Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-10-25
A VELVET METROPOLIS
The Silk Workers Of Lyons
Four Hundred Factories.
HOW GOODS ARE SOLD
CURTAINS THAT COST EIGHT
HUNDRED DOLLARS A PAIR.
French Weaving Schools and the
Origin Of the Whole
Industry
Copyright. 1902, by Frank G. Carpenter)
Special Correspondence OF The Evening Star.

Special Correspondence OF The Evening Star.
LYONS. France.
l am In the silk center of the world,
where for more than four centuries the
finest gowns of the bellies of all nations
have been turned out on common hand
looms. Lyons makes about S90,OO0,0OO
worth of silks and silk goods every year.
Its satins and vevets go all over the world,
and within the past few months 1t has been
busy making the rich red velvets which
were worn at the coronation of King Ed
ward VII.
The city is the commercial center of mid
die France and, next to Paris the chief
city of this republic. 1t took eight
hours on the railroad to cover the two hun
dred mile. between here and Paris, and 1
find myself In the rich valley of the
Rhone in one of the most beautifully To-
Gated of cities.
Lyons Is surrounded by hills. 1t lies on
the lowlands. under the mountains, at
the confluence Of the Rhone and the Saone.
On the other side of the Saone are the
Heights of Fourvieres, with a great tower
upon them, up which we shall climb for
the view. We walk through the town.
passing the site of a Roman palace in
which the most cruel of the Roman en-
perors Claudius and Caligula, were born;
we go over one of the Saone bridges and by
a cable railroad are elevated to the foot Of
the tower. Another elevator takes us to
the top, and we are GOO feet above the river,
hanging, as 1t were, high over the city.
Behind us are the Golden mountains of
Lyons and beyond them. over valley of
gardens and trees, are the mighty Alps.
their snowy peaks forming ragged silver
mass against the clouds. The day Is clear
and can see the snowy cap OF Mont
Blanc a hundred miles away Turn about
now and look down into the valley. There
Is the Rhone, fresh from its glacier cradle
In Mont ST Gothard. and nearer still, flow
ing almost at our feet. is the Saone, wind
ing about through the town side by side
with its twin sister. the Rhone. Between
the two Is the greater part OF Lyons. and
as we look we see the silvery streams en-
bracing the municipal maiden In her silken
clothes and going singing on together to
the
The Second City Of France.
Stop a minute and think where We are.
We are In the heart of one Of the oldest
parts Of Europe and on the site Of one Of
the most famous cities Of France This
Rhone valley was trade route in the days
of Julius Caesar and great fairs were held
here in the middle ages. to which merchants
from Amsterdam to Venice and from other
parts Of Europe came to buy and sell. The
Gauls had town this site 600 years be-
fore Christ was born and a. the time Christ
lived here was a Roman city. On this very
hill one Roman emperor caused 10000 Chris
tians to be massacred. and in the days of
the French revolution the Tribunal finding
that the guillotine would not kill the Lyons
aristocrats fast enough. tied them together
with ropes, in rows OF sixty. and executed
them by wholesale with cannon loaded with
grape shot.
The Lyons Of today. however. devotes it
self more TO business than to politics re-
ligion. It is a great manufacturing center
II contains J0.eD people. and with its
/ ~
lion. Standing here on the tower you
see tho smokestacks Of its shops. tan
neries and chemical works and there across
the valley. on the other SIDE Is the famous
Croix Rouse (Red Crosse. the hill where
the silkmakers live. where the fashions of
generations have been woven and where to-
day some of the most beautiful cloths of
the world are produced The hill looks but
little like manufacturing center 1t has
no vast brick build ngs. walled with win
dows. such you see in the factory towns
of our country: II has no smokestacks pour
ing volumes OF black into the clouds and II
looks more like a residence section than an
Industrial one. Still Lyons has hundreds OF
silk factories and the most of them are sit
uated upon that hill.
On the Croix Rouse
Suppose we visit it We descend to the
Saone cross the bridge and take the trolley
car through the city 70 the cable station at
the foot OF Croix Rouse We go into the
car dropping a sou, or 1 cent, at the turn
stlle. for that is what is charged for the
ride We enter box car where a score
OF silk workers are standing and in mo-
ment find ourselves riding to the top of the
hill A few steps from the station above
takes you into the heart of the silk indus
try of Lyons. We can tell II by the click!
click, click! which is heard on every street
and in every hallway. The houses are lean
five-story structures, built along aIley-like
streets with entrance doors They
look like tenement buildings and they are
indeed little more than tenements, great
beehives Allied with laborers. every cell of
which Is a little factory. Most of the work
In the great silk department Of the Rhone
Is done on hand looms. and there are 400 900
men thus employed in this department.
Even where power looms are used the work
is largely that of house industry. several
weavers having. In single room, looms
worked by electricity, paying therefor a few
cents per day per loom.
Among the Silk Workers.
We enter one of the buildings and walk
up the narrow stone stairs. We hear the
clicking going on as We mount from story
! to story. The building is rudely construct
ed and without modern conveniences We
knock at door, pounding loudly in order
that we may overcome the noise of the
weaving. Frenchman in his shirt sleeves,
with a cap on lis head, opens the door and
asks us to enter. He has just left his loom
and a our request he again goes to work.
The loom Is old fashioned. and he works 1t
with his feet. throwing the shuttle by hand
from one side to the other through the
silk threads. He Is making a pattern
OF dress goods which may eventually be
| worn by some OF the Four Hundred. or may
| shine perhaps on a Virginia belle at a
| White House reception. ask him his
| wages. He replies that he earns three
! francs and half. or 10 American cents.
. day of eleven hours. He has been work.