St. Paul daily globe., 1892-06-13
THE CARPET INDUSTRY.
Remark able Growth of This r.
duStry in Recent Years.

dustry in Recent Years.
A remarkable growth has taken place
in the carpet industry in this country
during the last thirty years. in 1860
the hand loom was in its prime through-
out KensingtOn. where the power loom
was looked upon more as an expert
mental curiosity than practical aid to
labor. Usually the emplOye worked
side by, side with his weaver.
who earned good wages, and was
as muclRrespected among his neighbors
as Il hlgh-claSS merchant now is.
Skilled Engl. l.shmeu, ScOtchmen and
Irshmen all found ready employment
and prompt return for their labor.
The total number of factories in the
United States was 213, but the product
amounted to only about 13. 600. 600 yards,
valued at nearly $500, coo. and increase
of 1850, 900 over the output in 1850. In
1870 the number of factories was only
Increased by three. but the amount
of the product SWelled to 32.000,000
yards valued at about S22. .000,-
200, with an invested capital of S12, 50O,-
OOO. Wages on hand looms began to de-
crease, owing to the competition of the
power looms. In 1882 the capital in
vested in the industry was upward of
$.,5, ,OOO. 900, involving $40 establishments,
including many small concerns, not
factories. strictly speaking, in which
there were over 5000 hand looms, AGO
power looms, and $4,000 operatives.
The total output was 62.O00,6O0 yards.
valued at $50.000,O00 OF this over
27,000.O00 yards were ingram (one-
half Of which was the cheap cotton
grade), 100000 tapestry and S,0OO.U00
body Brussels and Wilton. The esti-
mated increase in the number of facto-
ries from 1850 to 1850 was over 50 per
cent; in capital 20 per cent, and in the
number of employees 8 per cent, the
latter mainly all increase in the plumbers
sof females employed, rendered possible
by the introduction of the power loom.
Wages Ead increased 20 per cent. In
Hand looms had practically dis
appeared, and the factories, though
numbering only about $50, had been
greatly enlarged. and IAN in the aggre-
gate ssmething over 5000 power looms.
The total output in that year was about
65,O00,000 yards excluding Moquettes),
valued at over S54 ,000,0 600, which, with
the S3,0J0,0O0 worth of Moquette. made
only in New York and Massachusetts,
brought the grand total to $57, 100000.
OF the S5,000,000 yards, 47,G00,000
were ingram. 2U,5UUU,COU tapestry (I5fuS-
sells and velvet), and 100000 body
Brussels and Wilton. Philadelphia pro-
dnces over half of this, 5000, eco yards,
valued at $4,000, ,000; New York, 10000
900, valued at $13,500,0 900, and Niassa-
chusetts 13.500,000, valued at $4,000 900.
The cheaptning of the product and tine
consequent increase i'll the per capita
consumption, which is tenfold greater
than in 1860 is the direct result of
improvements in machinery. File tap
estriea and Brussels can now be OBJ
tained at the former cost of the rudest
ingram. The enormous product, S5,
000,O00 yards, is consumed entirely at
home, making q per capita consumption
of nearly a yard and half. far more
than i'll any foreign country. Harvey E.
Platt, who has collected these statistics,
states as the primary cause OF the remark
ably large use of carpets i'll the United
States the fact that civilization is main
tanned in this country at lower winter
isothermai than elsewhere. Another
cause is that our houses are built so
poorly, compared with those of other
countries, that a carpet of some kind is
almost all absolute necessity. The
standard of carpet designed has vastly
improved of late years. Designers
wages lange from s10 to 500 per week.
and good design Will sell all the way
from $50 10 $50.