New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-03-24
RAG CARPETS GLORIFIED.
Astonishing Results from Small Pieces of
Different Materials.

The ancient carpet glorifed almost beyond
| recognition proved such an attraction at a sale
held yesterday az the home of Mrs c. F. Ostrander,
No. 50 West Fifty-thrd-st. that ~ the goods had
been delivered as they were sold there would have
been nothing to see in the afternoon.
They are just what have been wanting" said
| the first conner; and have been wondering where
/ I could get them woven"
| So she ordered three four rugs and a whole
rag carpet for her camp in the Adirondacls. and
said she would send old Brussels carpet TO be
| made up into rag rugs and would probably want
some rag pOrtieres. Among the rugs she ordered
was one made out Of an old carpet. 1t soft
and thick. with pale fawn tints woven hit miss
in the centre. and with stripes of olive green COM
bned with touches of deep pink in the border.
| Another mdde OF awning cloth lovely combi-
nation OF fawr and white and a third was Of dark
blue denim shot with white The carpet a sim
| pie. unaduterated rag carpet woven hit miss.
without even border to modernize it. Just the
thing for a camp the purchaser declared.
| A second purchaser thought the rugs were just
| the thing for her house the Hudson. and a third
ordered whole outfit for an old Colonial house at
Nantucket. Of which she has just become the happy
| possessor.
Tho rugs have already been sent from Maine 20
California. where they have been used for all sorts
Of purposes. and large order is being executed for
a wealthy English woman. who is furnishing her
whole house with them These will be the first TO
be exported.
These rugs made at the workrooms for IN
skilled Women. conducted by the Charity Organiza-
ton Society at No sic West Twenty-eighth-st.. and
give employment TO a large number of women who
could not do anything else. Many of them arc old
women, the pathetic grandmothers OF the tene-
ments, and none are employed who are capable OF
earning money in any other way. Often they
scarcely know how to handle needle. but they
can rags together. and these beautiful rugs are
the result
The industry has grown up gradually from small
beginnings. the idea which started IT having come
from ST. Louis. There. in a similar wOrkroom,
which has since gone out of existence. some pretty
rugs made from the scraps left from the
making of overals. Mrs. +. A. Hnsdale the
matron Of the New-York workrooms. heard OF this
and tried few rugs. making at first only blue
and white. and then varieties were made
up from samples OF fabrics sent from the stores:
one Of them. made from bits OF sateen hardly SIX
inches square. with Persian figures. was so lovely
the Industry has grown. and the only thing that
checks its rapid deyelopment and the employment
class Is want Of money
Rugs are now made to match other furnishings
and many different materials are utilized from old
carpets 10 silk and velvet. Denim rugs were first
made here and have been a great success. English
denim is used because Il does not fade. and the
Velvet Is stitched before weaving Tor the same
reason. The prices considering the artistic effect
The workers get % cents a day Tor their labor
besides a good dinner and hot bath Iher are
all required take a bath before they 10 work,
and though this seems like certain death 10 some
once been through tho ordeal however and md
that they survive. they begin 20 enjoy Il. and
many come TO tho workrooms more for the bath
than for anything else This operation gives the
management an opportunity 10 81 each woman
s. sufficiently clothed. and II she IS sh. Is
provided with whatever She needs which may
be everything. woman having come once with
nothing on under her dress not even stockings
II her skirt needs binding. she receives bind
ing. thread and needles and is set 20 repairing IT,
~ she Is capable Of doing Il. Otherwise another
woman does IL. and in any case both women get
their paw Just n they were sewing rags. The
women help TO get the dinner and the food IS just
the same az that served for the matron and her
assistants They also do the cleaning and washing
and for this they get extra pay.
As IL has been found inadvisable 20 give tho
women money the wages paid in groceries
clothing. II IS put aside for rent and paid di-
rectly to the agent