The wool trade

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   Went to Watkins wool Mill in Kearny Missouri this weekend.
Interesting stuff.
set up in the 1860's ran until 1920 (and it's all still there and authentic)
Before the 1890's no company made clothes, only cloth was available.
Wools was a custom deal unlike cotton, so mills were rare.
This one was on the "going west" homestead path so it had lots of business.
 Many people who worked there got "wool gathers disease" after  a couple years = anthrax from wool dust (scat & dirt) throw off the machines.
To spin the wool the humidity needed to be over 70% so they litterally pumped steam into the place while it ran.  They ran it 11 months of the year.
Everything was done via barter (he'd keep a % of the wool or wood you brought for his product) and very little money was exchanged.  Often they'd work on promises from future harvests.
They bought all the wool and wood within 60 miles (chopped down) to keep the place running.
The place ran on an old steam boiler that was pulled out of a retired steam boat, and it used a pully system.
They paid $1 a day for workers, .25cents a day for boys (.19cents was the going rate for farm boys) and $2 bucks a day for the finish product people (dyers, and cloth finishers).
When they started the mill he had to recruit people from Europe.
The dye's came from the states except for red which they imported (they used crushed cactus bugs from Mexico) - still used in cosmetics today.
They used "thistle" to make the fluffly blanket finishes - but had to import special thistle from sweeden.
Pretty cool place!
Spot

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Spot shooter Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Left BSB in Disgrace Banned Joined: 19 June 2003 Location: Bahrain Status: Offline Points: 0	Post Options Post Reply Quote Spot shooter Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Topic: The wool trade Posted: 25 September 2005 at 05:47
	Went to Watkins wool Mill in Kearny Missouri this weekend. Interesting stuff. set up in the 1860's ran until 1920 (and it's all still there and authentic) Before the 1890's no company made clothes, only cloth was available. Wools was a custom deal unlike cotton, so mills were rare. This one was on the "going west" homestead path so it had lots of business. Many people who worked there got "wool gathers disease" after a couple years = anthrax from wool dust (scat & dirt) throw off the machines. To spin the wool the humidity needed to be over 70% so they litterally pumped steam into the place while it ran. They ran it 11 months of the year. Everything was done via barter (he'd keep a % of the wool or wood you brought for his product) and very little money was exchanged. Often they'd work on promises from future harvests. They bought all the wool and wood within 60 miles (chopped down) to keep the place running. The place ran on an old steam boiler that was pulled out of a retired steam boat, and it used a pully system. They paid $1 a day for workers, .25cents a day for boys (.19cents was the going rate for farm boys) and $2 bucks a day for the finish product people (dyers, and cloth finishers). When they started the mill he had to recruit people from Europe. The dye's came from the states except for red which they imported (they used crushed cactus bugs from Mexico) - still used in cosmetics today. They used "thistle" to make the fluffly blanket finishes - but had to import special thistle from sweeden. Pretty cool place! Spot

Spot shooter Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Left BSB in Disgrace Banned Joined: 19 June 2003 Location: Bahrain Status: Offline Points: 0	Post Options Post Reply Quote Spot shooter Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 25 September 2005 at 06:45
	Forgot one... The term "the kiss of death" - comes from the wool trade When all the Gal's on the wool loom's kept getting sick the government did a study to try to find out why. As it turns out the thread carrige that flys back and forth in the loom has en eye that has to be threaded. They were threading those things every 2-3 minutes all day, and to do it they put the thread under the eye and did a quick inhale with their lips over the eye to such the thread through. What they were sucking in was die, wool particles and all the dust that was still on the wool. Which lead to either anthrax or a lung disease much like cool miner type particle diseases. Spot

waksupi Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List .416 Rigby aka Keeper of the Old Traditions Joined: 11 June 2003 Status: Offline Points: 2371	Post Options Post Reply Quote waksupi Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 25 September 2005 at 07:11
	Shortly after high school, I worked at the woolen mills, in Amana, Iowa. This was a mill that I believe was established in the 1850's, and was ran off of belts and pulleys, from the man made mill race running past. It was a rather interesting job, and i was able to see the full processing, and had experience at the farm level with sheep shearing. Last time I was there, they just had one room with display machinery running for the tourists to see. They job out the main spinning and weaving now, unfortunately. I guess there wasn't enough local wool to keep it viable.
	Shooters Cast Bullet Alumnus http://www.castboolits.gunloads.com/index.php?

teebogr81 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List .243 Winchester Joined: 13 July 2004 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 240	Post Options Post Reply Quote teebogr81 Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 11 November 2005 at 08:06
	Man, this topic brings back some memories. During college I worked on a sheep farm outside Springfield MO. Two of the best years of my life on that farm. I really enjoyed being a real live 'shepherd'. Shearing is some of the hardest work you'll ever do. I'd rank it right up there with bucking hay. Our main shearer came down every year from Iowa. We raised rambouillet sheep (fine wool breed) and he could peel at least 100 head a day. It was a wonderful experience.
	Gen 1:28 And God blessed them, and God said ... and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. KJV