Newspapers / The Franklin Press and … / Jan. 15, 1948, edition 1 / Page 6
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Half Million Customers Insist On Hand Weaving ? By BILL SHARPE ASHEVILLE ? A half-million customers can't be wrong, and that is why Biltmore Industries for nearly 50 years has turned a lackadaisical eye toward all the modern machinery used in weaving wool into cloth. The largest hand-weaving establishment in the world, Biltmore still insists on making its fine woolen cloths one strand at a time, because the operators believe 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 Seely, young war veteran who has recently taken over the business, fol lowing the death of his father, says he has to be very careful not to startle those half-million customers with any brash man ufacturing notions. The industires were founded in 1901 by Mrs. George Vander bilt, who developed the large estate across the French Broad river here, and in 1917 they were taken over by Fred Seely, a chemist, born in Monmouth, N. J., who built, and for 27 years operated famous Grove Park in. He also designed the indus tries buildings ? four sturdy stone structures on the hills above Asheville. Originally, the indus tries included also many other types of handicrafts, including woodwork, but gradually the fabrication of woolen cloths dominated the enterprise. Mr. Seely employs about lOi ?workers in the plant, some ol whom work seasonally or part time, principally on piece work and an incentive basis. An aver age weaver produces about 20 yards a day. Forty-eight thousand persons a year visit the industries, ana from these come most of the customers. In addition to pur chases by these visitors (most of them tourists), there is a large volume of business done by mail. Processing the wool and other material used at Biltmore is iairly conventional up to the weaving stage. However, every process is taken slowly and de liberately. Mr. Seely explains that the fibre is not subjected to stress of any kind? washing temperatures are kept low, the wool is dyed by hand, and then the weavers patiently fabricate the cloth. It is then washed for 24 hours in suds, and hung on tenterhooks? as is done in Scotland? on frames out in the sun, where it is slowly dried and sunned. After this final test, it is ironed and rolled for the display rooms. Sprawling beneath the firs and balsams of the mountains, the Industries appear placid to visitors? both inside and out. There is little evidence of man ufacture and little noise, ex cept the clickity-clack of the weavers' looms. Young Mr. Seely hopes to carry on in the same way, but with considerable ex pansion. However, he realizes he has to move cautiously in making innovations. When he came back from the war, he under took to design a new letter head. Shortly thereafter he re ceived a flood of letters from some of his half-million cus tomers, protesting the change, demanding to know if this touch of modernism indicated a change in manufacturing methods. Marine Corps Prepares For Atomic War The marines are reorganiz ing "to provide for the possibil ity of atomic warfare." Traditional regimental organ ization Is gone. In its place are reinforced battalion landing teams, six to a division, which can be ready for action on any front on short notice. The reorganized marines, says Gen. A. A. Vandegrift, com mandant of the corps, "will pro vide a greater number of com bat ready units, increase the firepow^er of the units and pro vide more highly mobile strik ing forces." If atomic war comes, this new fleet marine force could disperse its battalions without sacrificing firepower. Because each is a unit, the battalions could be transported by sub marines, planes, or naval ves sels without administrative dif ficulties or loss of efficiency. Artillery batteries have been Increased from four to six guns. Each Infantry battalion will get additional anti-tank weapons, and will have available tank, artillery, rocket, naval gunfire and aircraft rapport. Lack Of Oxygen Kills 50,000 In U. S. Each Yea.r Asphyxia, or plain lack of ox ygen, kills at least 50,000 per sons annually in this country, about one every 10 minutes. Of these, 30,000 are newborn babies. The rest, children and adults, succumb to choking, submersions, gases, electric shock, diseases and accidents that cut off the oxygen fan ning the spark of life. "Many of these deaths are preventable, through knowledge and alert action," declares Dr. Paluel J. Flagg, president of the Society for the Prevention oi Asphyxial Deaths. Old Hatteras Sea Story Is j Rarely Told Of the scores of sea stories | which have occurred along North Carolina's shores, none Is so little told, perhaps, as the tale of the California expedition that floundered and scattered of Cap Hatteras. It was late fall in 1853 and the neglected army of a young nation was charged to increase its garrisons on the western frontier. Only a year before, the Secretary of War had .appoint ed Brevet Colonel Robert E. Lee, a captain, actually, in the En glneers, as ninth superintendent of the nation's 50-year-old Mil itary academy, and scattered bands of army scouts were mak ing treaty, and war, with the Indians. Moving to consolidate hold ings along the Pacific coast, the army's chiels dispatched the greater part of the Third artil lery by boat from New York and arranged by other mo\e ments by transcontinental march. Off Cape Hatteras the ship carrying the artillerymen ran into a .sterol Her machinery failed, her sails broke away in the gale, her decks were strip ped and she sprang a leak. For days the sea-going artil lery unit And its vessel tossed with the storm. Finally a Boston bark, the Kilby, hove to and established a line. Men piled from the derelict and? then be fore more than 108 had reached the Kilby and safety? the line parted. The storm quickly sep arated the two ships. Despite search, the Kilby could find no more trace of the ship, and on December 29, 1853, she turned for port. Three days later, the remain Ider of the artillerymen were nicked up by the British ship," Three Bella, more than 200 of the 600 aboard the troop ship died of exposure and drowning before the rescue could be com pleted. The survivors were car ried to 'New York and Liverpool. Not until the following yeai did any part of the men reach their final destination, and then only after traveling overland for more than 3,000 miles in marches. Wants 5 Acres Of N. C. Land? For Worm Farm! The State Advertising division has a letter from an Ohio woman who wants to buy from three to five acres of land, near a city of 25,000 or more population, where the air is not polluted by smoke or fumes. Object : Establishment of earthworm farm. The worms are for sale to gardeners, poultry raisers and, of course, fisher men. No?e Bleed Turns Plane Flight Into Race AgaiqateTiwgi A routine flight by a Moun tain Home, Ark., pilot turned Into a harrowing race against time. Pilot James Huff's 36-year old passenger was plagued with a nose bleed from the high al titude. But all atterr^t^ to stop the flow of blood were ^itHe,-~ " and finally the passenger lost consciousness. After Huff land ed, he rushed the passenger to the hospital where a blood trans :Usion was necessary. Backache For quick comforting help for Backacha. Rheumatic Pains, Getting Up Nights, strong cloudy urine, irritating passages, Leg Pains, circles under eyes, and swollen ankles, du? to non-organic and non-systemic Kidney and Bladder troubles, try Cystex. Quick, complete satisfaction or money back guaranteed. Ask your druggist for Cystex today. , J ? M ~~ "1 Wj ? ? ? - ? - ? ' ? - AH. unto ? ? A N ^ a **??>. AS ?- . 91*. ? _ JOO fjeas iic J? ?? a toes '~2j: C "" "- " POtdtOfiC ve* 44 ?* CAN gold cop i-L-Mss PACKAGES !^r ?9c ' Ofucioos f S*?rT ??*'er?uiT ? - ?V ice __ ?ATSUp "oi'' jifVw 93c ** Jt L, W v ?"M DANDY ** ? ?? CJllTc .332 ri"c^ ^ ? lie Oppp ij. ^"VS '?UIT * ?!? Ji 7n cocktau *oc jir,[/6), ?;;;? ? // c. ?0_ r * v J Y/ f 3/a u???^ ^ Jj ^eJ*?c ?r?' 7^/f;;;, S?-?s "M? '<* JUNOAy k^wt Skl,Wrs ^ *W?WSTW. 5>J 5?a?i 31, /i^;? - ?? , ," TTjr; S!??? asc 14 ir a ??-/ soUp ;r Soap /9c ^ I T?.nJP I3c |*WTI*|W ? IKH ?S/lec TO's XT"*"*- Jf * W 2Ce &!P?fruit a'~ RBBAr? --S CanllK ? lit LSJttower ii; .JANGEs isT ?APit? 2~ra i '"<mr ? V - *">* J AUSTtX ?(?> ? - "*CM ?*" STEW " ?? ?"?<.. , <oc 'meat i'ir - S"/S Y R U p jg'g inlT^'^ uo It WOJCE 19c rwiCy r'0*/D4 J,? Ap jj litmiimiiiffl.'nmttmrTittttmmmtmmmi T. C. CH1LDS, Store Manager
The Franklin Press and the Highlands Maconian (Franklin, N.C.)
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Jan. 15, 1948, edition 1
6
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