Birth and Parentage. 41 



Carlisle, which, with the lofty chimney, up- 

 wards of 300 feet high, and designed to 

 carry the smoke clear over the town, form 

 so conspicuous and handsome an object on 

 entering Carlisle from the west. At that 

 time the firm employed thousands of hand 

 loom weavers, scattered over all parts of the 

 north of England, the south of Scotland, 

 and the north of Ireland. In the north of Ire- 

 land alone, about 3,000 hands were employed, 

 there being a regular agency at Belfast for 

 managing this part of the business. Before 

 long all this was greatly changed. Hand- 

 loom weaving was soon superseded by power 

 looms which Messrs. Dixon erected exten- 

 sively at their works at Carlisle, thus extin- 

 guishing the hand loom weavers. 



Amidst all the strain, anxiety, and excite- 

 ment of trade, " The Druid's" father was not 

 unmindful, both for others and himself, of 

 what he called " the better riches." When 

 not actually engaged in business, he took 

 great delight in visiting his workpeople at 

 their homes, looking to their domestic com- 

 forts, and imparting to them religious in- 

 struction. 



