New-York tribune., 1901-07-15
IN MAKING FLOOR COVERINGS
MANY ODD MATERIALS. SUCH AS PEAT
RUBBER. WOOD AND GRASS. USED
IN THEIR MANUFACTURE

All sorts of curious materials, from paper and
rushes TO grass twne and feathers, have been en-
, ployed at various times for carpet making and
novelties are continually attempted In this Industry
as in every other. The American Carpet and In
holstery Journal states that the last year wit
messed several Of these attempts 10 produce floor
coverings from unusual materials one of them
being the Invention of a carpet made from cat
tail plants. Mr. Rosewig the inventor obtained the
right to cut all such plants In several counties of
New-Jersey. and from the stems he procured a fibre
which he claimed would be tougher and more dura-
ble' II woven into mating. than the Chinese or
Japanese straw. AS yet. however. the mating has
not been put upon the market.
Peat Is perhaps the last article that one would
expect 10 find converted into carpet. AT q recent
exhibition In Vienna one building was completely
furnished by of this. Not only were the
carpets made of it. but the and wall COW
erngs also Peat is used in ireland for similar
poses to some extent. The employment of this sub
stance Is less surprising when the taken into
account that the fibre of the reeds or grasses
which compose the peat remains intact even after
the decomposition OF the grasses and is exceeding
ly tough
Another strange material for carpet manufacture
recorccd by the journal mentioned above IS the
leather of old shoes. Rugs and mats are made OF
ttie leather disks and OF pieces picked up In shoe
iactories' these being cut into various shapes and
fastened together with long wire staples soroo
unes the pieces are dyed various colors before ha
rug Is put together, making possible different co,o
designs The owner Of one OF these rugs test,s.s
that II Is still almost good as new after e,o,,
years OF service e"'
Many OF the attempted novelties have nrovsa 49,,
seoessiu either for lack of capital or because or
the undesirab bility OF the fabric Among such -
the handsome rugs woven In Indian pa,tern. 80
nlane from the shaggy moss OF the forests ~ ~.
STATE or Washington, only few sampIes NJ ,,,,.
were ever sold. Carpets of metallic ,ar
proved impractfcable for commercial nurnos.. :,
tnough the stun was flexible and sof sor,, pes, al.
Iesen onhg aluminium Goth from dried and ornS
leaves Is another queer fancy of a ca ar,a a sround
Although the inventor secured bales 81 I iaker: r.,
abundance for his proposed plant IN NJ neayes In
the dealers. 80 "iicie FAMILIAR TO
Rugs OF rabbit skins were popuIar ,o
pest or these little animals and MATS rns ON
wooden strips woven together with q s1aut aue from
r1ssn ht al one period to be quite attractive ~
a few Of these stuTs have given utmos, sa.,.
ufacture. Rubber. grass twine and T na .me,r man nan
proved sources OF continued profit to tbos nnre @
pet first made In Minnesota n isas VINE S car
wild grasses which grow profusely in The MN MN sne
OF that state AZ the Paris Exposition the Ameri
can building was well decorated with prndncts ds
this material, which said to have "a n,sasa 0l
woody odor." p'easaht
The largest plant for the manufacture of n.ro
fibre carpetng is situated In Massa paper
Art squares; curtains and dress Innings are aIso
made from the same substance In the Tuhbar , aaso
tings much used on iron stairwa va s,ch mat
articles as OLD rubber shoes and bicycle tires con
BY no means OF least mportanee are tho ra,u..
fastefui ana pretty productions made from the
repnants found in big weaving mills and iobbine Ing
ioned rag carpets made by country housevivss s
but the rags. being new and strong are much mos:
country folk In the neighborhood OF the faetorias
devoted 70 the manufacture Of these rag CARPETS
"Trip: ss... e:rpss. :S:s1n:s -: sd. 'hs s
solid eeleEs the eject u excellent 'A-s' :"