka whaling lines #ac ,ancient ,egyptian rope-making methods #ad ,use of rope in ancient ,egyptian kitchen #ad ,specimens of ancient ,egyptian cordage #ae ,detail of sculptured rope from ,triumphal ,arch at ,orange #ag ,attic sailing ship1 sixth century ,b4,c4 #ag ,mayflower in ,plymouth harbor #ah ,office of ,plymouth ,cordage ,company #bj ,bourne ,spooner1 founder of ,plymouth ,cordage ,company #ba ,first advertisement of ,plymouth ,cordage ,company #ba ,old-time method of hackling cordage fiber #bb ,spinning rope yarn by hand with old-time spinning wheel #bc ,pilgrim ,hall1 ,plymouth #bd ,hank of ,manila fiber #bh ,philippine hemp cart #bi ,filipino cleaning ,manila fiber #cj ,filipinos preparing ,manila fiber for market #ca ,examining ,manila fiber at dock #cb ,suburb of ,manila--,manila fiber plant growing #cc ,philippine street scene #cd ,gathering leaves of ,sisal fiber plant #cf ,loading ,sisal fiber leaves on plantation car #cg ,scenes at cleaner house on ,sisal fiber plantation #ch ,bale of ,sisal fiber #ci ,machine separating ,sisal fiber from leaves #dj ,sisal fiber drying #da ,sisal fiber steamer at ,plymouth ,cordage ,company's pier #db ,american hemp stacked in fields #dd ,preparing ,american hemp for market #de ,new ,zealand flax plant #df ,hemp growing by the water #dg ,uncle ,ben1 hemp breaker #dh ,pine tar manufacturing methods #ej ,pine tar handling at naval stores yard #eb ,examining and re-grading ,manila fiber at cordage factory #ef ,track and warehouse facilities1 ,plymouth ,cordage ,company #eg ,stacking ,manila fiber in warehouse #eh ,trucking ,manila fiber into warehouse #ei ,sisal fiber being transferred from warehouse to mill #fj ,no4 #b tar house1 ,plymouth ,cordage ,company #fa ,no4 #c mill1 ,plymouth ,cordage ,company #fb ,preparation room1 ,no4 #c mill1 ,plymouth ,cordage ,company #fd ,lubricating oil mixing room1 ,plymouth ,cordage ,company #fe ,formation of sliver on first breaker #ff ,reducing size of sliver on preparation machines #fg ,draw frame machines #fh ,plymouth ,cordage ,company factory in early days and today #gj ,spinning machine of early nineteenth century #gb ,modern spinning machine #gc ,spinning room1 ,no4 #a mill1 ,plymouth ,cordage ,company #gd ,spinning room1 ,no4 #c mill1 ,plymouth ,cordage ,company #ge ,tar storage and handling equipment1 ,plymouth ,cordage ,company #gf ,tarring of rope yarns #gh ,ropewalk manufacturing processes #hj ,interior of ropewalk1 ,plymouth ,cordage ,company #hb ,sixteen-inch towline with eye-splice #hc ,lathyarn and tie rope machines1 ,plymouth ,cordage ,company #hd ,rope-making machinery1 ,plymouth ,cordage ,company #hg ,removing reel from forming machine #hi ,compound laying-machine1 four-strand type #ij ,shipping platform1 ,plymouth ,cordage ,company #ib ,part ,i ,,the ,,ropewalk ,in that building1 long and low1 ,with its windows all a-row1 ,like the port-holes of a hulk1 ,human spiders spin and spin1 ,backward down their threads so thin ,dropping1 each a hempen bulk4 ,at the end1 an open door2 ,squares of sunshine on the floor ,light the long and dusky lane2 ,and the whirring of a wheel1 ,dull and drowsy1 makes me feel ,all its spokes are in my brain4 ,as the spinners to the end ,downward go and reascend1 ,gleam the long threads in the sun2 ,while within this brain of mine ,cobwebs brighter and more fine ,by the busy wheel are spun4 ,two fair maidens in a swing1 ,like white doves upon the wing1 ,first before my vision pass2 ,laughing1 as their gentle hands ,closely clasp the twisted strands1 ,at their shadow on the grass4 ,then a booth of mountebanks1 ,with its smell of tan and planks1 ,and a girl poised high in air ,on a cord1 in spangled dress1 ,with a faded loveliness1 ,and a weary look of care4 ,then a homestead among farms1 ,and a woman with bare arms ,drawing water from a well2 ,as the bucket mounts apace1 ,with it mounts her own fair face1 ,as at some magician's spell4 ,then an old man in a tower1 ,ringing loud the noontide hour1 ,while the rope coils round and round ,like a serpent at his feet1 ,and again1 in swift retreat1 ,nearly lifts him from the ground4 ,then within a prison-yard1 ,faces fixed1 and stern1 and hard1 ,laughter and indecent mirth2 ,ah6 it is the gallows-tree6 ,breath of ,christian charity1 ,blow1 and sweep it from the earth6 ,then a schoolboy1 with his kite ,gleaming in a sky of light1 ,and an eager1 upward look2 ,steeds pursued through lane and field2 ,fowlers with their snares concealed2 ,and an angler by a brook4 ,ships rejoicing in the breeze1 ,wrecks that float o'er unknown seas1 ,anchors dragged through faithless sand2 ,sea-fog drifting overhead1 ,and1 with lessening line and lead1 ,sailors feeling for the land4 ,all these scenes do ,i behold1 ,these1 and many left untold1 ,in that building long and low2 ,while the wheel goes round and round1 ,with a drowsy1 dreamy sound1 ,and the spinners backward go4 --,,longfellow4 ,illustration ,,chapter ,i ,,ancient1 ,,medi,,val ,,and ,,tribal ,,rope-,,making ,how many people have ever given a thought to the question of where rope comes from and how it is made1 or realize what a variety of uses it is put to1 and how dependent we are upon it in many of the everyday affairs of life8 ,but let us suppose for a moment that the world were suddenly deprived of its supply of this very commonplace material1 and of its smaller relatives1 cords and twine4 ,we should then begin to realize the importance of a seemingly unimportant thing1 and to appreciate the difficulty in getting along without it4 ,longfellow1 in his poem 8,the ,ropewalk10 which we have printed1 shows that he recognized the scope of the usefulness of rope1 and appreciated the romance and pathos connected with the use of a seemingly prosaic article2 for in his brief catalogue of the uses of rope which passed in pictured procession through his mind1 as he stood in the ropewalk and came under the influence of the drowsy hum and whir of the spinners' wheels1 he succeeded in covering a good share of the changing phases in the drama of human life3 childhood in its swing1 happy1 without a care2 the life of the sailor1 which1 with its heroism1 its romance1 its courageous meeting of danger or disaster1 has always been the subject of verse and story2 the pathetic picture of the faded beauty on the tight rope2 and the tragic scene of the criminal dying upon the gallows4 ,illustration3 ,,ancient ,,egyptian ,,rope 8,all these and many left untold10 the poet says1 and when we once begin to let our thoughts run we find uses almost innumerable1 on sea and land1 to which our rope is put4 ,then1 if we allow ourselves to come more and more under the drowsy spell of the wheels1 we wonder how long all these things have been going on1 and when1 where and how the first rope was made and used4 ,a little investigation shows us that the use of rope is older than history itself4 ,back beyond the time of any authentic record of events1 beyond even the range of tradition1 the first rope-makers did their work4 ,in his very earliest days man must have had something to serve for cords or lines1--strips of hide or of bark1 pliant reeds and rushes1 withes of tough woods1 fibrous roots1 hair of animals1--then1 as the need arose for longer1 larger and stronger lines1 it was met1 as human ingenuity developed1 by twisting a number of some of these elements together and forming a rope or cord4 ,just who was the prehistoric genius that first performed this operation1 or in what part of the world he lived1 we have no means of knowing4 ,certain it is1 according to the best authority1 that not only were the ancient civilized nations accomplished rope-makers1 but savage tribes in all parts of the world1 for unknown thousands of years1 have been able to make ropes and cords from a great variety of materials1 and the beauty of their workmanship in many cases is little short of marvelous4 ,the ,north ,american ,indians1 for instance1 are known to have made cordage not only from well-known fiber plants1 as cotton1 yucca and agave1 but from such plants as the dogbane and nettle2 from the inner bark of trees1 slippery elm1 willow1 linden2 from the fibrous roots of the spruce and pine2 and from the hair1 skins or sinews of various animals4 ,illustration3 ,,nootka ,,whaling ,,lines ,the native ,peruvians were good rope-makers1 using a substance known as 8totora10 as well as many other materials4 ,the ,island tribes of the ,south ,seas1 expert in making rope1 are favored with some very good materials for its manufacture1 obtained from the leaves of various palms and plantains1 from the fiber of the cocoanut1 etc4 ,illustration ,as1 at the present day1 the shipping and fishing industries are among the principal users of cordage1 so it has been among all tribes and nations from earliest times4 ,the people who lived on islands or the shores of large bodies of water1 and who thus naturally became fishermen1 have been the larger users of ropes and lines1 and we find they always have been capable of producing a wide variety of fishing lines and nets of excellent construction1 capable of capturing all sorts of fish1 from the smallest brook trout to the huge sturgeon or halibut4 ,illustration3 ,,scene ,,in ,,an ,,egyptian ,,kitchen ,,showing ,,use ,,of ,a ,,large ,,rope ,,to ,,support ,a ,,sort ,,of ,,hanging ,,shelf ,even the whale has been successfully hunted by some adventurous tribes1 and we show a picture of lines made by the ,nootka ,indians of ,vancouver ,island1,a which are used by them in harpooning whales4 ,the smaller rope is made from sinews of the whale1 served or wound with small cord4 ,it is very pliable and exceedingly strong4 ,the harpoon is fastened to this line1 which1 in turn1 is fastened to the larger rope and that to the boat4 ,the large rope shown is made from spruce roots and is about two inches in diameter4 ,a ,the photograph shown on page #ac was taken expressly for us through the courtesy of the officials of the ,peabody ,museum1 ,cambridge1 ,mass41 to whom we are also indebted for our information concerning the use of rope among the various primitive tribes4 ,illustration3 ,,ancient ,,egyptian ,,relics ,,bridle ,,of ,,hemp ,,rope ,,covered ,,with ,,woven ,,cotton--,,halter ,,of ,,braided ,,leather ,,basket ,,with ,,rope ,,handles--,,palm ,,fiber ,,rope ,ancient civilized peoples had their ropes and cordage1 made from such materials as were available in their respective countries4 ,the ,egyptians are said to have made rope from leather thongs1 and our illustration on page #ad will be found interesting in this connection4 ,this is from a sculpture taken from a tomb in ,thebes of the time of the ,pharaoh of the ,exodus4 ,while this scene is said by the best authority to represent the preparation of leather cords for use in lacing sandals1 it has been supposed by some to be a representation of rope-making4 ,in any event1 the process is undoubtedly the same as that used in making rope4 ,the scene is depicted with the true ,egyptian faculty for showing details1 making words almost unnecessary to an understanding of their pictorial records4 ,we see the raw material in the shape of the hide1 and also two well-made coils of the finished product4 ,one of the workmen is cutting a strand from a hide by revolving it and cutting as it turns4 ,anyone who has not tried it will be surprised to see what a good1 even string can be cut from a piece of leather in this way4 ,illustration3 ,,detail ,,of ,,bas-,,relief ,,from ,,triumphal ,,arch ,,at ,,orange ,another man is arranging and paying out the thongs to a third1 who is evidently walking backward in time-honored fashion1 twisting as he goes4 ,the thongs are evidently tied to a sort of swivel which is fastened to the man's body in such a way that it enables him to keep a strain upon the strand without interfering with the twisting1 in which process the weight shown upon the swivel is probably of some assistance4 ,the ,egyptians also made rope from papyrus and from palm fiber4 ,the specimen shown in our illustration,b is from the latter material1 and was made probably not less than #c1ejj years ago1 having been taken from an ancient tomb4 ,it has always been a puzzling question how the ,egyptians were able to move and put in place the massive stones used in some of their structures1 but it is certain that rope must have been an indispensable part of their equipment4 ,indeed1 some of the sculptures illustrate the free use of rope in moving heavy stone carvings4 ,it is known that rope was made in ,china at a very remote period4 ,b ,see page #ae4 ,photograph from the original specimens taken expressly for us through the courtesy of the ,boston ,museum of ,fine ,arts4 ,it is of course certain that when men began to propel boats by means of sails1 some sort of rope must have been at hand for rigging such vessels4 ,the early history of the building of sailing ships seems to be lost in obscurity1 but many of the ancients were good sailors1 there seeming to be some difference of opinion as to who were the pioneers in undertaking long voyages4 ,we show an illustration of an ,attic sailing ship of the sixth century ,b4,c4 ,the drawing was made from the painting on a drinking cup in the collection of the ,british ,museum4 ,we also give a picture illustrating a detail of the bas-relief from the triumphal arch at ,orange erected about ,a4,d4 #da4 ,this shows an anchor and a coil of rope1 evidently a halyard for a good-sized sail1 rove through a pulley4 ,in these and numerous other cases we have records of the use of rope among the ,greeks and ,romans1 as well as similar ones from other nations1 handed down to us through their sculptures and paintings4 ,illustration3 ,,attic ,,sailing ,,ship1 ,,sixth ,,century ,b4,c4 ,the historians also occasionally mention the use of rope in connection with some great undertaking4 ,herodotus tells us that ,xerxes1 during his invasion of ,greece1 ,b4,c4 #dhj1 crossed his army over the ,hellespont upon two bridges of boats1 which were held together1 and the plank roadway supported1 by enormous cables stretched from shore to shore1 a distance of seven-eighths of a mile4 ,it is said that these ropes1 of which there were six to each bridge1 were twenty-eight inches in circumference1 two of each set being made of flax and four of papyrus4 ,it is stated that the famous galley1 the ,syracusia1 built for ,hiero under the supervision of ,archimedes1 was furnished with hempen rope from ,rhodes4 ,illustration3 ,,mayflower ,,in ,,plymouth ,,harbor ,illustration ,,chapter ,,ii ,,rope-,,making ,,in ,,the ,,seventeenth1 ,,eighteenth ,,and ,,early ,,nineteenth ,,centuries ,coming down to more recent times we find that rope-making had been going on for centuries with probably very little change1 up to the time of the introduction of machinery and the establishment of the factory system4 ,it had been carried on as a domestic industry1 or a trade handed down from father to son1 and naturally was of most importance in the principal seaport towns where vessels were built or fitted out4 ,this was the state of the business at the time of the settlement of ,america1 and it was not long before the rope-maker began to be needed as a citizen of the new ,colonies4 ,this need was felt in ,boston with the first efforts at shipbuilding there1 and was also suggested by the great demand for fishing lines1 the cod-fisheries being of great importance upon the ,massachusetts coast4 ,illustration3 ,,office ,,of ,,plymouth ,,cordage ,,company ,it is recorded that rope was made in ,boston as early as #afda or #afdb4 ,john ,harrison1 a rope-maker of ,salisbury1 ,england1 came to this country at the request of a number of citizens of ,boston1 and set up his business in that village4 ,he seems to have had a monopoly of the local trade for a good many years1 under the paternal protection of the town authorities1 for ,john ,heyman1 to whom permission to make rope in ,boston was given in #affb1 was the next year ordered to give up the work and depart from the town1 it being found that this competition interfered with ,harrison's business to such an extent as to make it difficult for him to properly support his family of eleven persons4 ,illustration3 ,,bourne ,,spooner ,however1 upon the death of ,harrison this monopoly came to an end1 and ropewalks began to multiply in ,boston as well as in other parts of the country4 ,in #agid there were fourteen large ropewalks in ,boston1 the business having steadily increased with the development of the new country4 ,the importance of this industry is shown by the report that in the federal procession in ,boston in #aghh1 the rope-makers outnumbered any other class of mechanics4 ,in #ahaj there were #agc ropewalks in the ,united ,states1 scattered over the country from ,maine to ,kentucky4 ,in #ahbd the infant ,plymouth ,cordage ,company entered upon the scene and gradually but surely became an important factor in the trade1 until today it stands at the head4 ,in the first half of the last century ,manila hemp began to take its place as a cordage fiber4 ,according to official records1 #bg1hbj bales were imported to the ,united ,states in #ahdc4 ,this figure looks small when compared with a recent high figure of approximately #hcj1jjj bales in a single year4 ,the first record of the importation of ,sisal is in #ahfj1 when the ,united ,states received #a1cic bales4 ,this has increased to #a1jjj1jjj bales4 ,illustration3 ,,patent ,,and ,,common-,,laid ,,cordage1 ,manufactured by ,water-,power4 ,the ,plymouth ,cordage ,company hereby give notice1 that they have on hand ,one ,hundred ,tons1 ,clean ,st4 ,petersburg ,hemp1 of superior quality1 which they are ready to manufacture into ,cordage of any size or description to suit purchasers4 ,their machinery and water privilege is equal to any in the ,country--and their ,cordage shall in every respect be equal to their advantages4 ,all orders for ,cordage1 in any quantities shall receive immediate attention1 at the ,ropewalks1 from ,,bourne ,,spooner4 ,plymouth1 ,march #ab1 #ahbe4 tf#df ,n4 ,b4 ,a number of good ,spinners would find employment as above4 ,,plymouth ,,cordage ,,company',s ,,first ,,advertisement ,the large consumption of ,sisal during recent years has been caused by the production of binder twine1 which has now become an important part of the cordage business4 ,this company first made binder twine in #ahhb4 ,in #ahii it completed its ,no4 #b ,mill1 devoted entirely to this product1 and by the completion of the ,welland 7,ontario7 factory in #aijf was enabled to supply its large ,canadian trade from that point4 ,the ,sheaf of ,wheat trademark and the name 8,plymouth0 on binder twine are now known the world over and1 as in the case of the ,ship brand on rope1 are always recognized as standing for quality4 ,illustration3 ,,old-,,time ,,method ,,of ,,hackling ,in the early days to which we have referred1 all the yarn for rope-making was spun by hand in the time-honored way4 ,we are able to represent to our readers1 by the photographs shown1 this now almost lost art4 ,the material shown in the pictures is ,american hemp1 which1 because the earlier machines were not adapted to working this softer fiber1 continued to be spun by hand long after ,manila was spun chiefly on machines4 ,the hemp was first hackled1 as is also shown by our photograph1 the hackle or 8hechel0 being simply a board having long1 sharp steel teeth set into it4 ,this combed out the tow or short1 matted fiber1 leaving the clean1 straight hemp4 ,this 8strike0 of hemp the spinner wrapped about his waist1 bringing the ends around his back and tucking them into his belt1 thus keeping the material in place without knot or twist1 and allowing the fibers to pay out freely4 ,the workman in our picture is ,johnny ,moores1 an old-time expert hand-spinner1 who could walk off backward from the wheel with his wad of hemp1 spinning with each hand a thread as fine and even as could be asked for4 ,in the photograph1 in order to show the process more clearly1 one large yarn is being spun4 ,the large wheel1 usually turned by a boy1 is used to convey power to the 8whirls0 or small spindles carrying hooks upon which the fiber is fastened4 ,these whirls1 revolving1 give the twist to the yarn as the spinner deftly pays out the fiber1 regulating it with skillful fingers to preserve the uniformity and proper size of the yarn4 ,as he goes backward down the long walk through the 8squares of sunlight on the floor0 he throws the trailing yarns over the 8stakes0 placed at intervals along the walk for the purpose4 ,the spinning 8grounds0 were usually arranged with wheels at either end1 so that spinners1 reaching the farther end1 could go back to their starting point spinning another set of yarns4 ,illustration3 ,,hand ,,spinning ,then1 in the case of small ropes1 the strands could be made by attaching two or more yarns to the 8whirl0 and twisting them together1 reversing the motion to give the strands a twist opposite to that given the yarns4 ,these strands were twisted together1 again reversing the motion1 making a rope4 ,thus it will be seen that1 reduced to its lowest terms1 rope-making consists simply of a series of twisting processes4 ,the twisting of the yarns into the strand is known as 8forming0 or putting in the 8foreturn40 ,the final process is 8laying10 8closing0 or putting in the 8afterturn40 ,horse power was used in old times for forming and laying rope which was too large to be made by hand4 ,illustration3 ,,pilgrim ,,hall1 ,,plymouth ,part ,,ii ,illustration ,,chapter ,i ,,manila ,,fiber ,in any manufacturing enterprise the question of raw materials is one of the highest importance4 ,no manufacturer can become extensively successful without an intimate knowledge of the material entering into his product4 ,he must be an expert judge of its quality to be able to determine for himself the exact value of what is offered him and its adaptability for his particular purposes2 he must be closely in touch with all the markets2 he must know all the conditions surrounding the production and marketing of the material2 he must be fully posted as to all causes1 natural and speculative1 affecting the supply or the demand4 ,to be most valuable1 this knowledge must not only cover matters affecting the present1 but must forecast the future with the greatest possible degree of certainty4 ,such foresight is particularly valuable in the cordage business1 where material must be provided for many months before it is used4 ,this factor has always been conspicuous in the management of the ,plymouth ,cordage ,company1 and has contributed not a little to its continued and increasing growth and prosperity4 ,illustration3 ,,hank ,,of ,,manila #ab ,,feet ,,long ,for the rope-maker the raw material par excellence is the so-called 8,manila hemp40 ,strictly speaking this is not a hemp at all1 being a fiber obtained from the wild banana plant of the ,philippine ,islands4 ,the botanists tell us to call this plant ,musa ,textilis1 but the ,filipino1 who ought to know1 calls both the plant and its fiber 8,abac40 ,the ,philippines have a monopoly of this very important plant1 as it has never been successfully cultivated elsewhere4 ,so it will be seen at the start that the user of ,manila hemp is dependent entirely upon our foreign possessions in the far ,east for his supply4 ,like most monopolists1 the ,filipino is not particularly susceptible to the wishes of his customers1 and the procuring of hemp produced and prepared in the way to make it most valuable for rope-making is attended with some difficulty4 ,the ,abac is cultivated by setting out shoots of the plant after a suitable tract of land has been cleared4 ,when the field has had proper cultivation for a period of two or three years some of the plants will be ready to cut4 ,they will then be tree-like in shape1 and from fifteen to twenty-five feet in height4 ,the stalk1 some fifteen feet long1 and a foot or more in diameter1 is composed of the separate leaf stems growing compactly together in overlapping layers4 ,the fiber is contained in the outer bark of these leaf stems1 their inner portions being of a soft1 pulpy nature4 ,after the stalk is cut the native peels off strips of this fibrous bark1 and after stripping the outer layer of stems1 scrapes off its remaining pulp and proceeds to strip the next inner layer4 ,this process is kept up through all the successive layers4 ,the fiber from the inner layers of stems is finer and whiter than that from the outside4 ,illustration3 ,,philippine ,,hemp ,,cart ,the fibrous strips are then cleaned by drawing them under a knife hinged over a block of wood4 ,this scraping frees the fibers from the surrounding pulp4 ,the quality of the hemp depends very much upon the thoroughness with which this cleaning is done4 ,by using a smooth-edged knife and putting considerable pressure upon it during the operation1 a fiber is secured of high strength and good color4 ,however1 this means strenuous work on the part of the operator1 and our brown fellow-citizen1 like many of his white brethren1 is averse to tiring his back2 consequently the bulk of the fiber put upon the market is cleaned under knives with rough edges and loosely held against the material4 ,this makes the workman's task easier and enables him to turn out a larger product1 but of an inferior quality4 ,hence one of the worries of the manufacturer of high-grade cordage4 ,illustration3 8,,strenuous ,,work0 ,this1 briefly1 is the way ,manila hemp is extracted from its parent stalk4 ,a fortune awaits anyone who will perfect machinery capable of superseding these antiquated hand methods4 ,after scraping1 the fiber is hung over bamboo poles to dry4 ,when thoroughly dried1 it is tied up in hanks and carried to market4 ,in the warehouse of the exporter the fiber is sorted and graded and then packed in bales of #bge pounds4 ,in this form it eventually reaches the cordage factory4 ,with this description1 let us sum up some of the elements entering into the quality of various parcels of hemp1 which will be of interest as showing the task imposed upon the manufacturer in selecting the quality of fiber necessary to furnish rope of the required standard4 ,it must be strongly impressed upon the mind that the fact that a certain rope may be honestly called 8,manila0 is no proof of its strength1 durability or general value4 ,illustration3 ,,collecting ,,the ,,stalks ,,stripping ,,and ,,scraping ,,drying--,,tying ,,in ,,hanks ,,filipinos ,,preparing ,,manila ,,fiber ,in the first place1 there are some fourteen varieties of the ,musa ,textilis1 presenting a like range in the quality of fiber produced4 ,then each process of gathering and preparation presents opportunities for deterioration3 the plant must be cut at just the right time1 and if1 after cutting1 the stalk is allowed to remain too long before it is stripped1 the fiber is injured4 ,we have already seen that quality is largely dependent upon the character of the knife used in cleaning and the care given to this operation4 ,likewise1 for best results1 the fiber must have proper care while drying4 ,as all these operations are in the hands of people not noted for industry or carefulness1 it will be easily understood that the resulting output contains but a small percentage of really first-class material4 ,to get an idea of the wide range in quality of ,manila hemp1 we have but to refer to any broker's list of offerings1 which will show prices varying from six to thirteen cents1 or in similar proportion4 ,illustration3 ,,examining ,,manila ,,fiber ,,at ,,dock ,for a number of years past prices of ,manila hemp have ruled much higher than previously4 ,this great increase in price has placed the rope manufacturer in a difficult position4 ,he must either use a poorer grade of material in his goods or must raise his prices to a point which1 to his customers1 may seem excessive4 ,the reluctance on the part of manufacturers to accept the latter alternative has led to the use of low-grade ,manila1 and to mixing ,manila with inferior fibers 7,sisal1 ,new ,zealand1 etc471 to a greater extent than at any other period in the history of the industry4 ,the ,plymouth ,cordage ,company1 however1 has steadily held the opposing position1 and has continually been on the alert to secure the grade of hemp necessary to maintain its long-established standard of quality4 ,not a particle of any other fiber has entered into our ,manila rope4 ,this is because of our knowledge that a high-grade rope can be produced1 with the proper facilities1 to sell at a price relatively lower than one made from cheaper materials4 ,this1 of course1 because the advantages of lightness1 strength and durability more than outweigh the difference in price per pound4 ,this is true from a strictly dollars-and-cents standpoint1 to say nothing of the greater satisfaction in using the better article4 ,illustration3 8,,suburb ,,of ,,manila0 ,,abac ,,growing ,the making of cheap ,manila 7or so-called ,manila7 rope has been carried to such an extent that recently signs of a reaction have been apparent4 ,writers in trade journals are protesting against the lengths to which the cheapening of rope is being carried2 buyers are learning that quality and economy are close companions in the rope trade2 and so the correctness of our position is being more fully demonstrated every day4 ,illustration3 ,,philippine ,,street ,,scene ,illustration ,,chapter ,,ii ,,sisal ,,fiber ,the ,american cordage manufacturer is an importer2 very little of the fiber entering into his product is grown at home4 ,we have already seen how the principal cordage fiber--,manila--is brought from the ,philippines4 ,fiber is also imported from ,russia1 from ,italy1 and from ,new ,zealand1 but we wish to speak now of the material which1 next to ,manila1 is most used in hard-fiber cordage--,sisal--and which is secured from one of our nearer neighbors4 ,this fiber is obtained from the leaves of a cactus-like plant belonging to the ,agave family4 ,while varieties of this plant grow in many parts of the world1 it is cultivated most extensively in ,mexico1 the state of ,yucatan being the chief center of production and ,merida the capital of the state the principal market4 ,several railroads connect ,merida with its seaport1 ,progreso1 whence the fiber for export is shipped4 ,as ,sisal more than any other fiber is used as a substitute for1 or competitor of1 ,manila1 we may make a brief comparison of the two4 ,the length of ,manila fiber is usually from six to ten feet1 while that of ,sisal is only from two to four feet4 ,the tensile strength of ,sisal is not more than three-fourths that of ,manila4 ,illustration3 ,,field ,,of ,,sisal ,,plants ,,cutting ,,leaves ,,trimming ,,off ,,thorns ,the color of ,sisal is quite attractive1 being a yellowish white1 with sometimes a slight greenish tinge4 ,some fine lots of the fiber are very nearly white1 but it all lacks the gloss and brilliancy which are characteristic of good quality ,manila4 ,manila is noted for its smoothness and pliability1 which make it an ideal fiber for rope-making4 ,sisal1 on the other hand1 is without this flexibility1 and is much more stiff and harsh4 ,this accounts for the presence of the unpleasant 8splinters0 in a ,sisal rope1 and their appearance in so-called ,manila rope is an indication of the use of ,sisal as an adulterant4 ,sisal is also more easily injured by exposure to moisture and varying atmospheric conditions than ,manila4 ,illustration3 ,,loading ,,leaves ,,on ,,car ,while some of these qualities work against the use of ,sisal in rope for general purposes where the question of durability is a factor1 or even when softness and ease of handling are considered1 this fiber is not without uses which it admirably serves4 ,when a rope or yarn is wanted for tying purposes1 where it is used as a band and then discarded1 ,sisal can be used to advantage1 as it is of sufficient strength and can be spun with a fair degree of smoothness4 ,it may be readily treated with tar1 which is an advantage when the material upon which it is used is to be stored out of doors4 ,illustration3 ,,leaves ,,ready ,,for ,,cleaning ,,elevator ,,taking ,,leaves ,,up ,,to ,,machine ,sisal is largely used by this company for making ,lathyarn and tie ropes of various kinds used for bundling laths1 shingles1 lumber1 kindling wood1 cooperage stock1 hides1 leather1 nursery stock1 for tying grain and cement sacks1 for baling cloth in textile mills and for similar purposes almost innumerable4 ,but the greatest use we make of this fiber and the use which has done much to place ,sisal in its high position in the fiber family1 and has helped to make the ,mexican state of ,yucatan wealthy in a comparatively few years1 is in the making of binder twine4 ,the advent and development of the self-binding reaper have opened a veritable gold mine for the ,mexican ,sisal growers1 and a large proportion of the more than #cjj1jjj1jjj pounds of ,sisal annually imported to this country eventually finds its way to the wheat fields1 not only of our own great ,west1 but of all the world's grain-raising countries4 ,a fiber so largely used can hardly help being a factor in the markets1 and some account of its production should be of interest4 ,this story we shall tell briefly1 and largely by the use of pictures4 ,these illustrations1 to which we draw particular attention1 are from photographic negatives in our possession which were taken in ,yucatan expressly for us4 ,illustration3 ,,bales ,,weigh ,,about #cgj ,,pounds ,the ,sisal or heniquen plant of ,yucatan has been used for its fiber for many centuries1 but1 as we have stated1 the present enormous development of the industry dates back but comparatively few years1 during which time great progress has been made in putting it upon a highly practical basis as regards both the cultivation of the plant and the preparation of the fiber4 ,labor-saving machinery is used in place of the old hand methods for extracting the fiber2 indeed1 the business is now so thoroughly up to date that reports are frequently circulated of the organization or contemplated organization of a 8,sisal trust40 ,apparently1 however1 the right 8,napoleon of ,finance0 has not yet come to the fore to accomplish this4 ,the cultivation of the heniquen is now carried on principally upon large farms or plantations known as haciendas1 many of which have made their owners enormously wealthy4 ,in starting a field of plants the suckers or hijos are set out in rows1 and cultivation is carried on once or twice a year to keep down the weeds4 ,the appearance of the fields of ,sisal and of the growing and matured plants may be seen from our illustrations4 ,when the plant has been growing about five years some of the long1 sword-like leaves will be ready to cut1 those around the base of the plant maturing first4 ,the time for cutting is indicated by the leaves assuming a nearly horizontal position instead of the more upright one of the younger leaves1 at which stage the fiber is at its best4 ,then the natives1 with their corbas go through the fields and cut off the matured leaves1 trim the sharp thorns from the sides and ends1 and tie up the leaves in bundles of fifty1 ready to be carried to the cleaning mill4 ,the plant continues to yield a supply of leaves for a period of from ten to twenty years4 ,the end of its usefulness is marked by the appearance of the flower stalk or 8pole10 and the plant soon dies4 ,illustration3 ,,cleaned ,,fiber ,,coming ,,out ,,of ,,cleaning ,,machine ,most of the large haciendas are supplied with portable tracks1 and small cars carry the bundles of freshly cut leaves from the fields to the cleaner house1 where the pulp is scraped from the fiber by the powerful cleaning machinery4 ,illustration3 ,,sisal ,,drying ,as will be seen in the photographs1 the bundles of leaves are taken up on an elevator and along a carrier1 which feeds them into the machine4 ,the grip chains of the carrier hold the leaves1 while the scraping wheels clean the pulp from the fiber1 first one end of the leaves being cleaned and then1 as they are carried farther along1 the second wheel cleans the other end4 ,this leaves the bundles of the fiber still in the grip of the carrier1 which takes it out of the machine as shown in the picture4 ,it is then carefully hung in the sun to dry4 ,when thoroughly dry the fiber is taken to the press and made into bales weighing about #cgj pounds each4 ,we have already mentioned the fact that ,manila rope is frequently adulterated with cheaper and inferior fibers1 and so ,sisal in its turn has its inferior imitators1 the most common of which is known as ,istle1 a fiber which also grows in ,mexico as well as in other parts of the world4 ,a recent government publication1 speaking of the use of ,istle in cordage1 states1 8this fiber has been regarded heretofore as suitable only for use in the manufacture of brushes40 ,illustration3 #a4 ,,waiting ,,for ,,the ,,pilot #b4 ,,approaching ,,plymouth ,,cordage ,,co4 ,,pier #c4 ,,coated ,,with ,,ice ,,from ,,the ,,storm #d4 ,,lying ,,alongside ,,pier #e4 ,,first ,,bales ,,coming ,,from ,,hold #f4 ,,unloading ,,into ,,warehouse ,,sisal ,,steamer ,,from ,,yucatan ,,arriving ,,and ,,discharging ,,at ,,plymouth ,,cordage ,,company',s ,,pier ,illustration ,,chapter ,,iii ,,the ,,hemps--,,american1 ,,russian1 ,,italian4 ,,other ,,fibers ,while the fibers we have already discussed--,manila and ,sisal--comprise by far the greater part of the raw material of cordage1 we wish to mention in this chapter a fiber which1 while now of comparatively slight importance1 has the interesting feature of being a home product1 and the cultivation of which at one time formed an industry of considerable magnitude in this country4 ,this is the ,american or ,kentucky hemp4 ,most of the cordage fibers are commonly known as hemp1 but strictly speaking this name applies only to the fiber of the hemp plant 7,cannabis sativa71 of which the ,american hemp is an example4 ,this hemp plant1 while a native of ,asia1 has for many years been grown in the different countries of ,europe as well as in ,america4 ,its fiber in commerce takes the name of the country from which it comes1 as ,russian hemp1 ,italian hemp1 etc4 ,the character of the plant and of its fiber varies considerably1 depending upon the conditions of climate and soil in the various sections where it is produced4 ,the fiber is also more or less affected by the varying methods of preparation used in different places4 ,the ,italian hemp1 particularly1 is finer1 lighter colored and stronger than ,american or ,russian1 and commands a higher price in the market4 ,hemp differs from ,manila and ,sisal by being what is known as a bast fiber1 being obtained from the bark of the plant1 which necessitates altogether different methods of treatment in extracting the fiber4 ,the pictures below and opposite1 which are from photographs secured through the courtesy of ,messrs4 ,t4 ,p4 ,curry ,son1 ,danville1 ,ky41 give an interesting glimpse of the ,kentucky hemp industry4 ,the plants are cut and spread out to dry1 after which they are gathered together in bundles and carefully stacked4 ,later the stacks are opened and the hemp again spread out for exposure to the action of the dew1 frost and sun during the retting process which rots the gums holding the filaments together4 ,the inner1 woody part of the stem also becomes dry and brittle by this treatment so that it breaks and falls away during the 8breaking0 which follows4 ,this process of breaking leaves the fibrous strips or bands in such shape that they can be readily hackled1 thus cleaning out any remaining fragments of wood1 short fibers and dirt1 leaving the long1 smooth fiber ready to be bunched together and pressed into bales4 ,illustration3 ,,american ,,hemp ,,stacked ,,in ,,fields ,illustration3 ,,cutting ,,the ,,hemp--,,breaking--,,hackling--,,baling ,illustration3 ,,new ,,zealand ,,flax ,american hemp differs from ,manila by being much softer and of a dark gray color1 and is sometimes known as black hemp4 ,like the ,russian and ,italian varieties1 it is used by cordage manufacturers principally for making various tarred goods1 such as ratline1 marline1 houseline and other products4 ,before the ,manila fiber was so largely used in this country for rope-making1 the ,kentucky hemp business was of considerable importance1 but it has of late years declined very greatly and is now of interest chiefly as representing that class of industries which have been robbed of their former importance by changing conditions4 ,years ago the ,american hemp went into the rigging of many a famous vessel1 both merchantman and man-of-war1 and was a source of pride to its patriotic producers and users4 ,but the substitution of steam vessels for sail and the use of other fibers and of wire for rigging have taken away the great field of usefulness once open to this home product4 ,besides the hemps---,american1 ,russian and ,italian--another cordage fiber used to some extent in this country is known as ,new ,zealand hemp or flax1 taking its name from the country where it is produced4 ,this is not strictly a hemp1 although so called like many other fibers4 ,it is obtained from the leaves of a plant belonging to the lily family1 the cultivation of which forms an important ,new ,zealand industry4 ,the extracting of the fiber is done by special machinery and1 contrary to the former practice1 much attention is now given to properly grading and packing the product1 these matters being subject to government inspection4 ,illustration3 ,,hemp ,,growing ,,by ,,the ,,water ,new ,zealand hemp in general appearance resembles ,manila more closely than does any other cordage fiber1 and1 although it is far inferior in strength and other practical qualities1 it is sometimes used as an adulterant in making the cheaper grades of so-called ,manila rope4 ,its presence in a rope sold for ,manila is sometimes difficult to detect1 which emphasizes the necessity of care on the part of the buyer in getting positive assurance of the purity of the goods offered him4 ,the only other cordage fibers of much consequence are the so-called ,african and ,java hemps--the first named a product of ,german ,east ,africa and of ,british ,east ,africa1 the ,java hemp a product of the island of the same name4 ,illustration3 ,,uncle ,,ben1 ,,hemp ,,breaker ,illustration ,,chapter ,,iv ,,pine ,,tar ,who does not know of the tarred rigging which once meant so much to the rope-maker8 ,its very odor seemed to cling to the pages of seafaring books4 ,its use naturally declined with the development of steam power1 yet how few people1 perhaps1 realize that tarred goods for quite different purposes form an important though incidental branch of the rope business today6 ,lathyarn--to mention but one class--is consumed annually by the lumber industry in quantities that would surprise many persons4 ,today's buyers1 furthermore1 need goods of high quality just as did the old-time sea captains1 and in the manufacture of such goods the tar itself is an important factor4 ,pine tar--the kind best suited for cordage--comes from various members of the pine-tree family1 and is secured by a distillation process4 ,the principal producing sections are northern ,europe and the south-eastern ,united ,states--the yellow1 long leaf or ,georgia pine1 which ranks first in this country for tar-making1 growing in a territory about one hundred and twenty-five miles wide along the coast from ,north ,carolina to ,texas4 ,illustration3 ,,how ,,pine ,,tar ,,is ,,made ,,in ,,the ,,south ,,atlantic ,,states #a4 ,,building ,,the ,,kiln #b4 ,,starting ,,fire #c4 ,,raking ,,back ,,coals #d4 ,,tar ,,coming ,,from ,,kiln #e4 ,,dipping ,,and ,,barreling #f4 ,,working ,,around ,,kiln #g4 ,,after ,,hard ,,day ,,and ,,night #h4 ,,tar-,,makers ,,at ,,home #i4 ,,burning ,,completed ,of the two methods for extracting the tar--the old kiln and the modern retort processes--the second yields the greater supply1 largely because of the more systematic manner in which the industry is carried on4 ,as yet1 however1 no way has been perfected for obtaining by this newer method a tar that measures up to ,plymouth ,cordage ,company standards1 and for this reason we have continued to use the kiln-made article only4 ,tar-kiln burning is conducted so far out in the country and in such a desultory fashion that few people have the opportunity to become acquainted with the process4 ,a brief description may1 therefore1 be of interest4 ,only dead wood is used1 as the green tree does not yield the quality or quantity of tar necessary to make the work profitable4 ,among the tar-makers the material is known as fat lightwood1 possibly from the fact that it ignites easily and burns rapidly4 ,in weight and color it is anything but a light wood4 ,the wood is cut into convenient lengths and then laid up1 with the ground as a floor1 to form a pile about twenty-five feet long by five high and tapering in width from eight to five feet4 ,the soil1 if soft or sandy1 is first covered with clay to lessen the loss of tar1 and the pile is usually built on a slope so that the liquid will flow toward the pipe which serves as an outlet4 ,the kiln is completed by covering the wood with 8pine straw0 and sand4 ,this prevents air currents and keeps the fire1 which is on the back end1 from drawing through and consuming the wood without producing tar4 ,moreover1 while the kiln is burning--a period of two weeks or more for a twenty-five cord pile--it must be watched day and night so that straw and sand blown off by the gases within may be replaced at once4 ,as the tar comes from the kiln it is caught in a hole dug beneath the outlet and is dipped up and poured into barrels--the average yield being one barrel to the cord4 ,the tar is then hauled by cart to water or railroad1 thence to be transported to the various naval stores yards4 ,for the foregoing description and the accompanying illustrations of tar manufacture we are indebted to the ,american ,naval ,stores ,company4 ,the pictures showing kiln operations are very unusual and were secured only after several trips4 ,the others were taken at the ,company's yards at ,wilmington1 ,north ,carolina1 where the tar is carefully inspected1 strained and then re-barreled for shipment to our two factories4 ,illustration3 ,,tar ,,handling ,,at ,,naval ,,stores ,,yard #a4 ,,inspecting #b4 ,,straining #c4 ,,loading ,,for ,,shipment #d4 ,,tar ,,yard ,,from ,,river ,part ,,iii ,illustration ,,chapter ,i ,,buying1 ,,grading ,,and ,,storing ,,of ,,fiber ,in ,part ,,ii we described the various fibers from which rope is made and pointed out the importance of expert knowledge and foresight in the buying of these raw materials4 ,purchasing power and the resources for grading and using each bale of fiber with strict regard to its particular fitness for his products are also of special value to the rope manufacturer4 ,we have already shown that ,manila fiber or hemp1 as it is commonly called1 is the principal and for most purposes the best cordage material4 ,including the numerous commercial grades and the brands of individual packers1 the market designations or marks of ,manila hemp run into the hundreds and cover a wide range in the four important qualities of strength1 texture1 length and color4 ,a single mark may1 furthermore1 vary greatly in one quality or another from time to time1 so that the market designation alone is not a safe sign of the fiber's fitness for a certain purpose4 ,because of these facts the only way a manufacturer can be sure of sufficient fiber of the character required to insure uniform quality in each of his products is by examining and re-grading1 according to his own standards1 the hemp delivered to him and by combining selections of different marks in the right proportions to give the desired results4 ,to do this successfully requires a thorough knowledge of fibers1 large stocks always available and special storage facilities4 ,illustration3 ,,examining ,,and ,,re-,,grading ,,manila ,,fiber ,the steadily increasing demand for our products and our large scale of production warrant our buying yearly more ,manila hemp than any other single manufacturer--more than many combined4 ,our purchases are governed1 furthermore1 by the knowledge gained through more than ninety years' experience with the fiber markets and rope-making4 ,these facts explain why we are able to secure the choicest marks so consistently and in such quantity4 ,we have also erected warehouses capable of holding large quantities of fiber for months at a time so that we can store such as is not necessary for our immediate wants4 ,this helps us to take full advantage of specially favorable offerings in the fiber markets4 ,in addition1 we maintain a system of fiber examination and classification by our own experts together with warehouse records that insure each bale being put to the particular use its quality fits it for4 ,illustration3 ,,track ,,and ,,warehouse ,,facilities1 ,,plymouth ,,cordage ,,company ,the important question of quality is determined when the hemp first reaches us4 ,the carloads of ,manila from ,boston1 ,new ,york1 ,seattle and other ports are brought directly alongside our warehouses and after the hemp has all been transferred to the platforms every mark is carefully gone over4 ,bales are opened1 the hanks laid out flat1 the fiber minutely examined and each mark given our own grading4 ,this examination is conducted purely from the manufacturing standpoint and is entirely in addition to the one made on the dock4 ,the expert ability to judge fiber and the constant care required can be imagined from the fact that single shipments frequently contain as many as seventy-five marks4 ,illustration3 ,,stacking ,,manila ,,fiber ,,with ,,portable1 ,,compressed-,,air ,,engine ,the weighing and storing of the fiber follow next1 and the latter is a task of considerable magnitude1 for our warehouses contain a floor space of over #cgj1jjj square feet and each mark must be so placed that it will be readily accessible as needed4 ,when the bales are put on the scales and an entry made of the weight--always close to #bge pounds on ,manila--a record is also set down for each bale which identifies it by mark1 shipment and location in warehouse1 according to the section1 bay and hoist selected for it4 ,the hemp is then built up into orderly piles with the aid of a portable compressed-air engine1 each mark being placed by itself4 ,illustration3 ,,trucking ,,manila ,,fiber ,,into ,,factory ,,warehouse ,by means of this warehouse system and the separate record showing the proper use for every mark in each shipment1 the qualities and quantities of fiber needed by any mill for the regular day's work or for a particular job can be gotten out at a moment's notice and with very small chance of error4 ,as an additional safeguard1 however1 against accidental use of the wrong lot of fiber1 we maintain a checking system which would reveal at once any mistake in delivery from warehouse to mill4 ,the careful methods we have just described are indicative of the watchfulness maintained with each of the many fibers we use1 although in none of them is there as great range of quality as in ,manila1 nor is purchasing power so important a factor4 ,a recent and interesting development in connection with our ,sisal importations is the direct steamship service now in effect between ,yucatan and ,north ,plymouth1 and because of which cargoes of this fiber can now be brought directly alongside our own pier1 unloaded by our own employees and trucked at once into our own warehouse4 ,illustration3 ,,sisal ,,fiber ,,being ,,transferred ,,from ,,warehouse ,,to ,,mill ,every user of rope naturally expects that under equal conditions he will receive the same service from one rope that he does from another of the same kind and size made by the same manufacturer4 ,the ,plymouth ,cordage ,company aims to have each of its products give that sort of service2 first1 by possessing the best materials1 facilities and workmen obtainable2 second1 by utilizing each of these factors to the best advantage4 ,this policy1 so well illustrated in our buying and selecting of fiber1 finds its expression in every phase and department of our business1 and herein lies one of the vital reasons why ,plymouth ,rope has always been so popular and is becoming increasingly so among discriminating rope buyers4 ,speedy transfer of the fiber from warehouse to mill is made by an industrial railroad operated by compressed air1 which carries the bales directly into the various opening rooms4 ,illustration3 ,,no4 #b ,,tar ,,house1 ,,plymouth ,,cordage ,,company ,illustration3 ,,rear ,,view ,,no4 #c ,,mill1 ,,plymouth ,,cordage ,,company ,illustration ,,chapter ,,ii ,,preparation ,,of ,,fiber ,,for ,,spinning--,,formation ,,of 8,,sliver0 ,the opening room where the fiber is made ready for the preparation machinery is a reminder of the days when all rope-making processes were hand work4 ,the bales are first opened up4 ,in the case of ,manila this means cutting away the straw matting put on to protect the fiber in shipment4 ,then the hanks which are packed in various ways--sometimes doubled1 sometimes twisted--are taken out and straightened and the band at the end of each hank removed4 ,no machinery has yet been perfected for doing the work just described1 but the first of the preparation processes1 a short step beyond1 tells quite a different story4 ,here the hanks of such fibers as require a special cleaning treatment are placed on fast-working hackling machines which comb away most of the snarls1 loose tow and dirt4 ,illustration3 ,,preparation ,,room1 ,,no4 #c ,,mill1 ,,plymouth ,,cordage ,,company ,at this point hard fibers--,manila1 ,sisal and ,new ,zealand--are usually oiled to soften them and to make them more workable for the operations that follow4 ,the oil1 furthermore1 acts as a preservative4 ,it is a matter of importance to the buyer1 however1 that the fiber should not be too heavily oiled1 for that merely increases the weight and cost of the rope without improving its quality4 ,our experts have determined through long experience the amount of oil that should be used to best serve the interests of both manufacturer and buyer1 and have perfected a process which insures a perfect distribution over all the fibers1 while frequent tests on each machine1 in which definite quantities of fiber are weighed before and after oiling1 prevent any excess4 ,illustration3 ,,where ,,the ,,lubricating ,,oil ,,is ,,mixed ,the quality of oil used is also important1 for grades containing acids have a harmful effect on all vegetable fiber4 ,we compound our own oils and we also take great care to prevent acids from entering our grounds or factories and so coming in contact with our products4 ,long ago the ,plymouth ,cordage ,company learned that in the methods employed in the preparation of fiber for spinning lay one of the secrets of fine rope-making4 ,to secure a more effective and special treatment in this process1 we have added to the regular machines many improvements of our own4 ,so highly perfected is the apparatus that by machine work entirely the separate hanks of fiber are combed and elongated into a soft1 continuous sliver of any size desired and of convenient length1 glossy in appearance1 perfectly clean1 and with each fiber lying as nearly as possible in the straight position which gives it maximum strength4 ,these operations1 in which the entire character of the comparatively short vegetable fiber changes seemingly1 are wholly a development of modern rope-making1 since in the days of hand spinning no sliver was necessary4 ,illustration3 ,,formation ,,of ,,sliver--,,first ,,breaker ,the machines are arranged in series1 usually as follows3 a first and second breaker1 a coarse and a fine spreader and a draw frame4 ,the treatment is varied to suit the particular requirements of different hemps or ropes by a prolonging or shortening of the series and by the adjusting of individual machines1 but the method is always essentially the same4 ,illustration3 ,,second ,,breaker ,,spreader ,,draw ,,frame ,,reducing ,,size ,,of ,,sliver ,,for ,,spinning ,the purpose of the first breaker is to form the primary sliver or 8roping0 as it is sometimes called4 ,the hanks of fiber--somewhat matted if they have been oiled--are fed by hand into the machine1 several at a time4 ,steel pins fitted to a slowly revolving endless chain grasp the mass while a second set of pins1 moving more rapidly1 draws out the individual fibers and combs them into a continuous form4 ,illustration3 ,,group ,,of ,,draw ,,frames ,the operations which follow are very similar4 ,a number of 8ropings0 are allowed to feed together into a first1 slowly revolving set of pins and are drawn out again by a high-speed set into a smaller sliver1 the pins becoming finer on each succeeding machine until the draw frame is reached4 ,here the fiber is pulled from a single set of pins between two rapidly moving leather belts called aprons4 ,on all of these machines the fiber passes between rollers as it goes onto and leaves the pins and the sliver is given its cylindrical form by being drawn through a circular opening4 ,a finished sliver must conform to the special size desired for spinning4 ,different sizes are secured by changing the number of 8ropings0 which are allowed to feed into the fine spreader4 ,when 8rule of thumb0 standards of measurement were practiced the size of the sliver was tested by the number of turns which could be clasped in the hand between the ends of the thumb and forefinger4 ,if the workman's hand chanced to be different from the official hand1 he made allowances accordingly4 ,at best this was a rough and ready method1 but through long practice the men could become surprisingly expert4 ,mechanical grips or clasps are now used because they are more convenient and afford greater accuracy4 ,the wonder of modernism in rope-making is nowhere more striking than in the preparation room4 ,to pass from one end1 where the raw hemp is received just as it left the hands of the native ,filipino laborer with his crude methods1 down through the long rows of machines to the draw frames from which the sliver is delivered in a form that can be likened to a stream of molten metal1 is to cover decades of inventive genius and mechanical development4 ,the mechanism performs its work so accurately that at first glance the man feeding the fiber into the machine and all the other men1 busy about their various duties1 would appear to be playing very minor parts in modern rope-making4 ,in reality1 expert workmanship and watchfulness are very important factors4 ,good rope depends no more upon scientific machine processes than upon ceaseless attention to the little details4 ,and the attention paid to the details of the preparation room is especially important4 ,a rope expert once said1 8,any manufacturer can make rope--it is a simple operation2 but very few can make good rope because few are willing to devote the necessary amount of pains to each of the little operations in the process40 ,illustration3 ,,plymouth ,,cordage ,,company ,,factory ,,today ,,and ,,in ,,early ,,days ,illustration ,,chapter ,,iii ,,spinning ,,of ,,rope ,,yarn ,,and ,,binder ,,twine ,hand spinning1 as practiced in the early days of the ,plymouth ,cordage ,company1 yielded a remarkably good rope yarn1 but large production was very expensive and laborious4 ,the length of the spinning grounds1 which with the buildings protecting them were known as the ropewalk1 determined the length yarn that could be spun4 ,hand and water power had to suffice1 and even the best spinner could make but two yarns at a time4 ,steam-driven spinning machines were introduced1 however1 as early as #ahch1 for our records show that near the close of that year ,bourne ,spooner1 founder of our company1 wrote to one of the directors as follows3 8,our new spinning concern has consumed more time in the work of preparation than was expected1 but we are now ready--this being the second day of steam spinning4 ,it affords me much gratification to say that everything connected with this enterprise has gone comfortably on1 and my faith in the utility and expediency of the measure is unabated40 ,through the courtesy of the ,watson ,machine ,co4 of ,paterson1 ,n4 ,j41 we are able to show an excellent picture of one of these earlier-type machines which1 it will be noted1 is tended by a woman4 ,those familiar only with the present factory practice of putting none but men on the spinning machines may be surprised to know that during this first period in the modern development of the process women spinners were regularly employed by the ,plymouth ,cordage ,company and other concerns4 ,illustration3 ,,spinning ,,on ,,early-,,type ,,machine ,our founder's belief in the new method was speedily justified4 ,a way was found to adapt the machines to the spinning of ,russian and ,american hemps which could not at first be handled as successfully as ,manila because of their somewhat softer texture4 ,about #ahdh the self-feeding device came into use4 ,as the years passed1 still other improvements were invented and utilized1 giving us the highly perfected machine of today4 ,under favorable working conditions the only interruption in the spinning process1 as now carried on1 is the removal of the full bobbin and the substitution of an empty one4 ,a bobbin will hold as much as half a mile of yarn which will weigh in the neighborhood of ten pounds--the length and weight of the load varying with different sizes of yarn4 ,the feed portion of the machine1 as can be seen in the picture below1 consists of a revolving endless chain fitted with fine steel pins1 and by these the fiber--now in the sliver form given it in the preparation room--is drawn from its bundle and carried toward a tube which can be adjusted to regulate the size of the yarn as desired4 ,into this tube the fiber disappears in a fashion only to be described by the single word 8whisked40 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,modern ,,spinning ,,process ,in the preceding chapter we spoke of the importance of an even sliver in the securing of a good yarn and pointed out the care with which our sliver is prepared4 ,we have still further lessened the possibility of bunches or thin spots in our yarns by perfecting and installing on all spinning machines a device which insures a uniform amount of feed to the tube at all times4 ,the two capstans which pull the fiber from the pins and through the tube show in our picture directly at the left of the bobbin4 ,their revolution also imparts the twist to the yarn4 ,the amount of this twist--the number of turns per foot--depends on the capstan's speed and is fixed in a way best explained by describing the flyer--the first part of the machine to be perfected4 ,the closed flyer1 as the present-day type is called1 is composed of two discs joined by stay rods and carrying through their centers a spindle which holds the wooden bobbin4 ,the capstans are set into the disc at the left and revolve with the flyer1 at the same time receiving a lesser reverse power from an independent gearing4 ,their speed is1 therefore1 equivalent to the difference in speeds of these two drivers4 ,illustration3 8,,with ,,its ,,hundreds ,,of ,,flyers40 ,,spinning ,,room1 ,,no4 #a ,,mill ,to insure an even twist these speeds1 once they are set1 should not be allowed to vary1 and to obtain this steady running1 the ,plymouth ,cordage ,company uses1 almost entirely1 machines of a special type1 so constructed as to guarantee the best possible results4 ,binder twine is always given what is known as a right-hand twist1 but rope yarns must1 for certain kinds of rope1 be given a left-hand twist4 ,this is accomplished by reversing the direction of the capstans4 ,the flyer carries four grooved wheels--two for the right1 the others for the left-hand yarn--and by these the yarn is guided from the capstans to the revolving bobbin4 ,the spinning room1 with its hundreds of flyers1 each running in the neighborhood of #a1ejj revolutions a minute1 speaks eloquently of the years' changes4 ,gone is the 8drowsy dreamy sound0 of the wheel in ,longfellow's 8,ropewalk10 and in its place we hear the high singing noise of the gears--the voice of modern industry4 ,and with the changes have come more rapid and economical production1 better hours and pay for the workman1 better rope for the consumer4 ,illustration3 ,,spinning ,,room1 ,,no4 #c ,,mill1 ,,plymouth ,,cordage ,,company ,illustration3 ,,platform ,,and ,,apparatus ,,for ,,storage ,,and ,,handling ,,of ,,tar ,,supply1 ,,plymouth ,,cordage ,,company ,illustration ,,chapter ,,iv ,,tarring ,,of ,,rope ,,yarns ,,and ,,of ,,small ,,ropes ,in the last chapter we described the spinning of rope yarn4 ,let us now turn to the process where1 for certain ropes1 this yarn is treated with the tar1 the manufacture of which we have already discussed4 ,to penetrate and adhere to the yarn the tar must be heated to #bjj or over4 ,this work is begun in tanks from which the liquid feeds into the long copper-lined troughs where the tarring takes place4 ,through these 8coppers10 so called1 run steam pipes to further regulate the temperature4 ,excessive heating would cause the loss of the tar's good qualities1 and to prevent this the supply in the 8coppers0 must be freshened frequently4 ,the picture on the next page illustrates how the yarns unwind from the bobbins1 onto which they have been wound in the spinning process1 and pass on into the 8copper40 ,the plates which keep the yarns under the tar are shown elevated above the surface to give a clearer idea of their operation4 ,as the heavily saturated yarns come from the 8copper10 they are compressed between two rollers1 adjusted to leave in the yarn as much or as little tar as needed for the particular goods being made and to turn back the surplus4 ,the pull which carries the yarn through the tar and between the rollers comes from two large drums around which the yarns travel preparatory to reeling onto friction-driven receiving bobbins4 ,goods of nine-thread size and under are usually tarred in the completed rope form1 but the process is essentially the same as with the yarns4 ,visitors to our tar-houses frequently remark upon the rich golden brown of our tarred goods4 ,those who use and sell them have come to look upon that color--an outward sign of right materials and methods--as the ,plymouth mark of the weather-resisting qualities contained in the goods4 ,illustration3 ,,yarns ,,entering ,,the 8,,copper0 ,illustration ,,chapter ,v ,,forming ,,and ,,laying ,,of ,,ropes ,,and ,,cables--,,ropewalk ,,method ,before taking up the strictly modern machines so largely used now in the final processes of rope-making--the forming of strands1 laying of common ropes and closing of cable-laid goods--we shall describe the ropewalk method of performing these operations as it is practised today4 ,for making tarred goods in all but the smaller sizes the walk has certain advantages not afforded by more advanced methods4 ,it also provides efficient equipment for turning out the largest ropes1 which would otherwise require special machinery4 ,the long alleys or grounds where the work takes place are usually laid out in pairs1 one for forming1 the other for laying and closing4 ,each ground has a track to accommodate the machines and an endless band-rope which conveys the power4 ,at the head of the forming ground stand frames holding the bobbins of yarn4 ,the yarns for each strand first pass through a plate perforated in concentric circles4 ,this arrangement gives each yarn the correct angle of delivery into a tube where the whole mass gets a certain amount of compression4 ,illustration3 ,,cordage ,,manufacture ,,by ,,the ,,ropewalk ,,method ,,yarns ,,passing ,,from ,,bobbins ,,through ,,perforated ,,plates 8,,top ,,truck0--,,laying ,,process ,,forming ,,machine--,,making ,,strand ,,closing ,,tarred ,,russian ,,hemp ,,cable #ae ,,circumference ,,for ,,argentine ,,battleship 8,,rivadavia0 ,the forming machine--a heavy carriage surmounted by the band-rope wheel into which are geared several spindles and a driving drum--is now drawn up1 and each group of yarns is attached to a separate spindle as shown opposite4 ,a rope made fast at either end of the walk is given a few turns around the drum1 the band-rope is set in motion and the machine moves off1 leaving in its wake the compactly twisted strands4 ,in the case of a common right-laid rope1 the forming twist is left hand4 ,a change to right hand can be made simply by shifting clutches4 ,the amount of turn or twist depends on the diameter of the drum1 which is adjustable4 ,behind the machine follows a man who swings out the stakes1 placed at intervals along the walk1 and throws the strands over them4 ,when the process is completed the strands are cut away at either end and transferred to the laying ground1 the stakes being pushed back to allow the return of the forming machine for another trip4 ,illustration3 ,,interior ,,of ,,ropewalk1 ,,plymouth ,,cordage ,,company ,the two laying machines stationed at opposite ends of the walk greatly resemble the forming machine4 ,one--usually the 8afterturn10 so called--is made fast2 the other1 or 8foreturn10 is braked down but not secured4 ,the strands are attached to separate spindles on each machine and given a little extra twisting from both ends--left hand as in the forming4 ,during this process of putting in the 8hard10 so called1 as well as in the laying itself1 the foreturn machine is drawn slowly ahead by the shortening of the strands4 ,for the laying1 the ends of the strands at the afterturn machine are transferred to a single spindle4 ,the 8top0--a cone-shaped block containing a groove for each strand and mounted on a light truck--is backed up to the machine1 the strands are inserted and the twisting recommenced1 the direction of the afterturn spindles now being reversed4 ,the resulting tendency of the strands to untwist is counteracted1 partly by a left-hand revolution of the foreturn spindles1 and partly by the presence of the 8hard0 or surplus twist just described4 ,as the top truck is forced ahead by the twisting process1 the rope-maker preserves a correct lay in the rope by means of greater or less leverage on the 8tails0--the loose ropes shown in our picture4 ,the stakes on which the strands rest are removed one by one to allow the top truck to pass and are then replaced to support the rope until the laying is finished and the reeling in of the rope begun4 ,the closing process on cable-laid goods is like the laying except that the twist is reversed4 ,the work being with three complete ropes--frequently very large--a heavier top truck is necessary1 and this must often be ballasted1 as shown in our illustration on page #hj1 to keep down the vibration which would otherwise tend to lift the truck off the track4 ,illustration3 ,,sixteen-,,inch ,,towline ,,with ,,eye-,,splice ,illustration3 ,,lathyarn ,,and ,,tie ,,rope ,,machines1 ,,no4 #b ,,tar ,,house1 ,,plymouth ,,cordage ,,company ,illustration ,,chapter ,,vi ,,forming ,,and ,,laying ,,of ,,ropes ,,and ,,cables--,,factory ,,method1 ,,two-,,machine ,,system ,unlike the ropewalk system of making strands1 ropes and cables described in the preceding chapter1 the factory method1 so called1 is a development of the last few decades only4 ,from the first this company has been a leader in purchasing the best stock machines obtainable and in designing devices to fulfill special requirements--a policy which has given us unequalled production facilities4 ,to describe this equipment in detail would require an entire book4 ,we shall attempt1 in this chapter and the next1 to give an idea of the principal machines only4 ,there are two methods to the modern system3 that in which the strands are formed on one type of machine and twisted into a rope on another2 and that in which both operations are performed on a single machine4 ,the second method carries with it the advantage of economy in space and equipment1 but is not followed so generally with the larger sizes of rope as is the first4 ,a complete set for the two-part method comprises two or more horizontal strand-forming machines1 several bobbin frames and a vertical laying-machine4 ,in our illustration1 the latter is shown making three ropes into a cable--a process essentially the same as where three strands are united into a single rope4 ,three men usually suffice on the strand-making--one to tend the machines1 the others to tend the bobbins which turn on fixed posts and can be renewed as needed without interrupting the process4 ,the yarns are first drawn from the bobbins through the perforated plates seen in the lower section of the picture1 the entire number being so distributed as to converge in layers and at the proper angles around one central yarn4 ,they next pass into a tube4 ,here the whole mass is compressed and at the same time is twisted by the revolution of the long carriage or flyer1 which1 as our picture shows1 supports a winding-reel and two capstans4 ,the strand can be twisted right or left hand as called for4 ,the amount of twist is regulated by the flyer's speed--easily varied by the use of different gears4 ,the two capstans are geared to pull the strand through the tube and1 by holding it taut1 keep the twist uniform4 ,the reel also has its separate gears and revolution4 ,whenever the increasing diameter of the load tends to make it exert too much strain on the strand1 the reel is slowed down by an ingenious friction device4 ,the strand is guided into even layers on the reel by an arm which is made to travel from side to side4 ,here1 then1 are four distinct operations going on at once and all in perfect harmony4 ,from this may be judged the many difficulties which had to be overcome before strands could be manufactured in such small space4 ,illustration3 ,,horizontal ,,forming ,,machines ,,making ,,strands ,,vertical ,,laying-,,machine ,,making ,,oil-,,well ,,cable ,,forming ,,machines 7,,winding ,,reel ,,on ,,farther ,,machine ,,removed7 ,,rope-,,making ,,machinery1 ,,plymouth ,,cordage ,,company ,the illustration opposite page #he shows the machines which make ,plymouth ,lathyarn and ,hide ,rope4 ,although somewhat smaller than the type just described1 these machines are constructed and operate in practically the same manner4 ,the speed of their flyers is naturally much slower1 however1 since the goods they work on need not be twisted so hard as a rope strand4 ,for the laying process1 in which the strands are united to make a rope1 the full reels are removed from the forming machines by overhead chains1 as shown on the opposite page1 and by like means are placed in the vertical flyers of the laying-machine4 ,the strands pass through openings in the top-piece just above the flyers and converge into a central tube still higher up to form the rope4 ,illustration3 ,,removing ,,reel ,,with ,,strand ,,from ,,forming ,,machine ,when the machine is in operation the whole lower portion1 from the tube down1 revolves1 either to the right or left as the goods require1 and thus puts the twist into the rope4 ,this twist being opposite1 always1 to that of the strands1 the natural tendency of the latter as they are laid together would be to loosen up4 ,to regulate this1 each flyer is made to revolve on its own axis--in a direction opposite to the general direction of the machine4 ,each reel revolves also on its axis to feed out the strand--the effect of the changing load being met as before by a friction attachment4 ,the overhead pulleys1 which perform the same mission for the rope that the capstans previously did for the strands1 deliver the finished product onto a belt-driven coiling reel where it is guided into even layers by the workman tending the machine4 ,as already explained1 the laying-machine is used in the same way when three ropes are made into a cable4 ,when a four-strand rope is to be turned out the machine has four strand-reels4 ,if the strands are to be laid around a heart rope1 as in transmission goods1 the heart feeds directly into the twist tube from a smaller reel placed on the top-piece previously mentioned4 ,all the foregoing machines are equipped with ingenious devices for measuring the strand or rope as it is made1 so that the attendant can tell instantly from the gauge how many feet have been run4 ,the features we have here touched on are only a few of the many that have transformed the final stages of rope-making from a laborious task--dependent for its success on the skill of the individual expert--into quick1 sure operations where every problem is met with the unfailing accuracy of a perfect machine4 ,rope nowadays is1 generally speaking1 made more scientifically1 more uniformly than it was in the days of strictly hand processes4 ,and the end is not yet4 ,better and still better rope should mark the years to come4 ,illustration3 ,,four-,,strand ,,compound ,,laying-,,machine ,illustration ,,chapter ,,vii ,,forming ,,and ,,laying ,,of ,,ropes--,,factory ,,method1 ,,single-,,machine ,,system ,modern rope-making ingenuity reaches its high-water mark in the compound laying-machine where the two operations of forming the strands and laying them into a rope are combined4 ,up to a certain point this method is more economical than that in which the forming and laying are unconnected as already described4 ,fewer machines are required for a given output1--hence less floor space and fewer workmen4 ,the time-saving element also enters in4 ,the compound laying-machine must1 however1 be stopped each time that the supply of yarn on any bobbin is so low as to call for a fresh one4 ,this would occur so frequently in the case of the larger ropes as to offset the advantages just mentioned1 and the machine is therefore used on a limited range of sizes only4 ,as can be seen in the picture opposite1 the machine contains a vertical shaft with upper and lower projecting arms which support the bobbin-flyers--four in number in this particular case4 ,the bobbins within each flyer turn on separate spindles1 allowing the yarns to pass up through small guide plates and thence into a tube4 ,each flyer is geared to revolve on its own axis1 thus twisting its set of yarns into a compact strand4 ,at the same time all the flyers revolve with the main shaft in an opposite direction and form a rope out of the strands as the latter come together in a central tube still higher up4 ,the rope is drawn through this tube by a series of pulleys which exert a steady pull and so keep the proper twist in the rope4 ,from these pulleys the finished product is delivered onto a separately driven coiling reel1 an automatic device registering meanwhile on a dial the number of feet run4 ,the small reel1 seen near the head of the main shaft1 holds the small heart rope which is fed into the center of certain four-strand ropes to act as a bed for the strands4 ,the compound laying-machine can be had in many sizes of differing bobbin capacity1 and the extent and variety of a manufacturer's equipment on this type is one important indication of his ability to turn out promptly and at a reasonable price the sizes of rope in most common demand4 ,illustration3 ,,shipping ,,platform1 ,,plymouth ,,cordage ,,company ,illustration3 ,,the ,,university ,,press ,,cambridge ,,mass ,transcriber's ,notes ,punctuation1 hyphenation1 and spelling were made consistent when a predominant preference was found in the original book2 otherwise they were not changed4 ,simple typographical errors were corrected2 unbalanced quotation marks were remedied when the change was obvious1 and otherwise left unbalanced4 ,illustrations in this e,book have been positioned between paragraphs and outside quotations4 ,in versions of this e,book that support hyperlinks1 the page references in the ,list of ,illustrations lead to the corresponding illustrations4 ,the uncaptioned illustrations at the beginning of each chapter are identical decorative headpieces4