The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1881-03-04
TURKISH CARPETS.

One of the most important industries
OF the Ottoman empire, and certainly
the chief industry of Asia Minor, always
excepting agriculture, is the making Of
carpets. Some of these factories are
now furnished with looms quite in the
European manner, but it is not IN such
factories that these famous fabrics are
chiefly produced the peasants in their
mud-hOuses and the Eomad YuTuks in
their tents all contribute to the many
kinds that are made. The annual value
of thecarpets ofAnavolia approach $780,
600 and of these but n small number
remain in Turkey when compared with
those distributed over Europe and a mer-
ica, where the demand is constantly in
cTeasing. About three-fourths of the
carpets come to England (bUt not all
for home consumption. and about one
sixth goes to France. These large ex-
ports keep the prices at fair level, and
IN the best shops of London and Paris
all kinds of Eastern carpets can be got
for ready money more cheaply than the
casual traveller can buy them on the
spot. This applies to the finest old car
pets as well as tOthe new ones for even
with good and tTuSty dragOman one
may have to lose the best part of day
ha9gling for half dozen velvety mel
lowed Daghestans with carpet dealer
OF Symrna, Cairo or Alexandria, and
after all be vIctimiZed to some extent.
OOSh2k, a large village of artisans
about six days journey due east from
Smyrna, l5 the headquarters of the man
ufactuTe Of the carpets known to us for
generations as Turkey carpets" " and
in France as ''tapis de Smyrna - The
patterns are Turkish, or, rather. arabes-
que. At OOshak there are at full work
| hundreds of the looms called lesyak,
employing about 1900 women, and
turning out about So, 600 square yards Of
| carpets of al! sizes and qualities annually.
/ y carpet of between seven and eight
/ yards in length will employ eight won
! en- at once, working side by side Their
! wages are about eight piasteTs a week,
/ which, 1t is calculated, comes to about
/ one shilling and nine pence for each
yard of carpet woven. The wood used
! comes from the villages round about,
and it is bought for about a half-penny
a pound in its uncleaned state. When
| washed and bleached it loses at least
/ one-third Of its weight. The foundation
of the carpet is made of an inferior wool
/ and the whole material OF the fabric
! may cost about two shillingS siXpence a
| yard. This does not include the dyeing,
| which is managed by the men, and
forms the chief item of cost. The col
oTs that have so long satisfied our west
ern eyes are produced for the most part
with maddeT, cochineal and indigo.
Madder root, or aliZard, gives the fine
old Turkey red, - and is largely grown
in Asia Minor the best roots cost from
four to five cents a pound. Cochinea'
is imported from England and France
and, being an expensive dye, consider
ably raises the price of the carpets. II
was not used before the year 1856 an
terror to that date madder alone wa:
employed for reds, and this fact gives al
epoch for the carpet-faucier. The indi
go is brought from England or from In
dia. Yellows are got from the seed o
Rhamnus alateTnus, which IS cultivated
largely in the eastern parts of Karaman
la and is getting deareT every day i
now costs one shilling fouTpence
pound. Other dyes, which are import
ed from Europe, are used in small guam
titles to obtain the more tender tint
and tone down TO the general effect
The velvet carpets which have attain
ed such a vogue we're not made at Ooshal
till the year 1S60.-St. james Guzetts