The record-union., 1897-04-21
ABOUT LACE CURTAINS.
Their Cost Once and KoW-HOW They
Are Made.
The Number of Lace Mills - Why
Prices Fell - Genesis of
Curtain Taking.

Less than q dozen years ago every
pair of lace curtains sold in this coun-
try was imported from England. To-
day there are a dozen mills and 100
lace making machines in the United
States These machines represent an
invested capital of more than S25O0,000
and turn out at rough estimate about
5000, 600 pairs of lace curtains annual
~.
The firms controlling these mills and
their enormous products, together with
the firms who handle all the lace cur
tains imported from Europe, have their
headquarters in New York. They have
their offices in the very heart OF the dry
goods district, and their yearly bust
ness foOts up to millions of dollars.
The introduction of lace making ma
chimes in America, and the natural
competition which followed, have work
ed a revolution in the lace curtain in
dustry. 1t has increased the volume or
business to an enormous extent, al
though cutting the standard prices al
most in half, has made the manufacture
of lace curtains more profitable than
ever. AS 81 matter of course, the pubic
has reaped it's share of the benefit.
Twenty years ago curtains, even OF the
cheapest grades, were expensive. To-
day a dollar will buy a pair of cur
tains that few years ago would have
cost five times that amount. And in
the opinion of conservative men, who
are in q position to know, the prices
will be still lower when certain addi-
tons and improvements to the existing
l.
dustry naturally suffered during the
recent dull times, the heads of the lead
! ing curtain houses in this city say that
they are more than satisfied with the
outlook and anticipate a big revival in
the trade during the next month.
Few people understand the difficult
ties and risks of manufacturing lace
curtains" said the head of one of the
leading firms Indeed, there are few
people who have even the remOtest idea
of how lace curtains are made. To be-
gin with, the modern curtain making
machine is simply the development OF
the old stocking frame, which was in
vented by an English clergyman during
the time of Queen Elizabeth. The in
ventor took his frame 50 the story
runs, to the Queen, but she gave him
no encouragement and he then went to
| France. There he met with favor and
| prospered. From that time on dozens
| of inventors devoted their time and tai
| ents to the task of building lace
making machine Finally a man in
| Nottingham did succeed in building a
machine that proved of practical value.
| After that the advance was rapid, and
| Fl, he ctr of
| in Nottingham enjoyed monopoly. In
| fact, it was not until eleven years ago
| that a few Americans decided to build
a mill and bring over a few of the cur
| tain-making machines. They built
their mill near Fordham, n. Y, and put
up three machines, each of which cost
about $1,000
THE experiment proved successful,
and a number of other plants We're con-
structed At present there are mills
at Tariffville, n. j.; Pacthogue, l.. l.;
| Philadelphia, Wilkesbarre, Pa; Scran-
| ton, Pa; Columbia, Pa, and Noting
ham, Tex 1t is difficult task to give
| a detailed description of one of these
machines Suffice to say that it is a
heavy and cumbersome structure of
| iron and steel, yet the mechanism is
very delicate and complicated. The
| capacity of a machine is, of course,
| limited to it's size and strength, but
on an average each machine, provided
it is run night and day, viii turn out
! 5000 pair of curtains every twenty
| four hours The Workmen who are in
! charge of these machines are called
| twist hands and earn SO a week
| There is a deal OF preliminary work