The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-05-21
IN The CARPET MILL
How Brussels IL BIade-The Dye hoas~'
The Printing Process-lhe wire


II Brussels carpet is to be made tho
yarn goes to the dye room: but II 1t Is TO
be made into tapestry, then 1t goes to The
printer. When dyed. of course, each
warn is Of one color throughout When
printed every yarn is OF one color for
certain length perhaps half an mch then
another for perhaps quarter OF an men
and 80 on. The dye house Is a picturesque
place. 1t is filled with clouds OF steam
that roll from the caidrogs over when
half naked men are STOPPING, lifting
stout rods covered with hanks Of yarn in
and out of the boiling dye. When the
workman thinks the yarn has acquired
the right color he submits skein OF It
TO the chief dyer. Ii he pas es it the
latch OF warn j. steamed in order to
.'sel' tie dye. and Is then washed and
dyed in another hot room, and then the
warn IS at last ready for the loom.
4 brussels carpet usually contains five
colors. Thi, is accomplished by filling
five frames" with spools Of yarn, each
frame being filed with yarn OF one color
The threads are carried from each spool
through the ''heddle" TO the loom.
Above the Jacquard, part OF the
machine of intricate construction. de
termines Just which threads are raised at
a particular moment 50 as TO appear IN
the pattern. Thus Brussels is woven. the
pattern growing like magic as the shuttle
flies back and forth. every part Of the
complicated machinery Of the loom NOV
ing at il appointed time and place as II
inspired with intelligence.
The printing process IS even more Won
derfu. Imagine a huge drum on which
the warn Is wound. Beneath II runs a
carriage carrying a kind OF brush loaded
with color. The color IS changed as L.
quired bv a boy. The operator turns the
drum 10 "A certain point. and ~ "A signal
the carriage rolls across under the drum,
PAINTING "a narrow strip Of color. The
drum moves Il notch and the color brush
fiji, bacl; again. doubling the width of
the strip. The operator follows the pat
tern before him. and he must follow IT
neatly. II he makes the strip of color
too wide. and if the color bc dark. so
that another cannot be printed over II,
the whole drum Of yarn is spoiled and.
the blundercr Is fined 81.
When the yarn has all been printed !.
IS steamed. washed and dried, and then
reeled. Now. it must be set accord
ing to the pattern. This Is process re-
quiring much patience and eXactness.
aud the nimble fingers Of girls are en-
ployed to do il. When a pattern Is set, "
il Is rolled CA cylinder. and then each
thread must be- fixed into i,s proper place
ina the loom Then the weaving icglns
and the carpet commences 20 grow,
every dot Of color coming exactly whore
it should to bring out the pattern clearly
and distinctly. The most wonderful
thing about the loom i the wire
movement The machinery pulls out
from a woven carpet wire armed with
blade at its end. This blade cuts the
wool, and thus makes the pile" Then
the wire is pushed back and again thrust
into the warp, the whole movement
being accomplished with lightning ike
rapidly
The carpet must then be carefully scru-
tinted by women. who sew up any
broken threads; its surface must be
sheared and brushed by machinery, so as
to make it perfectly even and bright,
and then it is ready for the market
Philadelphia Press.