466 TRANSACTIONS OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 



respects, superior. In the matter of strength I will make a simple test. I 

 have here a spool of Coats' six-cord cotton and one of the Willimantic Linen 

 Con)pany. They are both of the same number — twelve — and both are taken 

 indiscriminately from a dealer's stock in a store. I have but little faith in 

 public experiments, for like spoiled children, they' seldom show to advantage, 

 nevertheless I will tie both together at the same length and see which will 

 break first. (The speaker here tried the experiment, which resulted in the 

 breaking of the English thread.) This accords with private experiments to 

 determine the same thing. I took weights and applied them to a suspended 

 Coats thread. When it broke I took the same weights and applied them to an 

 American thread, which not only sustained them, but twenty-five per cent addi- 

 tional weight, without breaking. 



I have heard it asserted that a glazed tliread will lose its strength after the 

 size has been washed off. I tried an experiment to determine this also, and 

 saw no difference whatever, although I think it is possible to wash any glazed 

 or unfinished thread for sinister purposes, so that the fibers will be dissolved 

 or torn apart, and the strength destroyed. 



I have here an American thread made by Messrs. Green & Daniels, and one 

 made by Stafford Brothers. That of Messrs. Green & Daniels is styled " ivory 

 finish ;" that of Stafford Brothers " enalmeled thread." Both of these threads 

 are first class goods. They are 200 yards spools, four-cord threads and war- 

 ranted to be as represented. They are now widely used, and manufacturers 

 have told me that they used American black glazed thread in making silk 

 cloaks, it being cheaper and as durable for their purposes as silk thread itself. 

 I am also informed that three-fourths of the thread now in use is American 

 thread, and our manufacturers are putting up extensive works to enable them 

 to supply the demand. 



The Willimantic Linen Company have erected a mill in Connecticut, over 

 400 feet long, at a cost of 11,000,000, in which they will make a six-cord 

 soft-finish cotton. Very little soft-finish cotton has heretofore been made in 

 this country, for the reason that our makers have had from 75,000 to 80,000 

 dozen glazed thread ordered in advance of their ability to supply it, so they 

 were unable to make other kinds. 



There are many persons who dislike glazed thread, and the introduction of 

 it was attended with difficulties. It was asserted that the cloth was cut by 

 it ; that it ran stiffly through the needle, and was liable to kink. These 

 defects are apparent where thread is glazed too much, and experience has 

 shown our makers that a little or medium sizing is preferable to a greater 

 amount. 



For sewing machine use glazed thread is much liked. I have questioned 

 many sewing-machine operators, and they assure me that what I have stated 

 to this meeting previously is correct. In my own family I have been in the 

 habit of using the Willimantic Linen Company's thread, and I may here say 

 that I was led to examine the subject from the excellence of that article. I 

 therefore do not speak from casual acquaintance but from actual test. 



Our American cottons, at least that variety last named, are four-cord. 

 From No. 40, up, the Willimantic cotton, and, I presume, the others also, is 

 made from Sea Island cotton, which is the finest in the world for that partic- 



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