Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-03-14

10 see the fun 1t spread like forty, and be-
Tore | got there the whole block back to
henry street was roaring, crashing mass of
flames over which the then small force of fire
men had no control whatever The wind was
blowing up from tho river and before the fire
was checked it had swept everything clean on
this side OF the street clear up to Concord
street. They finally stopped its progress by
destroying the two corner buildings at Con-
| cord street by use OF explosives-razed them
to the ground-thus putting so much space be-
tween the approaching fire and the buildings
beyond that they had a chance to work and
so got the best of tho blazon
"But it was carpet weaving was inquiriny
about" / ventured
now TREY USED TO DO.
"Oh. SO it was. Well, as said, forty wears
| ago it was one OF the best trades a boy could
learn and there was good money i'll it. It's
| different now. You want to know how the
things done, ehF'
MIR. Early was seated before O frame work
about five feet high, extending back about
six feet, with huge cylinder in under for the
| cord. Before him WIS swinging wire screen,
called a sley, which by means of a quick Jerk
with the arm forces the rags into position
after they have beer placed between the rows
OF cord which he now explained the use Of
| Swung over shaft, in the center of the frame
| back OF the sley, was twine screen of per-
| haps fifty or sixty st 'ands, and in each strand,
between the shaft and tho floor, was inserted
small copper eye. Each side of this screen
connected with separate pedal near the
hoor, and thus as first one pedal was pressed
one row OF eyes would be raised, the other
| lowered, and as this was released and the
| other one pressed the two rows of eyes would
exchange positions. This was his machine,
| devoid of material.
Now, you see" id Mr.. Early, 1.-THE twine
is first put on that cy Under behind there, Just
below that stationary beam. That beam,
you see, is on level with the two rows of
copper eyes hung in he center, and also du-
plicated on this side Of the frame Well, the
twine is separated inlo two screens of as many
strands each as there are eyes in the swinging
screen, and being passed over the beam ON
that side is stretched directly across to this
beam, each of the two horizontal screens
passing through different row Of the swing
ING eyes, and from here it is passed to the
cloth cylinder by my feet, where the carpet
comes forth completed. Now as each row of
eyes has different screen of twine passing
through it, and as | can reverse the position
of the eyes by pres ure of the foot, this must
necessarily cross and recross the strands regu-
larry as work the Pedals alternately. Seei
W ell, take this shuttle and pass the rag tuar-
row strips OF cloth joined together into a con-
tinuous string through between the horizon
tai screens Then jerk back this sley, which
| has wire passing between each strand, which
forces the rag firmly into place. This done, l
press the pedal, crossing the strands back as far
| as the rag, and then I return the rag between
the screens to the sids it started from. / con-
tinue changing the --g from side to side, each
time crossing the strs ads and keeping the edge
even and firm by mems Of the wire sley and
thus, you see, each strand passes first over, then
under the alternate rows Of rags, throughout
the entire length Of carpet The stripes are
effected by alternating balls Of light colored
rags with those of darker and brighter shades.
The twine cylinder holds 100 yards of cord
and makes nearly as many yards of carpet
But what do you DO when the twine runs
outi'
Il never allow it to run out. As tho ends
come into sight | insert fresh cylinder of
twine and tie each strand Of the old lot to
the ends of the new strands and thus make 1t
an endless roll"
ONE HUNDRED TEARS IN SERVICE.
This frame looks very substantial Do
they wear out quicklyr'
well, not SO very. / bought this second
handed when / started to work forty -four
years ago, and reck On it's been in use nigh
onto a hundred years and you can see it hasn't
started to wear out yet"
What is an average days work-how
many yardsi"
"Ten yar'7 Is as good as / want to do now,
though when was younger could turn out
twelve or fourteen used to get from forty
to fifty cents per yaro for my work, but now
twenty eight cents is all charge for my best
grade and | haven't any too much to do even
at that low price. Improvements in machin-
cry have brought down the prices Of ingrains
and brussels to such "A low figure that most
folks have gone back on the good old fash
ioned rag carpet which was SO popular In my
time, and there's bare a living to be besqueezed
out of 1t now. The old fellows who laid the
solid foundation have to stand back and
watch you young ones with your modern Inn
provements building higher and higher the
monument of improv sment over the remains
Of the rough but subs tantial modes Of manu-
facture which served our purposes 50 we'll"
Mr.. Early sscended the stairway with me
aa was leaving, and, wishing me a cheery
good night proceeded to close his little shop.
Brooklyn Eagle.