Largest Homespun Industry In World Is 50 Years Old By BILL SHARPF. ASHEVILLE, ? A half-million customers can't be wrong, and that is why Biltmore Industries for nearly 50 years has turned a lacka daisical eye toward all the modern machinery used in weaving wool into cloth. The largest hand-weav ing establishment in the world Biltmore still insists on making its fine woolen cloths one strand at a time, because the operators be lieve the more time put into the processing, the more time the cloth will wear on your back. The half-million customers think so, too. Fred Scely young war veteran who has recently taken over the business since the death of his father, says he has to be very careful not to startle those half-million customers with any brash manufacturing notions The Industries were founded In 1901 by Mrs. George Vanderbiit. who developed the large estate across the French Broad Riv r here, and in 1917 they were taken over by Fred Seely, a chemist, born in Monmouth. V J., who built and for 27 years operated famous Grove Park Inn. He also designed the Industries buildings ? four sturdy stone structures >n THESE BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES Located In BREVARD. CANTON, BRVSON C !TY, AND WAVNF.SVILLE: Bowling Alleys New Modern Grocery Store Laundry Dry Cleaning Plant All of the above offered for sale and priced below replacement cost. These businesses are being operat ed on a satisfactory profit basis. For complet* information contact Fidelity Business Brokers, Inc. 1-B Jackson building ASIIEVILLE. V C. PHONE 3IC6 the hills above Asheville. Original ly, the Industries included also many other types of handicrafts. including woodwork, but gradually the fabrication of woolen cloths j dominated the enterprise. Young Seeiy. a Yale graduate who was a Lieutenant-Command. *r in the Navy until 1946, employs around 100 workers in the plant, some of whom work seasonally or part-time, principally on piece work and an incentive basis. An average weaver produces about 20 yards a day. Forty-eight thousand persons a year visit the Industries and from these come most of the customers. In addition to purchases by these visitors most of them tourists), there is a large volume of business done by mail, and Seely never figures one of his half - million ustomers is lost until he has seen h:s tombstone \ >uit of homespun a i 11 wear a long time, he said .?nd sometimes an order will come n from a customer 10 or 15 year '.fter he placed the last order. Processing the wool and oth.?r naterial used at Biltmore is fair!> conventional up to the weaving ta;4e. However. every process Is aken slowly and deliberately. Seely explains that the fibre 1 - not subjected to stress of am ,;nd-wasliing temperatures are kept low. the wool is dyed by hand, and then the weavers pa tiently fabricate thi cloth It s then washed for 24 hours m suds, : nd hung on tenterhooks as is lone in Scotland --on frame* OUlt .n tilt' SUB. where it is slowly (lrifd :.nd sunned. After this final test it is ironed and rolled for the dis play rooms Sprawling beneath the firs and balsams of the mountains, the Industries appear placid to visi tors ? both inside and out There is little evidence of manufacture and little noise, except the click ity-clack of the weavers looms. All over the buildings are posted the virtuous admonitions of the elder Seely who strove to build a cre.i- ; tive industry which would 'je pleasant as well as profitab'e. Young Seely hopes to carry on in the same way. but with consider able expansion. However, he realizes he has 10 move cautiously in making innova tions When he came back from the war he undertook to design a 1 new letterhead Shortly thereafter he received a flood of letters from some of his half-million customer*. j protesting the change, demanding to know if this touch of modernism indicated a change in manufactur ing methods ? Seely beat a hasty retreat on ; this Even in going after new cus tomers. he doesn't want to Iosj ny of the first half-million. Three hundreed thousand more people were at work in October than in September, bringing total -mployment to 59 2 millions. 2 2 millions more than a year earlier. We cherish the thoughts of the fine friend ships that have been ours in the past and we desire to take this means of expressing our genuine thanks for your courtesies. ? We wish you the best of good things for Thristmas and the New Year. MURPHY HARDWARE COMPANY NOTICE THE CHASTIAN SHOE SHOP'S New location is between the Regal Hotel and Baptist Church. State Officials' Robbies Varied Pet pastimes of Tar Heel of ficials ran^e all the way from nursing pups to developing worn ou land. In a poll of state officials, re leased in the December issue of i i Better Health Magazine, it's re vealed that Governor R. Gregg Cherry finds his keenest diversion in contemplating the antics of his cocker spaniel "Sandy." VV Kerr Scott. Commissioner of Agriculture, likes rabbit hunting pretty well, but he gets more kick oi.' of changing wasteland in o productive fields. I C harles M Johnson. State Trea surer. likes fox hunting. Ellen Winston. Commissioner of Wel fare. r6es in for concerts mi \ plays. Dr Carl V Reynolds lov lie r- e