Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1921-09-13
LETTER BOX
Continued from PAGE 81


history as interesting as any to be
found. And in all it's history the
name of one family, Pope, stands out
prominent.
Three quarters of a century ago,
the products of the industries of this
hamlet found n market in every sec
ton Of the United States where man
was engaged in making home or
cutting a living out of the rugged
pioneer districts. Housewives in
every section. even to the new Pacific
coast country, beautified atheir tables
with the oilcloth manufa ctured at
Manchester. Quarrymen all over the
Union were splitting rock with the
wedges made here. Farmers used
Manchester made forks in the hay
field.
But it is not alone that the place
was a scene of industry in that far
off day, but because many of the ma
chimes and improvements in method
were the products of Manchester en-
tcrprise. Whether this place was the
first in which il-cloth was manu-
featured in the United States or not
remains a question for discussion.
There is one thing certain, however.
it was one of the earliest and, at one
time. boosted one of the largest
plants in the country and retained
that boast for many years. A serious
fire just about the time of the begin
ming of the Civil War started the de-
cline from which the place never re-
covered as an oil-cloth center.
If Manchester was not the first
town in which oil-cloth was manu-
featured in this country, it was one
of the first in, which floor covering
with an oil surface was made. VIII re
John Pope, the first to make table
cloths here, got the idea is not
known. He was an inventive Yankee
and saw the possibilities of s this
product He came to Manchester in
1881 with his two sons and bought a
place on the Readfeld road and
about a half mile from the Forks of
the Road" as the trading center of
the town was called Here he built
the foundation for the beautiful Pope
homestead, now occupied by his
grandson, and for one industry that
made Manchester famous for many
years.
Pope had few samples of oil
cloth he had picked up in the market
and Immediately set his Yankee brain
working. He first built a small shop
next his home and, with his son. Al
ton. started in business. Cotton
cloth. such as could be secured in the
nearby markets. was oiled by hand.
Next, coat of paint of the desired
color for the BACKGROUND was added.
When This was fully dried. the artis-
tic part of the job began. That was
making the designs. No method of
printing had been devised up to this
time and the designs were all painted
by hand. Father and son operated
the shop for awhile without help and
sold their product on the neighboring
markets.
Most of the selling was done by
house to house canvass in these days.
But the enterprising founder was not
satisfied with simply a local market.
A single horse and team did not
reach far enough to dispose of the
products of the plant SO, new mar
kets were sought The only mode Of
transporta ton, then, from Manchester
was by. OK team to Hallowell. on the
Kennebec river, and thence by boat.
It took courage TO send a travelling
salesman out in those days. Not only
courage for the manufacturer, but
for the salesman himself.
Travelling was expensive and the
manufacturer had his money tied up
in stock until the salesman returned.
/ On the other hand. the salesman took
enough stock with him to last for the
trip-selling, delivering and collecting
in the same journey The present
system of selling goods and transfer
of money was at this distant date alb
solutely impossible.
In spite of this handicap, the
products of the little Manchester fac
tory found a ready market in the
Maine and Massachusetts coast
cities and it was speedily called upon
for greater output until only two
years after opening for business, an
! enlargement was found necessary.
About this time. John Pope, the
| founder of the industry. decided to
retire and his son took over the BUSH
ness. He bought large tract OF
land about a quarter of a mile from
his fathers home and erected a
building 40 by 100. Here he en-
ployed large crew of men as, up to
this time, all printing and designing
was done by hand.
| Shortly after building his new fac
tory on the Knowles place. he de-
vised a system of printing the designs
by means of blocks. First. the faces
of these blocks were of wood: sawed
across each way marking the entire
surface off into small squares and the
design chiseled out. He devoted con-
siderable time to the best and quick
est means of printing designs and his
next Improvement was TO copper face
the blocks to make them last longer
In the early forties, Pope sold half
interest in the business to Alden
Sampson and among the employees
of the factory, was one named
Savage, a brother-in-law of Samp-
son.
With the coming Of the new part