The Portland daily press., 1865-03-21
Tuesday Morning, March 81, 1866.
Carpet Manufactures in the United states

Carpet Manufactures in the United States
By the census of 1880 the number of carpe
manufacturers in the United States was esti
mated at one thousand four hundred and
eighty-one. There are at the present time
only ABOUT SIX large establishments employed
In Inc manufacture of carpets in this country
while there is a considerable number of small
er establishments engaged in limited Way
In the manufacture OF the cheaper styles ol
carpets. 1851
-Four of the largest companies employ an
aggregate capital of six and halt millions
while the aggregate annual capacity of manu-
facture OF three of them, is four million five
hundred thousand yards of carpetng of va
rlous Kinds. Of the four companies Just al
!uded to, one manufactures only Wilton and
brussels carpets and rugs, another only in
grain and three ply, another ingram, Venetian
and Brussels, while the fourth manufactures
velvet, Brussels. ingram, three-ply, and Vene-
tian, besides variety of rugs.
One OF these companies uses one million
two hundred and fifty thousand pounds of
wool annually, five hundred thousand pounds
of worsted yarn, and three hundred thousand
pounds of fax or tow yarn. Another five
tons OF wool and two of jute and linen yarns.
Another with capital OF million and half
OF dollars, has two hundred and lightweight
OF yards of carpeting annually.
From one thousand three hundred to two
thousand persons find employment in one OF
these large factories. The sales often reach
to several millions OF dollars annually. Dur
ing the first two years of the war the carpet
manufacturers found their business better than
usual, money being plenty and the people in
clined to buy largely. But the unsettled state
OF financial affairs during the last two
years has been felt in this business quite seri-
ously. ws1 & a1l goa
PROGRESS OF THE AMERICAN MANUFAc
TURE. r3ra
The irst carpets were made in this country
about the year 1924. They were ingram car
pets, and were made in the city of New York.
In 1884, the establishment which made them
was removed to Little Falls, N. Y, and an at
tempt made to manufacture carpets there by
power-looms. This was the first attempt of
the kind ever made in America, and prove
unsuccessful. After building and starting
about twenty power-looms. it was found that
the goods could not be made "to match
that is, the figures could not be woven with
sufficient accuracy to match in the selvages,
and on that account the attempt was aban
doned, and the factory broken up.
In 1927 factory was started at Thompson
vile, Connecticut, which, after undergoing
various changes, is still in operation. Scotch
operatives were employed here. The yarns
were mostly imported At that time yarns
were subject only to an Gd ualOrem duty of
twenty per cent, while carpets paid twenty
five or thirty cents per square yard. In 1910,
worsted yarns were first manufactured at this
establishment. bHa
Having first made only ingram carpets, this
company, in 1882, commenced the manufac-
ture of three plies, the first made in this coun-
try. In 1884 they made the first Venetians
manufactured in America. In 1912 they COM
menced the manufacture of Brussels. but were
not the first to do SO. During this time q
large number of factories had been started
and the business OF carpet weaving was sue
cessfully carried on in various parts of the
country. At the present period goods fully
equal to any imported, and of the finest grades,
are made by several of the companies engaged
in the manufacture in this country. The adap
tation of poWer-looms to carpet-Weaving, and
above all the new machines and the improve
ments upon old ones, which have worked re-
markable revolution in the business, orginat-
ed here. To the inventive genius OF Mr.. Eras-
3 tus B. Bigelow the world is indebted for i'm
provements in this art, which, in an age OF
less intellectual activity and less crowded with
striking events, would seem almost miracu-
lous. To his inventions are due an increase
In power of production more than four fold,
and the ensuring OF the utmost perfection
and beauty Of which the fabric is capable.
ERAsrUs B. BIGELow.
Like many of the very large class of Ameri-
can inventors, Mr.. Bigelow is a native OF New
England. His birthplace was West Boylston
Mass. He was born in April, 1915, and is now
fifty years of age. In his youth it was intend
ed that he should become a physician, but his
father having failed in business while Erastus
was quite young, he was compelled to depend
upon his own resources, aud the whole cur
rent OF his life was changed. He applied him
self to mechanical invention, for which be had
a decided taste. In or about the year 1888 he
entered into contract for the construction OF
a machine for weaving a certain style OF knot
ted counterpane, and was successful in his in
Vention. But about the time it was completed
other styles Of counterpanes were introduced,
he consented to cancel his contract and
make another machine adapted to the new de-
mand. This was finished in 1910, and has beer
successfully in use ever since.
In 1889 he completed the invention of a
power loom for ingram carpeting, which was
purchased by the Lowell Company, and has
been in use in their mills ever since. His in
ventions and adaptations of various improve
ments to the power looms for the weaving ol
Brussels and tapestry carpets have been OF
the greatest importance to the manufacturer
and are now in universal use. Messrs. Cross.
ley & Sons, the great English manufacturers
purchased his patents for twenty thousand
pounds, and though they claim to have i'm.
proved upon them in some respects, still use
them in their mills at Halifax and Kiddermin
ster. 1t is universally acknowledged that the
Bigelow inventions have worked an important
revolution in this branch of manufacture, ant
have brought carpetsto cheapness and per
hot hithnrtO
BILE.
In his youth Mr.. Bigelow encountered al
the obstacles and disappointments which usu
ally attend the thorny path of the invento
while vet travelling in the realm of expert
ment, and he grew old before his time. Blu
now triumph has long attended his efforts
and in successful business as manufacturer
and crowned by the fame OF his achievements
he renews his youth, and 1t may De confident
ly predicted of him, that he VIII live lon
TO contribute, by his undimmed creative ener
gy, new means Of material wealth to tn
country he has already so largely benefited
MATERIALS USED.
The materials which enter into the manu-
facture of carpets are few and simple. The
consist only Of wool, fax, hemp, cotton an
jute, the last three in small quantities, an
dyestuffs. ~
The wool used for carpets is almost entirel-
Of foreign growth. The larger part of i
comes from South America, Beunos Ayres be
ing the port from which it is mostly brought
though considerable amount comes from tht
Pacific coast. Spain also furnishes wool suit
able for this manufacture. English wooi /
largely used, but mostly absorbed in hom,
manufactures. Canada contributes also Il
considerable quantities.
A coarse, long-fbred wool is necessary fo
the manufacture Of carpets, while our owl
people have for many years been introducin,
fine-wopled sheep into this country, and cal
nc longer supply any portion of the demand