The star of the north. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1849-1866, 1859-11-16
The Way German Mechanics Live.

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tends the manufacturing operations in Sol
engen (Prussia,) and the other sells the
articles at his warehouse, No. Is Cliff street,
in this city. From the latter, VIM. Kind,
ESQ.,, we have received the following &C.
count of the mode in which the manufac.
ture Of cutlery in Germany is conducted. 1t
gives us a striking view Of German life,
showing not only in industrial organization,
but in social habits and arrangements some
curious contrasts TO those which prevail in
this country.
Solengen is town of some seven thou
sand inhabitants, and the mechanics who
make Mr.. Kinds knives and scissors live in
villages scattered round the town at dis
tance of from two TO four miles. The Ger
mans all live in villages; they are so social
that they could not bear to live alone, in
scattered houses, as the Americans do. From
one Of these villages blacksmith sends his
wife TO Mr. Kinds establishment in Solen-
gen, for quantity of iron aud steel, to be
forged into scissors. The material is weigh.
ed and delivered 10 the woman, who puts
it upon her head aud carries it home.
After the blacksmith has forged i. all into
scissors, of sizes and forms according to di-
rectons, his wife puts them into basket,
and carries them back again on her head, to
the warehouse, and receives the pay Tor the
work. From some other village mechanic,
whose trade is grinding and polishing, sends
his wife TO the town 10 procure quantity Of
scissors to be ground and polished. After
the return from the polisher's, they go to a
third village TO receive the screws and riv.
cts and sometimes 10 fourth 10 receive
an extra polish. On the roads leading out
from Solengen may be seen these stout
German women, with necks as straight as
an arrow, trudgng along three or four miles
with their ponderous burden on their heads.
The iron, from the time it leaves the ware.
houses for the blacksmith's, till the time
that the scissors are finished, is carried on
the top OF women's heads an average dis
lance of twelve miles.
differs somewhat from the course pursued
in England and the United States. Here a
large building is erected in which all the
workmen are collected together all conven-
lent and tools and engines are provided !;
the scissors are forged by one man and
passed directly TO another who hardens and
,empers them, another does the grinding,
another The polishing, and another the riv.
citing; thus great division of labor is secur,
ed and all distant transportation of the ma
lerial during the process of manufacture is
avoided all heavy work, such as driving
trip hammers and turning grindstones, being
done by steam or water power. The result
is, that given number of mechanics will
make several times as many scissors in
America as the same number will in Ger
many. When the scissors are sent into the
market of the world, those made by the
Germans will bring no more than those
made by the Americans, being worth no
more.
AS the American produces several times
as many in the course of the year as the
German does, the American realizes sever
al times as much for his years labor as the
German does for his. This matter is SO
plain that it is astonishing that there are
people yet who cannot understand that the
tendency of laborsaving, or rather, labor.
doing machinery, is TO raise the wages of
labor. The German mechanics engage in
the manufacture of which we have been
speaking, are paid by the dozen, and earn
from 25 TO 40 cents per day.
Another feature in the case, from which
the Americans might extract profitable
lesson is, that the German will obtain more
pleasure for his thirty cents than the Amer
lean will for his dollar and half or two dol
lars.
While the Americans, in fierce rivalry,
are struggling TO outshine one another in
foolish display, the Germans, content in
their mutual equality, pass their lives in
friendly commune and social enjoyment
Scientific american.