Griggs courier. (Cooperstown, Griggs Co., Dak. [N.D.]) 1885-1902, 1901-04-25
THE INGRAM CARPET.
Dealcrs-Some Facts About the
Carpet Dusiness.


carpet? Have the manufacturers
gone out of business, and is there no
demand for that class of goods?''
These questions were asked recent
II by customer in the carpet de-
partment Of one of the large stores,
says the New York Tribune.
"Your questions show" said the
salesman, that you are New York.
err. IF you lived in the country or
out west or down south you would
never have noticed that the demand
for ingram carpet had declined, for
there the old-fashioned yard wide
goods are still in use and IRE only
trifie less popular than they were be-
fore the day of the higher grade
three-quarter goods"
Some ingram carpet is made in
New England, but about 90 per cent.
of the product comes from Philadel-
phia. The tapestry, Brussels. velvet,
Wilton and Administer goods have
been reduced in price, the patterns
are more slightly" and these facts,
together with the demand for more
artistic floor coverings, have caused
the ingram sales to shrink. The
manufacturers have seen this condi-
ton grow, and many Of them would
have converted their factories into
Brussels or tapestry mills if this
could have been done at n reasonable
outlay. But reconstruction means
rebuilding, and the great expense has
prevented the change.
"Another element that has had q
decided effect on the sale of ingram
carpets" said the salesman, els the
falling off in quality. Nearly all the
manufacturers make stock on order,
that is, they make the goods only
after they have been sold. The COM
petition has been so great that much
cutting of prices is often done be-
fore sales can be effected, and when
the order is finally booked the goods
are made in keeping with the price.
The merchant gets his carpet at a
low figure. but it is worth only what
he pays for it. OF course, this is bad
policy, but the men at the heads. Of
many of these carpet concerns are
not business men SO much as they
are carpet makers. They came from
England. North of Ireland and Scot
land, and began in this country with
a loom OF two. They were frugal.
Industrious and conservative, and
many of them built up large con-
Germs, into which they introduced
their old-style methods. but they
made and sold great quantities Of
carpets, and made money as we'll.
But they could not keep up with the
procession. and the other styles.
straw mattings and rugs have played
havoc with the ingram carpet busi-
ness"
A trade journal in an article on the
subject of the decline in the ingram
carpet business says:
'"The present demoralized condition has
been prophesied again and again. Now
the people who have been guilty Of skin.
ming their goods are in fix. They can.
rot offer any lower price than the standard
makers are doing and they cannot further
cut the quality of their fabrics without
making them too rank to be marketable.
These men came dangerously near making
the name Of Philadelphia ingram q term
Of reproach.''
The depression in the ingram car
pet business has had no effect on the
other branches of the business, which
are generally good. The new posses
sions make few demands on the car
pet manufacturers. Straw mating
usually takes the place Of carpets
after these have been in use for .
short time.
"The bugs and other insects" said
a dealer, "would probably prefer the
carpet, but for the people who live
in the tropics there is little comfort
in CARPETS"