47
The Carpet Trade Review.
THOMAS L LEEDOM & CO.
.lONG manufacturers of Ingrains,
Smyrnas and Art Squares the
firm of Thomas L. Leedom &
Co. have long been especially
conspicuous, and their offer-
ings for the coming season
show that they are fully able
to maintain their well earned
reputation.
In Ingrains they show an
immense line, comprising Ex-
tra Supers, Extra Super
C. C.'s, Wool fines, Unions,
Terries, &c. In every grade
a large variety of new and
handsome patterns will be found, and the line is in all re-
spects the finest ever brought out by Leedom & Co.
The line of Art Squares includes those well-known
grades, the "Arabian," "Dundee," Standard Extra
Supers, C. C. wool fillings and Unions and the new Me-
dallions in a wide range of new and artistic effects. The
Medallions are choice all wool goods, made in three sizes,
3x3, 'Sx3}i and 3x4 yards, and in a particularly handsome
line of patterns.
Smyrna carpets, rugs and mats are always a highly im-
portant feature of Leedom & Co. 's offerings, and the line
they now show is the finest they have ever produced.
The wide and liberal appreciation which the products
of Leedom & Co. 's mills have found in the trade is clearly
shown in the fact that all the firm's looms are still running
to fill duplicate orders.
The fall offerings are on view at the mills, Bristol, Pa. ;
the New York salesrooms, 115 Worth street, where Sam-
uel Thomas, of the firm, is in charge; at 331 Fifth avenue,
Chicago ; 67 Chauncy street, Boston, and the Flood Build-
ing, San Francisco.
BIGELOW CARPET COMPANY.
ALL those characteristics which have made the Bigelow
goods so famous and exceptionally conspicuous
among carpeting of the highest grade are prominent as
ever in the company's offerings for the fall trade. Excel-
lence of fabric, originality, novelty, variety and beauty of
designs and colorings combine to make this new line one
which no admirer of choice effects in carpet manufacture
should fail to see. It comprises Axminsters, Wiltons and
Brussels, each grade being replete with new and superb
patterns which will surely find prompt and cordial appre-
ciation.
Henry Dickel & Son show for the coming season a
great variety of new and handsome styles in all grades of
their popular Ingrains. The offerings include all wool
Extra Supers, C. C. Extra Supers, Union Extra Supers,
8, 9 and 10 pair Cottons, and hall and stair Ingrains in 5-8
and 3-4 widths, with borders to match. The line is on
view at the firm's mills, 2012 to 2024 Ella street, Phila-
delphia, and it will well repay examination.
IRON CITY ITEMS.
Pittsburg, May 9.
The carpet and furniture trade of the Smoky City has
improved considerably during the week past, and a good
May month is hoped for, April business not being what it
should have been.
An event of the past week of interest to the trade was
the sale of the furnishings of the magnificent Hotel
Henry, which opened its doors to the public with a great
flourish of trumpets about a year ago and closed them
under the sheriff's hammer on the 5th inst. D. F. Henry,
of the D. F. Henry Company, carpet and furniture auction
house, of Pittsburg, owned the building, and bought in
the entire furnishings for about $8,000. They are said to
be worth fully $100,000. As his judgment is over
$22,000, the other creditors may get nothing.
Dain & Dashbach the Smithfield street carpet and
furniture dealers, suffered a loss of about $10,000 as the
result of fire last week, which originated in the basement
in the packing department.
The C. H. Rowe Company opens the big East End
Dry Goods Store the present week. This establishment
is the first "big" store in the East End, the wealthy
residential portion of the city. The company has a paid
in capital of $150,000. E. B. Jeffcoat, late with Jos.
Home & Co., assumes charge of the upholstery and
drapery department. The general management is in the
hands of F. W. Green, of Syracuse, N. Y.
Edmimdson & Perine opened their large new stores the
past week. Al Legheny.
ARNOLD, CONSTABLE & CO.'S EXCLUSIVE PAT-
TERNS.
IN the carpet department of Arnold, Constable & Co. the
offerings for the coming season will be especially
interesting and important.
The firm will show extensive lines of Lowell Brussels
and Wiltons, and Bigelow, Hartford and Lowell Axmin-
sters in new, original designs and colorings, prepared
expressly for Arnold, Constable & Co., and shown ex-
clusively by them. Schofield, Mason & Co.'s Brusssls
and Wiltons will also be shown in both private and open
patterns, and Stinson Brothers' Velvets and Tapestries are
also included in the offerings.
H. Dauvergne & Co., manufacturers of Oriental carpets
in wool and pashmina, at Srinagar, Kashmere, East
Indies, invite correspondence and indents from the trade.
Dauvergne & Co. are running over 200 looms in their own
factories and are in a position to offer special inducements
to all who handle Oriental rugs.
Dickey & McMaster, manufacturers of the popular
Granite Ingrains, have their new line for the fall trade on
view at their mills. Second and Huntingdon streets,
Philadelphia, and at the office of Blake Brothers, their
selling agents, 108 Worth street. New York. The new
line is replete with novel and attractive effects, well cal-
culated to maintain the great popularity of their Granite
Ingrains, Damasks and other grades.
48
The Carpet Trade Review.
CURRENT CARPET CHAT.
ROBABLY 30,000 people visited the store-
rooms of Edmundson & Perrine, 635
and 637 Smithfield street, Pittsburg,
on May 5, the occasion being the re-
opening of their model establish-
ment. From floor to floor the
crowds wandered, examining the
new ideas in furniture, the new pat-
terns in carpets, admiring and com-
•menting, and many were the com-
pliments shov^fered upon the enterprising firm for their
pluck and energy. Concerts in the morning, afternoon
and evening enlivened the occasion and presents for each
visitor added to the general enjoyment.
Heath & Drake, Newark, N. J., are retiring from busi-
ness.
S. V. Levi, Oakland City, Ind., has put in a stock of
carpets.
M. L. Wilkinson has withdrawn from the Kinsley Dry
Goods Company, Butler, Ind.
Eastham Brothers, dry goods and carpet dealers, Hunts-
ville, Tex., have dissolved partnership.
Eliza Starr succeeds the Estate of Hiram Starr in the
carpet and furniture business at Harrisburg, Pa.
J. F. Williams, who has I'ecently opened a general store
at New Wilmington, Pa., carries a line of carpets.
Sifford & Kuykendall succeed Shepard & Kuykendall in
the dry goods and carpet business at Somerset, Pa.
Frank P. Rung has retired from the firm of Rung
Brothers, dealers in carpets, furniture, &c., Buffalo, N. Y.
Cohen, Friedman & Co. succeed A. Friedman & Co. in
dry goods, carpets, &c. at Florence, Ala., and Franklin,
Harrington & Co. succeed Franklin & Harrington in the
same business at Harrington, Del.
The Luening Mercantile Company succeeds C. F. Luen-
ing at Wellington, Kan; W. H. Moss succeeds Moss &
McKee in carpets and furniture at Jackson, Miss., and the
Enevoldson Furniture House, Yazoo City, Miss., has sold
out.
The first mortgage bondholders of the Bloomsburg
Carpet Company, Bloomsburg, Pa. , have decided to give
the owners of the plant six months in which to raise part
if not the whole of the amount of the bonds. The bonds
are for $50,000.
These changes have occurred among dry goods and
carpet dealers in Iowa : C. Biggs & Co. succeed Biggs &
Custer at Leon ; Waldo & Howard succeed Abraham &
Co. at Oskaloosa, and Chas. Lovett succeeds James Haw-
thorne at Volga.
The dry goods and carpet stock of Brown & Chambers
at Sibley, la., was damaged recently to the extent of
$1,000 by fire. H. G. Munger's dry goods and carpet
stock at Herkimer, N. Y., was also damaged. Both losses
covered by insurance.
The new carpet and furniture house of John E. Mooney.
corner of Oak and Centre streets, Windsor Locks, Conn.,
was thrown open to the public on May 4, with a concert
by the local military band, followed by a dance, which was
free. The building is a model of its kind, and hand-
somely decorated throughout, the dimensions of which are
35x80, three stories in height, with 11 feet between floors.
D'aughtridge & Bradley succeed Z. Daughtridge in
carpets and furniture at Rocky Mount, N. C.
Lupton & McClellan, dry goods and carpet dealers,
Greenfield, Ohio, are succeeded by C. E. Lupton.
R. L. Gipe has removed his dry goods and carpet busi-
ness from Van Wert, Ohio, to Paulding, same State.
Jas. W. Greene & Co., Newark, N. J., have made im-
portant alterations and improvements in their store.
Voelcker Brothers, dealers in carpets, frtrniture, &c.,
New Braunfels, Tex. , are succeeded by Emil Voelcker.
Spangler, Haldeman & Co., dealers in dry goods, car-
pets, &c., Marietta, Pa., are succeeded by B. & C. S.
Spangler.
Paterson, N. J., is having trouble with firebugs.
Crane's carpet cleaning plant was damaged to the extent
of $1,000 on the 2d inst.
On April 27 fire destroyed a number of buildings at
Valley City, N. Dak., including that of Martin Somdahl,
carpet and furniture dealer, whose loss on stock is from
$1,500 to $2,000.
In New Jersey H. A. Bowne & Co succeed H. A.
Bowne in the carpet and furniture business at Freehold,
and John D. Cornish succeeds Johnson & Cornish in dry
goods and carpets at Washington.
Payne & Willingham, the Wood-Peavey Furniture Com-
pany, L. McManus & Co., the Macon Carpet and Furni-
ture Company and C. T. Garden, all of Macon, Ga., have
agreed to close their places of business at 6 o'clock p. m.,
Saturdays excepted, from May 1 to September 1.
Fire damaged the auction room and furniture ware-
house of Frank Castleman at 320 South St. Paul street,
Rochester, N. Y., to the extent of $1,000 on May 4. The
building is the property of the Howe & Rogers Company.
Losses covered by insurance.
Receiver W. G. Mitchell, of Milford, Conn., has secured
his discharge, and has been authorized to pay a dividend
of 11 per cent, to the creditors of the Mitchell Manufac-
turing Company. This company was organized about ten
years ago and made straw matting. The business has
now been taken to Japan.
The Anthony Block at Providence, R. I., narrowly es-
caped destruction by fire on May 4. The greater portion
of the building is occupied by Wm. L. Whipple, carpet
and furniture dealer, who sustained a loss of $2,000 to his
stock, principally by smoke. The stock was insured, and
the insurance has already been adjusted.
D. C. Beggs & Co., Columbus, Ohio, will occupy a room
opposite their present quarters while the new store is being
built. They will have one of the handsomest and largest
carpet stores in the country in their new building, which
will be 187 J'2 feet long by 42 feet wide, with six stories and
a basement. They have been in the old store for the past
seventeen years.
John J. Langdon, of New York Mills, who has been in
the dry goods business in that place for the past fifteen
years, will engage in the carpet, furniture and undertaking
business in Whitesboro, N. Y., with C. F. Slawson and
H. L. Holmes. Mr. Slawson has been in the undertaking
business for the past ten years, and H. L. Holmes has been
pastor of the Methodist Church at New York Mills for the
The Carpet Trade Review.
past four years. They will locate in the new Martin Block.
The first, second and third floors will be filled with the
latest designs in furniture, with a large robm left for car-
pets and wall paper, and there will also be an office for
the undertaking business, the main office being in Utica.
At the meeting of the Buffalo, N. Y., supervisors, on
May 3, action was taken providing for refurnishing the
jailer's apartments in the jail. The committee on sheriff's
accounts recommended the following awards: Carpets,
curtains and tables, the William Hengerer Company,
$253.50; linoleum, shades and tables, William Hengerer
Company, $101.50; furniture for office and jailer's rooms,
People's Furniture Company, $206.25. The report was
adopted.
Daniel Evans, recently with Tefft, Waller & Co., has
gone with Thos. Develon's Sons, the Ingrain manufac-
turers, and will cover Missouri, Kansas and Nebraska,
with an office in St. Louis.
Referring to trade conditions G. B. Treloar, of S.
Sanford & Sons, said : " The season has opened up very
fairly. We have no reason to complain. We think that
the fall business will exceed the average."
The inlaid tile linoleums of Thos. Potter, Sons & Co.
are made to faithfully represent tile floors, as may be seen
from an inspection of the goods and patterns. A complete
set of patterns will be sent to any dealer on application.
Robert J. Bonser is well satisfied with the success at-
tained by his wholesale carpet business in Cincinnati since
its start last fall. He has a building 30x190 feet, five
stories and basement, besides using a warehouse outside.
M. H. Marcus & Brother, the stair pad and carpet
lining manufacturers, have again enlarged their show and
stock rooms at 115 Worth street, New York, to meet their
expanding business. A new department with them is
dress linings.
W. W. Corson & Co., the well-known carpet com-
mission merchants, will show a great variety of attractive
lines for the coming season. Their offerings comprise
John Gay's Sons' Ingrains, Art carpets, &c. ; Schofield,
Mason & Co.'s Wiltons and Brussels, the Fries- Breslin
Company's Smyrna rugs, Swire & Scott's Art Squares,
Fritz & La Rue's Oriental, jute and fur rugs, Alden
Sampson & Sons' floor oil cloths. Union carpet linings, &c.
Their complete line is shown at 564 Washington street,
Boston, and their New York office is in the Hartford
Building, Broadway and Seventeenth street.
John H. Pray, Sons & Co. announce that their fall
lines in private patterns of Wiltons and Brussels are now
complete and ready for showing. There is probably not a
line of high grade goods in this country that is more widely
distributed than these, and while the patterns and colorings
are selected with the idea of attracting the best class of
trade, they also have a large number of styles that are
suited to a medium class trade, who want somewhat
brighter effects, yet are willing to purchase the best quality
fabric. Even in these times Pray reports a large busi-
ness, one far in excess of last season, especially in their
cut order Wilton department.
AN IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT
FROM JOHN H. PRAY, SONS & CO.
The following announcement is made by John H. Pray,
Sons & Co., Boston, and is pertinent to the present
condition of the carpet market :
" During the present temporary, as we believe, read-
justment of values on carpetings we are prepared to make
prices on all grades, and can furnish same immediately
from stock.
"Send us your duplicates on Lowell Brussels, Lowell
Extras, Whittall Brussels, Roxbury Tapestries and Smith
Tapestries.
"As doubtless most of our customers have already a
sufficient quantity of old patterns, secured through the
medium of ' auction sales,' ' surplus stocks,' &c., we would
say that our fall lines will be largely made up of new,
desirable patterns and colorings, selected and to be dis-
tributed in such a way that a retailer can control a pattern,
and thereby secure a profit.
"If this seems to be a reasonable principle, we shall be
glad to show our lines to our friends and answer corre-
spondence.
" Our new private patterns in Wiltons and Brussels are
now ready. The line is unsurpassed in colorings for me-
dium and high class trade."
The statement that they are prepared to make prices on
all grades of carpetings has a clear meaning in coming
from such a responsible source, and their customers and
other buyers may rely on filling their present wants at
competing market rates.
Among the buyers in Philadelphia last week were David
C. Litt, accompanied by John S. Luthy, of Carson, Pirie,
Scott & Co. ; Alex. T. Primm, Jr., of J. Kennard & Sons
Carpet Company; Mr. Wheeler and Mr. Lewis, of Tootle,
Wheeler & Motter, St. Joseph, Mo ; Capt. Henri Duncker
and Chas. Duncker, of the Trorlicht, Duncker & Renard
Carpet Company, St. Louis; P. M. Gallahue, of D. P.
Erwin & Co., Indianapolis; Mr. Schneider, of Alms &
Doepke; Mr. Spielman, of the Geo. F. Otte Company;
Justus Goebel, of Lowry & Goebel, and R. J. Bonser, of
Cincinnati. As a rule all reported having had a good
spring trade and being in shape to order goods for fall.
Three men stole a truck load of valuable Turkish and
Persian rugs, valued at $15,000, on the 14th inst. The
truck was in front of the store of Costikyan Fr^res, an
importer at No. 139 Broadway, New York, and the driver
was in the store when the three men jumped on the truck,
and one, seizing the reins, drove off. This action was not
noticed by anyone in the store, and the men went up to
Mulberry street, where they sold rugs valued at from $50
to $600 apiece for $10, $5, or whatever they could get.
When the absence of the truck was discovered by the
Messrs. Costikyan's driver the police were notified. Detec-
tives found the truck on Mulberry street, and one of the
three men peddling the rugs from it. Most of the rugs
were still in the truck, but rugs valued at about $2,500 had
been sold. About $2,000 worth of these were recovered,
some from an Italian tenement at No. 114 Mulberry street
and others at No. 166 Hester street.
The Carpet Trade Review.
GREAT SALE OF SMITH CARPETING.
SIXTH AUCTION SALE OF THE PRODUCT OF THE ALEXANDER SMITH & SONS'
CARPET COMPANY.
THE auction sale of Smith carpeting and rLigs announced
in our last issue was opened on the 3d inst. The
sale was held on the street floor of the new building atNos.
37 to 41 East Eighteenth street, adjoining the premises
of W. & J. Sloane. There was a large attendance of the
trade, every section of the country being represented, and
especially the West.
Promptly at 10:15
o'clock A. M. Mr. John
Christopher Wilmer-
ding, of the auction
firm of Wilmerding,
Morris & Mitchell,
began the day's pro-
ceedings by stating
the terms of sale,
which were approved
notes at four months
for all sums over
$100, and for sums
under that amount
cash without dis-
count. Mr. Wilmer-
ding then introduced
Mr. Walter W. Law,
of W. .& J. vSloane,
who made a short ad-
dress as follows :
Gentlemen of the car-
pet trade — One word be-
fore we comraence, to
remove any apprehen-
sion that we are looking toward lower prices for car-
pets.
The day for low prices has gone by. Manufacturers are
now using wool that has paid the new duty, increasing the
cost of the manufacture of carpets from 7% to 15 cents per
yard. This is true, I know, of the Smith Company, who
have for the last three months been using entirely wool on
which the new duty has been paid. Besides this, we are
now offering a much smaller quantity of goods than we
have usually sold at these special sales — certainly less than
half the amount we sold six months ago. Take, for in-
stance, IVIoquette carpets ; you took from ils in the first part
of November 28,500 pieces, and we only offer now 5,500
pieces, the looms that made them formerly having been
altered to make the new A.'imin.ster fabric, which is being
offered to you for the first time to-day. It is an uncom-
monly good fabric ; the price has been fixed at a low rate,
and we commend it to your favorable consideration.
Moquettes have had during the last few months a most
unprecedented sale, and they will hereafter be sold more
nearly on a basis of the price list which has been current than
they have been sold under the pressure of the enormous sale of the
last six months.
With the country in a revived condition, as is shown by large in-
crease in savings banks deposits and railroad earnings, higher
prices for nearly every commodity and wheat at unparalleled prices,
it is inevitable that the demand for carpets and the prices of carpets
must keep step with the general advance.
The reality of vyar is to-day far less detrimental than the appre-
hension of it was a few weeks ago to us as a nation given wholly to
the avocations of peace. Why should we be afraid with 75,000,000
of united people to measure our strength with a nation of 17,000,000
JOHN CHRISTOPHER WILMERDING.
— more than one-half of whom cannot read or write ? The victories
that we are rejoicing in to-day are but the forerunner of business
bursting into activity.
Take counsel, gentlemen, of your courage, and not of your fears,
for this nation is surely moving on to a period of i)rosperity on a
broader and sounder basis than ever before.
The first lot on the catalogue was then put up by Mr.
Wilmerding. It consisted of three pieces of Velvet and
one piece of border, and was knocked down to Sterling,
Welch & Co., of Cleveland, Ohio, at 68 cents a yard.
The duplicates of this lot brought the same price.
One h^mdred and thirteen lots of Velvets were
sold, and then followed about 135 lots of Saxony
Axminster. After them came the F Palisade
Tapestries. The sale continued until 4 o'clock
p. M., with an intermission of half an hour for
luncheon. The afternoon sales were conducted by
Mr. John Currie Wilmerding, whose vigorous,
dashing style is familiar to the trade. At times
the goods sold rather slowly — a fact due chiefly to
the smallness of the lots and the consequent extra
effort required to distribute them.
It would be unnecessary to describe the pro-
ceedings of the five days in detail. It is sufficient
to say that the prices realized throughout were
fair, speaking generally. The old or unpopular
patterns brought very low prices, but almost
all the really desirable offerings were dis-
posed of at a fair
price, and the com-
I petition for dupli-
I cates was very keen.
By Friday it had be-
come evident that it
would be impossible
; to finish the sale on
the following day,
and as many of the
out-of-town trade did
not wish to remain
in New York over
Sunday, it was de-
cided to adjourn the
sale on Saturday af-
ternoon and resume
it later in the month.
The proceedings were
therefore suspended
at about % o'clock
p. M. on the 7th inst,
-. - ! the last lot sold being
No. 1814, a short
length of Ne Plus
Ultra carpeting. On the sale of this lot Mr. Paul Heub-
ner, of W. & J. Sloane, announced that the new patterns
of Saxony Axminster which came next on the catalogue
would not be offered then, but that the sale would be
resumed in the near future. As announced elsewhere in
this issue it will reopen May 31 next.
At the time of our going to press the exact quantity of
goods sold has not been ascertained, but it is safe to say
that about 55,000 pieces of carpeting were disposed of
apart from the great quantity of rugs distributed. There
5^"
-.,-\"
JOHN CURRIE WILMERDING.
The Carpet Trade Review.
is little doubt that when the goods which remain on the
catalogue, with probable additions, are disposed of, the
sale will rank as the greatest in the history of the car-
pet trade.
Tbe Prices Realized.
We give herewith the highest, lowest and average prices
obtained :
Grades. Lowest. Highest. Average.
NePlusUltra $1.00 $1.17 $1.05
Wilton Velvets '. TO .88>^ .80
Extra Velvets 50 ' .85 .74
Velvets 51 .68 .60
Smith Axminsters 52 >^ . 71 â– .59
Axminsters 55 .65 .60
Saxony Axminsters Siyi .60 .56
Savonneries 55 .72 .95
Moquettes .55 .71 .62
Extra Tapestry 43 .50 .46>^
Best Tapestry 34 .50 .45>{
B Palisade 37 >^ .47>^ .41
F Palisade 35 .40;^ .37
Large Axminster rugs 10.50 13.75 12.50
Large Moquette rugs 9.50 12.25 10.00
Ne Plus Ultra rugs 3.75 4 50 4.12>^
Jrugs 3.10 2.45 3.25
Erugs 1.15 1.40 1.30
Moquette mats 61 .66 . 63^
Observations at tbe Sale.
The progress of the great sale was an interesting study.
There is no question that the official news of Commodore •
Dewey's great victory had a stimulating effect on the first
day, and the consequent buoyant feeling aided in obtain-
ing the prices which went beyond even some sanguine ex-
pectations. A great surprise to many buyers was the
prices obtained for Moquettes, which averaged' about 61
or 62 cents. This was doubtless owing, in the first place,
to the offerings being much less in quantity than was an-