MAK

Volltext: Monatsschrift für Kunst und Gewerbe X (1895 / 3)

219 
rates. As one cartloacl is frequently the whole of 
his crop, and the amount it realises will he the 
most important part of his ineome for the whole 
year, it is not surprising'that the cultivator should 
show much anxiety to get the highest possible 
price, and somewhat ohstinately delay to accept a 
lower one than he had reckoned upon. At last 
some one gives way, a bargain is struck, and the 
event of a morning in the cotton market has taken 
place. The price has come out. The ice once 
broken, things are easy, and the market assumes 
a lively aspeet. Sharp knives are plunged into 
“ docras,” followed hy investigating hands, which 
carefully hold the samples in the shade, the better 
to judge of their quality and colour. Sales are 
now effected on all sides, and the cotton has fairly 
started on its eventful career. 
7G6 (5,222). The “ Pinjara.”—“ Pinjar ” is the ono- 
matopaeical name of the instrument which in the 
country cotton trade takes the place of the 
“ opener ” or more recent “ exhaust opener ” of 
Manchester. It somewhat resembles a harp with 
a single string, and is similar in principle to the 
how formerly used by feit hat makers. The Vibra 
tion of the gut string is produced by blows with 
a heavy wooden plectrum, so to speak; and when 
directed on the cotton it disentangles the masses, 
drives ofF a certain quantity of dust, but in no 
way arranges the fibre; on the contrary, it is 
accused of breaking and injuring the staple while 
producing an appearance of great softness and 
openness. It would be quite useless as a prepara- 
tion for machine spinning, but it seems to act 
well enough for hand work. . The Pinjarars are 
exclusively Mahommedan who work at home, and 
also, like some of the peripatetic craftsmen of 
Europe, go about in search of work twanging the 
string of the “ pinjar ” as they go by way of adver- 
tisement. They are employed in the large towns 
to clean cotton hock mattresses, and they also clean 
and open wool as occasion offers. In Dharwar the 
“ pinjar ” is ealled “ bese.” 
767 (5,223). Preparing hoops for cotton bales.— 
This is a sketch in the yard of the French press 
at Khangaum, and sliows a labourer employed in 
preparing hoops for full-pressed bales. A great 
quantity of hoop iron is consumed in this work, 
and during the pressing season numbers of men 
and hoys earn a comfortable living at the work. 
768 (5,224). Interior of a cotton press.—The dust 
and noise of this scene cannot be hinted at in a 
sketch, It seems to be a tradition of the cotton 
press that the greatest possible amount of yelling 
and hawling is essential to the due performance 
of the work, even where the noiseless engine does 
the hardest part. At the cotton screws where the 
capstan bars, so to speak, are hurried round hy 
rows of men, a cadenced din is of use in marking 
the time, but there seems to be little need for it in 
a press-room. The cotton is emptied out of the 
“ docras ” and beaten with long canes, a process 
which gets rid of a certain quantity of the sand 
and dust which has filtered through the gunny 
covering, and disperses the rcst. Then itis heaped 
into the square box on the right and weighed. By 
this time the shafts of the press have ascended, 
the door is opened, and by the help of a canvas 
shoot the cotton is tumbled into the press box, in 
which a row of men stand to trample it down. 
They usually clench a piece of cotton between 
their teeth to keep the dust out of their mouths. 
When the box is filled they come out, the gunny 
cover of the bale is adjusted, the door is closed, 
and the mighty arms of the press slowly descend. 
On the ground floor of the building the hoops and 
fastenings are adjusted, and the cotton which re- 
cently filled the spacious weigh-box is found com- 
pressed into a neat and handy bale. 
769 (5,225). Cotton sampling at Sulkeah, Calcutta. 
—The Calcutta cotton trade is carried on on a 
different plan from that of Western India. Nearly 
all the cotton is sent down by rail full pressed from 
up-country screws. Arriving at Sulkeah, a suburb 
of Howrah, it is stored in huge brick go-downs, 
and there the buyers go to examine it. Five per 
Cent, of the bales are allowed to be cut into, but 
even with this opportunity of examination the 
buyer frequently has a quantity of rubbish foisted 
upon him, and an immense variety of foreign 
matter of the most ohjectionahle kind is found in 
the bales. One or two firms in Calcutta have 
commenced the Bombay plan of up-country agen- 
cies and presses, which does away with this un- 
pleasant business. An elaborate System of “ dus- 
toor,” or, in plain English, bribery and corruption, 
completely envelopes the trade when in the hands 
of agents and middlemen. When merchants or 
their agents buy direct from the producer and 
press at their own screws, there is a great saving, 
while the numerous dishonest practices of the 
native merchants are put a stop to. 
770 (5,226). Putting cotton aboard cargo hoats at 
Sulkeah.—The cotton go-downs or warehouses are 
near the railway at Sulkeah, and on the side of 
the river where vessels are not moored. The 
sketch shows the cargo hoat in use, but it will be 
seen that the whole process of shipping is some 
what primitive, and by no means economical of 
labour. 
771 (5,227). Country cloth stall in Khangaum 
Weekly Bazaar.—On market days in the Berars, 
travelling cloth merchants open stalls in the 
bazaars or on the market ground. This is a rüde 
sketch of one of these stalls. The goods sold are 
usually “ sari ” and chowli bodice pieces, and are 
generally of country manufacture. Nagpore fur- 
nishes turbans and silk-edged “ dhoturs ” and 
“ saris.” Printed cottons, too, come from there, 
and from Sholapore, and also from Balapore, in 
the neighbourhood of Khangaum. But unhappily 
this once flourishing craft is dying out. There 
are still good patterns remaining, and good colours; 
but there is less demand for this dass of goods, 
and Manchester supplies a certain quantity, chiefly 
turkey red prints, with yellow and other colours. 
The cultivators come to market on foot, in carts, 
on ponies, or on pack bullocks. A bargain is a 
long business; and as the “ kunbi ” insists on 
measuring his purchases with the cubit measure 
of his own right arm, there is usually a good deal 
of discussion. The choice of a “ sari ” is a matter 
of much anxiety to the “ kunbi’s ” wife; and 
although the native draper may not have the 
polish of the English mercer, he certainly possesses 
all his fluency of speech. 
772 (5,228). The “ Deshmukh.”—The “ deshmükh” 
was the head of the village and Pergunnah System 
under the late government. His duties were to 
assist the “ Talookdar,” or “ Naik,” in land re- 
revenue assessments, in collecting revenue, in 
reclaiming waste lands, and other details of the 
administration of the Pergunnah. He received a
	        
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