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<hows. especially the ones in 1
\ h ch h.s steeds take the priz ??. 1
I love all the thin *s which
\.ke one close to nature," explain
' lyde A Erwin. superintendent of
Pubi c In- ? ruction, whose choice of '
'.i.. is horseback riding. boating.
:*m:iteur farming. "Love of nature J
fundamental in real living."
State Museum
Offers Circulars
On Care Of Birds
Several circulars on birds and
their care are available free at the
State Museum. Curator Harry
Davis has announced.
The latest is Information Circu
lar 47-11 which gives suggestions
on winter feeding of birds The
bird committee of the Raleigh
Garden Club has obtained several
hundred copies of Ihis sheet far
distribution, and quantities of the
circular may be obtained by simi
lar groups.
Also available uoon request are
circulars entitled Some Common
North Carolina Birds for Novem
ber. Bird Feeding Stations. To
Make a Bird Calendar. Bird Band
ing. and The Cardinal, Our S!::t ?
Bird. A list of native plants and
shrubs that can be olanted f'?r
bird food also may be? obtained
from the museum
Stocks of fats and oils in fac
tories and warehouses were mode
rately larger on October 1. 1947
than a year earlier when they were
the smallest in 18 years.
!
i
.MERRY
CHRISTMAS..
To our many friends, we extend our
wishes for a Yuletide filled with all the
good things in life? good health, hap
piness, peace and prosperity.
"I
FRANKLIN MOTOR COMPANY
Murphy, North Carolina \
For both young and old there are untold joys at Christmas tint*.
There's laughter and gaiety and warmth in the hearts of men ?
there's a happiness that knows no bounds ? there's a spirit
of giving that is beautiful to behold . . . there's a
bright sparkle in the eyes of the kiddies, an excite
ment in their little beings that only visions of
Santa can bring. That all may experi
ence these magic joys is our sincere
wish this Christmas . . .
THE
H.T. HACKNEY CO.
Incorporated
MURPHY, NORTH CAROLINA