The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1884-11-26
GOOD AND BAD CARPETS.
Different Kinds of Carpets and their Com.
pRrRtivc Value.

Thousands of yards of "Smyrnan rings
are made in Kensington, this city; thou
sands more in Great Britain. The name OF
carpet signifies little in these days even
the " Kidderminster," or ingram carpet, is
no longer made in Kidderminster nor the
Mecca prayer rug in Mecca. Philadelphia
to-day makes more goods than all England,
and she calls them Brussels Venetians,
Dutch, Administers. What, indeed, is in a
name? Massachusetts, produces the high
est grade Brussels, Wiltons and ingrains
The time is past when the fact that q car
pet is of English origin has any influence
in salo. Twenty-Five million dollars
worth of Philadelphia goods are made and
sold every year Competition is sharp, and
not only are the yarns doctored with foreign
substances but the colors used are, in many
cases, reduced, when dry and old, to q mere
dust, which can be literally swept with a
stiff broom from the floor.
practice which has crept into the retail
trade is this If a buyer discovers that he
has certain goods which are unsatisfactory
he puts premium on them of five or six
cents yard, and this induces the statesmen
to pay special attention to them. They are
what are commonly known rs stickers I"
in stock and the purchaser is very likely to
have this undesirable rubbish palmed off
upon him if he is at all influenced by the
enthusiasm or assurances of the average
salesman, who reaps direct extra profits by
the transaction.
The standard American carpet is the
Brussels and although England made it for
many years previous to its introduction in
this country, 1t remained for an American
to discover the application of steam power
to the Brussels loom. Few dealers are SO
serupulous that they hesitate in showing a
tapestry carpet for a Brussels, and if one
expostulates one is assured TINT this is a
Brussels-a tapestry Brussels. If you wish
a body Brussels, that's another thing" The
best grade of body Brussels carpet is worth
$1.40 a yard at Wholesale quarters
of yard wide the best grade tapestry,
s7a cents per yard. Both have raised
surface in fine ridges. When this pile is
cut on Brussels carpet and the surface be-
comes yelvety, it is known as Wilton and
sells for $50 per yard wholesale. When
a tapestry is cut 1t is termed velvet and
sells for $l.55 per yard. A tapestry is
easily distinguished from Brussels by the
fact that its back is of one color, whereas
in the back of the Brussels the colors EN-.
ployed in the pattern can be easily traced.
The Brussels is the most durable floor coy
ering made. The Moquette carpet and the
Administer are very similar in appearance
the latter, however, is the better. The sur
face is covered with long yelvety tufts. The
former WHOLESALERS at $1.45, the latter ut
So. The manufacture of these carpets,
recognized as the most luxurious made, liz
also the result of American ingenuity They
are produced, however, in England by
special license from the American patentees.
The highest-priced carpet made in this
country is the extra Gobelin Moquette.
which WHOLESALERS for So. go per yera
During the past four Of Ave years some
firms practiced the reprehensible manufac
ture of jute body Brussels. They are
guaranteed to be body Brussels and sold
upon the name, the purchaser not discover.
ing the character OF the goods until water
has been spilled upon them, when the colors
run together.
The carpeting best known in this country
is the ingrain-the Kidderminster," as
they were once called. When first intro
duced they were made as three-plys; then
o quality was introduced termed extra
supers, and gradually an endless variety
of qualities were produced, covering goods
from 87t cents for three-plys to 20 cents
for cotton chains, some of the intermediary
qualities being cleverly woven in mixed
cotton and wool in manner to confuse the
purchaser