The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1898-12-03
THE DRAPER CO.,
uopedaIe, 1Iaas,

That the state of Massachusetts en-
.oys the well-earned distinction Of be-
ling q rapidly growing industrial cen
tire, the product Of whose shops and
factories reach every portion of the
habitable globe, and whose fame rests
upon the general eXcellency and supe-
riofity OF its manufactured produces
Is now conceded the country over And
this is true of not only one section Of
the state, but Of the entire state Each
city or town has contributed materially
TO reach this standing among great
manufacturing districts The progress
Of modern civilization has introduced
many innovations during the past de-
cade and certainly none has been more
noted than those made in the manu-
facture of textile goods of every de-
soription. And to whom are these in
nOvations due? To the large concerns
who produce the improved machinery
and there is none Of them that has
done more to advance the manufacture
Of cotton machinery than mas the con-
Germ now known as The Draper Co.
who at the present time make a bust
ness Of the development and introduce
ton OF patented improvements on cot
ton machinery, they acting as the sole
agents of the Sawyer Spindle Co. cen
. trolling the sale of spindles mauufac-
tured for the Mason Machine Works.
Fales, jerks & Co., Fall River Machine
Co, Lowell Machine Shop, Saco &
Pettee Machine Co. and the Within
Machine Works. It's officers are also
interested as directors and stOckhold-
ers in at least 40 cotton mills i'm W.
rious part Of the country. Besides the
manufacture and Introduction of cot
ton machinery and accessories. the
company manufacture certain Of their
own specialties. In no department of
trade has the Advancement been more
marked than in cotton machinery. So
Wen has this fact been established that
there are numerous instances on rec
ord, where the installment of modern
machinery has brought about a saving
OF the entire price Of the equipment
In very short space of time. The
largest strides toward perfection in this
line have probably been ACCOMPLISHED
by the skill and inventive ability of
the founders and successors Of the com
pany. OF The Draper Company. for the
name of Draper has been connected
with this line of industry since 1890
when Mr. Thomas Draper started in
business as a manufacturer and fuller
Of cloth, in England. In 1850 his SON
James Draper, who was the founder
OF the family in this country began
the use Of this class of machinery in
this country. The business has des-
cended since then from generation to
generation, the natural ability to i'm
prove and perfect this class of work
seeming to be inculcated III some mem
Der Of each generation, each succeed
ing year seeming to add new influence
and power to the name OF Draper i'm
the field of textile machinery, their
productions being acknowledged and
accepted by experts as being far in
advance Of anything in the line CT
fered by competitors In 1916 Ira Dra-
per was manufacturer of revolving
temples and improved looms. In 1888
e. d. Draper. in 1852, j.. D. & c. Ora
per, in 1868 Geo. Draper & Son, Mr..
VIM. F. Draper having bought out g.
ID. Draper In 1871 the firm became
Geo. Draper & Sons, Mr., G. a. Draper,
a second song, being admitted as q
partner The firm name was COntin-
ued thus, although in 1880 a third son,
Mr.. r. S. Draper, was admitted as a
member. In 1887 Mr.. VIM. p Draper
Jr., the first son Of VIM. +. Draper,
entered the firm, and in June, 1885, the
death of Mr.. Geo. Draper, the head Of
the firm, occurred, the firm name still
continuing as before. In 1880 Geo. Otis
Draper q second son Of VIM. +. Dra
Per, was taken into the firm. A cer-
tain amount of pride is pardonable in
these gentlemen, for they nave not only
maintained but increased the high
prestige their family name has ever
held in this field Of industrial activity.
One of their leading productions in le-
ter years has been the NOrthruD loom,
which represents the greatest innova-
ton in the manufacture of looms that
has occurred in the years intervening
between the invention of the cotton g2n
by Eli Whitney. 100 years ago and now.
These looms have been improved and
perfected from time to time. a num-
Der of valuable patented ideas having
been added, and the improved work
produced has been noticeably appar-
ent to the trained weaver, 1t is utter
ly impossible for the novice to give an
adequate description of the workings
OF these looms, so the writer Will make
no attempt in that line but will content
himself by saying that they will socn
be found in nearly every large and Sue
cessfully conducted cotton mill in this
country and it is very doubtful II
there is single cotton mill in this
country which has not some of this
firms machinery in its equipment en-
bodying the old and new Inventions
Their productions have been awarded
many medals and prizes at various eX-
positions throughout America. and in
all states of the Union, the superiority
and general excellence OF The Draper
Company's machinery : readily ac-
knoWledged by those who are consid-
cred competent authorities on the sub
1ect The plant Of the firm, which IS
located at Hopedale Mass, is one of
the largest and best equipped Of its
kind in the United States, and one
that is justly entitled to rank among
the many noted cotton machinery pro-
ducing plants of the world Many of
the men employed here have devoted
their best years to this concern, and
so familiar have they become with the
necessary details of construction, that
practically no further attention is nee
essary in the handling of the machin-
cry after it is first put in operation
by men employed for that work. The
original plant has been many times
improved, enlarged and new buildings
added to it, at the present time fur
nlshing employment to a small army
or workmen, many of them beln8
skilled mechanics Of inventive ability.
The firm are experimenting all the
time to produce new ideas and i'm
proVements in their output, and to
create other machines whose adapta-
bility and usefulness will be SIS pro-
hounced as those they already nave
on the market. Thousands of their
machines are in successful operation
throughout the United states ana
many in foreign countries The MessNs.
Draper are all able business men, and
the future of their concern cannot be
otherwise than successful, particularly
in view of the marked favor with which
their machinery is accepted by the best
manufacturers of the country; and the
constant repeat orders from mills al
ready equipped, and the further Iact
that none who have used this machin-
cry have other than the highest praise
~ tha had of