The Morning herald., 1877-09-07
TURKEY CARPETS.


miliar with the appearance of Turkey
carpet or rug, yet no doubt few compara-
lively have distinct idea Of the process,
G The precise locality Of manufacture Of
these specimens Of humen ingenuity and
patience existing among an all but barbar-
ous people, who, since the turbulet times
when they first settled in Asia Minor, have
carried on unchanged this art, which had
been handed down to the former dominant |
races from the remote period of antiquity,
when the Phrygians Of Homeric fame
we're the rulers OF the country. Three
small towns-O Oushak, Koula, and Ghiordess,
within the boundaries Of Greater Phrygia-
have prsservedto the present day the car
pet manufacture, one the few remaining
branches Of modern Turkish industry; and
1t is rather an interesting point to note that
this manufacture has not much changed il
locality from time immemoriA-
An intending visitor to the seat Of manu-
facture can now proceed by rail from smyr-
m to Philadelphia, one Of the seven
churches Of the Apocalypse, the train on its
way passing by the site Of ancient sardis,
where the steam whistle sounds strangely
In such close vicinity to the crumbling
ruins of the city of Cresus, Si1 hours
ride from Philadelphia over dangerous
mountain pass brings one to Koula, at the
foot Of an extinct volcano, In the very
suidss Of the devastated regions Of the Scat
aoeoaumen," and situated about midway be-
tween and about fifteen hours ride from
OushAk and Ghiordess.
Oushak, the largest Of the three towns
above mentioned, is situated on an elevated
plateau between 1900 and 5000 feet above
the level Of the sea-. 1t has population of
over 1900 inhabitants, of which only
about third are Christians. The houses
are built of sun-dried bricks in the usual
style Of modern Turkish towns, and plas-
tered over inside and out with sort of
dark clay, which gives the place sombre
appearance perfectly in keeping with the
character of its people. Quaint old foun-
tains and wells, mosques and minarets, over
hanging lstticed balconies, and dark, mar
row, crooked, and dirty streets characterize
the place even more than other towns
nearer the seaboard. Wool in every stage
Of progression, from the moment it is
clipped from the sheep to its final dyed and
spun state, At for the hands Of the manu-
facturers, meets the eye in every direction,
and indicates the peculiar occupation Of the
inhabitants Of this busy little town, which,
but for this industry, would in all proba-
biIty have shared the decsying tendency Of
other Anasotian places.
Almost every household Of any impor-
tancs carries on the carpet manufacture.
The mechanism employed is Of the simplest
and rudest description A vericle frame
supports two horizontal rollers about FIVE
feet apart. The warp, Of any required
length, consisting Of an upper and lower
thread, Is wound round the upps. 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 q row before the frame. Each
workwoman has certain width Of work al
lotted to her, and proceeds to knot the tuft'
which form the pile in rows; using diferen
colors to form the pattern. Each tuft il
r-otted independently of the others to al
y-pe, and o lower thread Of the warp
Wien row is thus tied the weft is passed
with the hand between the warp, and thel
beaten down with heavy wooded comb
The pile is now clipped smooth with larg
rair of shears. and the next row above tn
fast commenced with. As the work pro
caeds upward it is rolled over the unde
roller, and corresponding length Of war
unrolled from the upper one, until the re
quired length of carpet ismalo. The tyin
on Of the tufts andthe pickn: out of the vf
riously-colored woods which hang in ball
over the frame, is carried on with the mos
surprising rapidity, the pattern bein
meanwhile worked from memory, unles
come new design is to be made. Fort,
four rows Of PIE are thus knotted in tn
the course Of the day, and for this amour
OF labor each workwoinan is. paid from 81
TO twelve cents daily. It will thus be see
that the women are the sole manufacturer
that no mechanism or instruments beyor