Publisher's Synopsis
This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1818 edition. Excerpt: ...more circumscribed than it is in the country, Linen-Drapers frequently, in the country, combining with their trade that of a Silk-Mercer, whereas, in London, these two trades are wholly distinct. The Linen-Draper is now comprehended tinder two, or at most, three distinct branches. We have the Linen-merchant, a person w'hose more immediate province it is to import articles of linen manufacture from foreign countries, such as Irish cloths from Ireland, a variety of cloths made of hemp and flax, from Russia, Ticklenburghs, &c. from Germany, and nankins, calicoes, muslins, &c, from the East Indies. We have, also, the wholesale Linen-Draper a person whose business is to purchase linens from the merchant, and muslins, calicoes, printed-cottons, &c. from the different manu facturers in Manchester, Blackburn, Paisley, &c. and to sell them to the retail Linen-Drapers throughout the kingdom, as well as frequently for exportation. For this purpose, the wholesale Linen-Draper generally keeps one or two, or more persons, constantly travelling throughout the country with patterns of his various articles, by which means, the retail dealer has an opportunity of choosing his goods without the expensive and troublesome process of a journey to London, or some other great market for that purpose. The business now done, or rather, which lately was done in this way, is beyond all precedent or calculation. The most striking part, however, is the retail Linen-Draper. We believe there is no trade in England, in which more efforts are made to captivate the public, and more especially the ladies, by a display of goods; and in London, this display is carried to a most costly and sumptuous extent. In most of the.principal streets of the metropolis, ...
