Carlyle and Shoddy.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXXIX, Issue 10765, 13 May 1911, Page 4 (Supplement)

Carlyle and Shoddy.

The late Lord Airdale used to recall his first meeting with Carlyle. "I wasintroduced to him as a young nianufncturer from Leeds," he said. Carlyle tnrned suddenly upon me and said, 'Pray, sir, is it true that there is a great roaring, smoking forge in the very centre of Kirstali Abbey> o, sir,' I replied, 'it is not true. The Kirkstall Forge is half a mile away from the Abbey.' 'Oh, is it?' Carlyle gruffly retorted. 'I heard it was on the very centre of the Abbey, but. at any rate Leeds is a shoddy manufacturing town, is it not?' I said to him, 'Do you knoy, Mr Carlyle, what shoddy is? You write a great deal about shoddy. Would you mind if I told you?' He said 'fco, and I told him that shoddy is rags which, are torn up by machinery and washed and turned into wool, and, made into cheap clothing, enables clean ajid cheap garments to be manufactured for worfcfng people. 'Oh,' said Carlyle reflectively, 'I had not heard that aspect of the question.' "