The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1877-09-22
Turkish Carpets.

Three small towns-=Oushak, Koula,
and Ghiordess, within the boundaries Of
Greater Phrygia, in Asia Minor, have
preserved to the present day the carpet
manufacture, one Of the few remaining
branches Of Turkish industry; and it Is
rather an interesting point to note that this
manufacture has not much changed its
locality from time immemorial.
Oushak, the largest of the three towns
above mentioned, is situated on an elevated
plateau between 1000 and 5000 feet
above the level of the sea. Il has pop
ulation of over $4,000 inhabitants, Of
which only about third are Christians.
The houses are built of sundried bricks in
the usual style of modern Turkish towns,
and plastered over inside and out with a
sort of dark clay, which gives the place a
somber appearance perfectly in keeping
with the character of its people. Quaint
old fountains and wells, mosques and
minarets, overhanging latticed balconies,
and dark, narrow, crooked and dirty streets
characterize the place even more than other
towns nearer the seaboard. Wool in every
stage of progression, from the moment il
is clipped from the sheep to its final dyed
and spun state, fit for the hands of the
manufacturer, meets the eye in every
direction, and indicates the peculiar occu-
patton Of the inhabitants of this busy little
town, which, but for this industry, would
in all probability have shared the decay
ing tendency Of other Anatolian towns.
Almost every household of any import.
ance carries on the carpet manufacture.
The mechanism employed is of the simp-
lest and rudust description. A vertical
frame supports two horizontal rollers about
five feet apart. The warp, of any requir.
ed length, consisting of an upper and lower
thread, is wound round the upper roller
and the ends fastened to the lower one,
from which the work is commenced by the
women and girls; who kneel or sit cross.
legged in row before the frame. Each
workwoman has certain width Of work
allotted to her, and proceeds to knot the
tufts which form the pile in rows, using
different colors to form the pattern. Each
tuft is knotted Independently of the others
to an upper and lower thread of warp.
When q row is thus tied the tuft is passed
with the hand between the warp, and then
beaten down with heavy wooden comb.
The pile is now clipped smooth with q
large pair Of shears, and the next row
above the first commenced with. As the
work proceeds upward it is rolled over the
under roller, and corresponding length
Of warp unrolled from the upper one, until
the required length of carpet is made.
The tying of the tufts and the picking out
of the yariously colored woods which hang
in balls over the frame, is carried on with
the most surprising rapidity, the pattern
being meanwhile worked from memory,
unless some new design is to be made.
Forty-four rows Of pile are thus knotted
in the course Of the day, and for this
amount Of labor each workwoman is paid
from six to twelve cents daily. II will
thus be seen that the women are the sole
manufacturers, that no mechanism or in
struments beyond frame, shears and
comb are used, and that the design is
worked from memory. Yet, with such
limited means at their disposal, these skill
ful workers contrive to produce the most
harmoniously colored, and certainly the
most durable, carpets in the world.
We have only so far spoken Of the
women; the mems share Of the Industry is
to collect and dye the wool for the manu-
facturers, and manage the sale of the car
pets when completed--tasks light enough,
to the irksome labor OF the f.