1 50 RISEN B V PERSE VE RANGE. 



firm. At first he fancied that our fi:iend had come for the 

 express purpose of quizzing him, and then that he was an 

 escaped lunatic, and thought seriously of calling for the 

 police, but eventually it ended in his making it over, in 

 consideration of the price offered. It was quite an event 

 in the little dark office of C. W. & F. Foozle & Co., 

 which had its supply of light (of a very injurious quality) 

 from the old, grim churchyard. All the establishment stole 

 a peep at the buyer of the " South American stuff." The 

 chief clerk had the curiosity to speak to him, and hear his 

 reply. The cashier touched his coat-tails. The book- 

 keeper, a thin man in spectacles, examined his hat and 

 gloves. The porter openly grinned at him. When the 

 quiet purchaser had departed, C. W. & F. Foozle & Co. 

 shut themselves up, and gave all their clerks a holiday.' 



The young manufacturer was now intensely busy, and he 

 became closely devoted to his growing business. The demand 

 for alpaca goods was increasing with great rapidity. Within 

 three years the import had risen to 2,186,480 lbs., and since 

 it has amounted to 4,000,000 lbs. The price had risen, too, 

 from eightpence up to two shillings and sixpence. A great 

 stimulus was given to trade in Bradford through this new 

 industry. Thousands of workpeople received employment; 

 they came from all parts of the country, and some foreigners, 

 chiefly Germans, became resident workers of the community. 

 Another successful combination at this time was the using a 

 cotton thread in the worsted goods, which enabled the manu- 

 facturer to produce a lighter and cheaper article. For the 

 next ten years after starting the manufacture of alpaca goods, 

 he had a heavy burden upon him in superintending his different 

 manufactories, which were situated in different parts of Brad- 



