BRADFORD FOR WOOL.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2097, 25 January 1908, Page 4 (Supplement)

BRADFORD FOR WOOL.

How a Little Yorkshire Village has Grown into a Centre of World-Commerce.

(From our Special Correspondent, Bradford )

It has been well said that tho foundation of Linuliont is wool. Just- as -Uancluiuer has grown out- of eoi-ton, so \l orstedopolis is the direct product of wool; tho whole city, ns history ami present attainments being solely built on the fleece of the sheep. Exactly why the wool industry ol Great Britain should be cciuraiiscd m Bradford and district is haul to say, for geographically everything would sown to hnvo been against “a sitting , for the city itself is in a hole niul away from tho main trunk lino of all railways of England. . Exactly when tho toxtilo industry was founded no man can tell, but as long ago as the 12th century the spinning and weaving of wool w as beino' followed in Bradford and district. This was entirely done in the homes of the people, in fact there me many individuals living to-day who wero Formerly hand combers, spinners -and weavers. Lclaiul, in the timo of Henri' the eighth, bail noticed that the town, or rather tior.il-lao-e, was “pratv quik and thatquickness has proved the incentive

important contributing factor both in .spinning, dyeing and finishing. A competent writer said a short time back that “tliore is no English town that on joys so -little sunshine,” ami l this will explain at- onco that atmospheric conditions which undoubtedly help to feed the wool, fibre, -all conduce lo its manipulation in as perfect a way as possible. The Bradford Corporation knowing the absolute necessity of a plentiful supply of soft, clean water, have spent very large sums of money to provide such a supply. In 1854 the Corporation took over at a cost or £192,000 the undertaking of the Bradford- Waterworks Company, paving the shareholders £4O for their £2O shares, ami immediately set about- extending and developing the water supply of the city. So recently as 1899, recognising the heavy demands of manufacturers, the Corporation received the sanction ol Parliament to inaugurate a new scheme, and the construction of three storage reservoirs, with an aggregate capacity of 2,596,000,000 gallons, constructing a main conduct 33 miles in length, with 6 miles of branches m order to further alignment the water supplv of the citv. The mill help is of the very best, and more than ever the technical side of manufacture is being studied, while anything brought out to aid or develop production is instantly-adopt-ed. There is no question of a doubt that tlio inhabitants of Bradford have ’inherited from their fore-elders the natural gift and intuition winch is so essential for the successful manufacture of wool, and the null help is of tlio best character possible. Tho population at the las-t census (1902) was' 279,767, and; to-day in round figures it is about 300,000.

to a marvellous advance during the past 100 years. In 1342 the population of tho township of Bradford was thou not f.ar short of (300, while the poll tax of 1378 gives a .record -or 20 married couples and 33 -a dull.-,. In 1780 wool-combers earned IBs ior a"full week’s work; women spinners 2s, and girls as pipcors from lod to lSd. History chronicles the iaot that a man weaver who thoroughly nucleistood bis job earned about- Ss to 8s 6il, but the general a vena go was from

os to 6s. Of course, the cost- of hying in those days anti even the stylo of living was quiet different to toe present time, both masters and men faring very much alike: oatmeal porridge, eat or “haver” cake, homo brewed beer, homo fed bacon., potatoes, -and plenty of milk constituting the staple articles of food lor all classes. . ... Ever since tho beginning of the 17th century the- manufacture ot wool has been continuous. The people then were an industrious, hal'd working lot, and their descendants -have undoubtedly inherited the sumo push and spirit of enterprise. In the year 1775 tlie manufacturers found it to tlieir -advantage to set apart a building exclusive for the sale ot worsted goods, and what is known as tho Piece Hall in Kirkgate was erected, this proving to be tho lorerunner of the present Exchange in Market Street. In this hall various kinds of worsted tops, spun yarns, and a number of pieces wero week y exposed for sale. Precisely at yen o’clock every Thursday morning the market was opened by the ringing t a bell, and punctually at 3.30 in this afternoon it was rung again to announce the close of the market, fines being imposed on any who ventured to do business before or after the appointed time. The prosperity of tho -town was undoubtedly enhanced by the construction of -the Leeds and Liverpool Canal, Bradford- being linked ti’ 1 m the year 1776. From that date to the beginning of last century population began to increase at a fairly rapid rate, -and with the founding of large iron works between Bradford and New Moor, some five or six miles distant, the city began to flourish. About the year 1810 a Bradford manufacturer of the name of Buck-

ley conceived the idea, or introducing steam power into a worsted factory. The writer of an historical sketch which appeared in the Bradford idirectory, gives the following interesting particulars: “Mr Buckley accordingly purchased a plot of land in' Manchester Hoad, and was about to proceed with the erection of the proposed mill, when a number of intluential inhabitants (including some who afterwards were prominent proprietors of worsted mills) met to gether and subscribed their names to a notice .threatening this worthy pioneer with all the terrors of the law should he ‘presume to erect or build any steam engine for the manufacture of cotton or wool’ in the place named,' if the same should 1 be found a nuisance. Mr Buckley had not the courage to faco such powerful opposition, so he. gave us his project and removed to Todmorden. In 1794 Mr James Garnett, the founder of the present firm of Garnett, and Co., erected a couple of spinniugmaehines in the old mansion culled tho Paper Hall, in High Street. Soon afterwards Mr Robert Ramsbottom, who occupied a house in Ivirkgate, worked on his premises several spinning machines by means of .a gin horse, and about the same time introduced the first combing machine into Bradford which was so far from being success that the owner is said to have taken off his hat to it and wished it a long farewell as it was carted from his yard. Five yoars after Mr Buckley’s ineffectual endeavor to start a steam factory in Bradford a more successful attniept was made by Messrs Ramsbotliam jSw'amo and Murgatroyd, who in 1798 proceeded to erect a mill in the Holme. The inhabitants still looked with disfavor upon these projects, and would fain have prevented them from being carried forward. The mill, howover, was completed l in 1800. It had an engine of 15 horse .power. The way having been thus paved, other mills were speedily erected. In 1801, Mr Richard Fawcett built one; in 180/ another was erected by, Messrs -Benjamin and Matthew Thompson.; and in 1803 ono was built, by Mr John Rand. As yet it was only spinning machinery that was worked by steam; moro than, twenty years elapsed before tho introduction of power looms into tho worsted trade. In 1800 the average number of pieces_ exposed for sale in the Bradford Piece Hall was about 3000. A few years afterwards tho number was trebled. Mills continued to multiply, and tho population increased at an enormous rate. In 1810 thero wore five nulls in the town of an aggregate horse power of about 250; in 1820 twenty mills of about 538 horse power; and in 1833 thirty-four mills, of 114 b horso power. In 1824 the woolcombers within a radius of six miles round Bradford numbered about bUO, and in 1825 there were from 7000 to 8000; and t]io weavers were estimated at three times the number oi combers. In 1822 Mr James warbrick, a Bradford manufacturer, bad had a power loom secretly made, and had. 1 erected it aild .put it ill motion in a mill at Shipley. The news j oozed out, however, and a mob ol i weavers surrounded the mill and threatened the building with destruction unless the loom was instantly removed. Mr Warhriek was thus compelled to take the loom down, lie had it placed in a. out, under an escort of constables, but as tile loom was being conveyed away the excite! weavers made an attack upon the party, routed the constables, destroyed the loom, and dragged the roller and warp in triumph through Baildon. Shortly afterwards Messrs Horsfall set up some power looms in their mill, in North Wing, and in May, 1820. their factory was the scene of a serious riot, resulting in two persons being killed and a large unmoor wounded. After this unfortunate affair, the Bradford manufacturers were permitted* to carry on tlieir experiments without molestation .and the adoption of machinery became general, improvement- 'succeeded improvement, and the demand for stuff goods grew with the etvk-pslyp of tho capacity for production,'” '' , ■Bradford since the dates previously mentioned* has forged ahead at considerable speed. The presenl Exchange has a membership of over 2,000° and the Exchange floor on market days—‘Mondays 'and .Imirsday*—is always filled The industry to-/Rv is enjoying a period of great prosperity, and the city ,shows 1 o signs whatever of decay, in fact, an air of prosperity is manifest on. all sides. . , . , . , It is very difficult to state what it. is that gives Bradford its pre-emi-nence in the production of textiles, There is no doubt that tho comparatively soft, damp atmosphere a? in