West Virginia Democrat. [volume] (Charles Town, W. Va.) 1885-1890, 1888-07-27
pletely enveloped In a mantle Of

piCtciy SA'OsoPS~ -
ivy.
Our historian lately accepted from
Mr.. Murter, the present proprietor
of Milton, an invitation to visit and
inspect the ruins of this first power
loom factory, which greatly interest
ed him. The old wheelhouse lade,
which contained wheel 33 feet in
diameter to provide driving power
for driving the looms, is still in ex-
istence. Mr.. Muter told him that
his uncle, the late Patrick Mitchell,
who was the previous proprietor or
Milton, preserved two of the origi-
nal looms, which were kept as relics,
and that he had intended sending
them to the Great Exhibition ofall
Nations held in London in 1851,
but unfortunately the storeroom in
which they were kept was destroyed
by fire one night, and the looms
were burnt to ashes.
After the little factory had
wrought for twenty years, but be
fore machines for dressing weavers'
webs had been invented, it was
found that the looms were not prof.
table, and they were put out in the
year 1913. A Paisley firm purchas
ed the forty looms and set them
a-going in the old Abbey Close Mill,
where they were worked by steam
power for many years. Shortly az
ter the looms were put out OF the
little factory at Milton and removed
to Paisley, yarn dressing machines
were brought into successful use in
Glasgow, and by this means power
loom weaving was made very prof
liable line of business, which WAS
evidenced by the fact that in very
few years many thousands of power
looms were started in Scotland and
England.
In the year 1912 our historian was
working in the Wellington Factory,
Glasgow, where Walter M'Cutcheon
was the manager, and at that time
old Kinloch, whose hair had become
as white as the driven snow, paid q
visit to Glasgow. AS soon as it
was known who he was, the manag-
ers. tenters; and yarn drcssers in
the numerous power loom factories
that had by this time been estab-
lished in Glasgow and supurbs raj
lied around him, and after proper
arrangements had been made for the
occasion. the veteran inventor was
entertained to supper by them. and
presented with purse of sixty SOW
ereigns, in consideration of his be-
ing the inventor of the power loom.
AS our historian was one of the sub
scribers to Kinloch's token Of re-
spect, he was present at the festive
meeting and heard the venerable in
ventor relate the history ofh early
power looms. Kinloch informed his
audience that he had met with no
opposition in Glasgow, but when he
visited England he had very diff
ferent reception. After he had got
hundred looms started in little
mill at Staleybridge, u great moJ,
which consisted chiefly OF hand
loom weavers, who very naturally
considered that the introduction Of
the new kind of looms would ruin
their trade, attacked the factory one
dark night and had it burned to the
ground. But it was rebuilt on a
larger scale in Il very short time.
Kinloch subsequently went to Man.
chester, and had great numbers Of
his looms set agoing there; and in
a short time weaving factories start.
ed up- in many towns and villages
in England. The old man went on
to say that he had been informed by
a few trusted friends that the hand
loom weavers were really bent on
taking away his life at the first op-
portunity, he at once left England
for America, where he was well re
ceived by all classes, and met with
no opposition Of any in getting his
looms started in several parts ofthe
United States. In few years at
terward numbers of power loom fac
tories were started in various parts
of the Continent, especially in
France, Germany. Belgium. and
Switzerland.