The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-12-25
SURTIT.iL or IN OLD HiNDICRArE
The Rag Carpet Weaver and His Great
Loom on the East side.


Far over on that Teutonic east side. where
! linEcr primitive handirrafts md ancient Gus
| toms of the Father!and. there Is yet IA weaver
OF rag CARPET. He Is II short. stout. merry
German. past middle age. and occupied IN an
almost archaic trade hut content with his lot
and fearless OF the future. Once nc ran fOnr
| looms and employed journeymen. Now he
;uns one loom and is his own sole en- nloyee
His loom looks MS II It might have come out OF
| colonial New England house two and u half
centuries Old. 1t occupies hall the floor space
Of his lille basement room. and it's great tim
berS rcnch nearly to me ceiling. Its clattcr is
heard uron the sidewalk and he'that LOOKS on
at tn. process %! w"avim. wonders that man
Of ordinary human needs can earn Il living by
tic aid Of any such cumhrous device.
When tho weaver began business twenty.
seven years ago he had plenty Of Competitors.
Now there are scarce dozen Of his craft in
the whole city. He has stuck to his loom
through all changes OF fashion. Prices were
! un when gold WAS far above pa. They came
down with the RESUMPTION of specie payments
| as they lad fallen once before with the intro.
! ducti"n OF ingram carpets. To-day prices on
the whole n re- much what the, were. tn" value
| ~ money considered. wnen the weaver flrst set
IN his loom. There IS -'i!I u l,vin. IN the bust
ness for a sHillch and innus,ri"us man. When
ntner OCCUPATIONS. the little weaver cheer
fully ae's.p opt, ne situation Kept ms
IN weaving carpets, for II hos. Of old Gus.
, toners. h,. haL tried improved looms. tut lie
. still uses. some ilkS Ike the AUTOMATIC
shuttle. hut Ter hmse he il well content with
that oa.i hand !nrcmrnt WHICH i"oks ike un
better in country Villages til II here. Bat the
weaver has always dwelt in cities. md he
would not yield the varied charms of urban
liz. contact with many friends. tna familiar
cultural ~ the mother tunsur. the cheerful
light ct TIE teer saloons TOO all the Joys OF
Yon get, whatever you want in New York il
teriais and inducements, Of fast dying handi.
crait are TO re had in this great town. Tho
f'w ';!r;Ht weaveI. buy reels and shuttles and
nlosed Hebrew o: East bro"iway learned "" tb%t
to have rieceh selvaZes t" make w,,lien car
bets. 50 liz h"gnn businG such SCRAPS Of the
sew the pieces tHsethe: lie now sells then,
~ tn" mile to the rag Garnet wenvers. and
are stlll made from rags cut and pieced from
rural. The little German weaver receives
hnndreds o: roLnds O such rags in great
villages round. from rich and moor alike. but
not from the poorest OF the city poor for their
rags are hardly a! for the nsansst rag Garnet:
square yari of carret. The. weaver charges
thirty cents u yard 10 customers who bring
east .oI trousers Of tail men count rapidly in
tni> business. and til" world would tie nston-
tished 10 know the distinguished neither gar
ments that come to Ire wrought into these
inbrirs. Their" la, been G r.: Garnet revival.
n"ay ses I'll the need Of economy M M1rs
sewing room is thus carpeted. AM! the taste
for rag rnrrct Port or; in houses that might
lagos ABOUT "sw York. 'iozens Of them cor.
s1ne rag rarps'. the work vi local weavers or
OF II" ittIl" east side German.
Tho sight OF ID. weaver at his work. with u
60 E,mns raE"d hiri hansing over his head.
sa nss the :" s G9o eH 7" Te.
Ii.tval times AMI El".nT Rembrnndt -trhincs.
nc slts WITH thH inr!!e warp stretching in
roa,ly ~ han'i. Then III SHUTTLE il is thrown
thY war;. md from tim" to time tnr strips Of
color are pressed ti:nt by u single movement.
r %rt < 'n tmr b" ut f ihy' ,,s s y.
INN, ch. en-, sa,s a yard may he made in
rom ron ,i hai , an h"nr TO an hour and naArter
the best cutters and piecers OF ra.;.. What they
send IN AFRO nni"rml%, and neatly "u'. lirm.y
rag carpet tor such people. to study the ar
lhn9"inont OF colo :. 70 SEQ that all i strong
""eI I0 Hs ca s9I" aHe re-
times balls 81 various 90 lors ana sizes are
br"u:ht IN rrelare'i after nice calculations as
70 attaining the desired effect. Now and Then
wrought into mats aid. hanging. When
Special care Is re uirel his prices are higher
The weaver has only ront"mDt for modern
cheap devices meant 4" meet he new demand
Tor rag carpets lhGrains. which hsve wrought
such havo" with his trade. H." -steems 10 n
things. and tho hctory.mad" limitations Of the
Gennin. rag carpet are no; worth real artist
such eompsii'ioa His Aprir, seldom gel get into ito
iillinG the orders a.! Ills customers. Just ut
this holiday season he is specially occupied
ior some felix's MAKE presents Of rag CARPET.
Again In the spring he Is busy. since tho long
winter evenings leave tine To a few old FASH
lonrd noopi,' to piece Garnet rags. Bsing u man
with estA !ished reputation. II" does not take
the tr?uble TO hnyn rs business adhicss
from work tako delight In wrirIn. lis name
and trade and number in neat, stiff copy
booI, hand upon little clip-cornercd cards with
pale brownish ink