The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1860-12-23
EFFECT OF LINCOLN's ELECTION ON THE
NEW ENGLAND SHOEMAKERS.


There is probably industrial interest IN Massachu
stts which the effects OF the present political and
which can be 20 correctly Computed as the shoe business
The "srike by keeping all classes OF worsnen
for months cni Of employ reduced large proportion 70
the extreme Of poverty, from which they have not been
able % rise entirely by few months Of prosperity, and
10 them any contraction Of bus was peculiarly dis
haartcniIy much more the great staFnation which
now seems 10 prevail From it's dependence in great
measure on the SOUTH this branch Of trade is peculiarly
Susceptible 10 any influence there which shall interfere
! with The demand for Northern goods a any kind.
We have recently visited all the leading shoe towns,
and by careful and dgent investigation have endea-
vued "a arrive mt the exact state OF the business ana the
| en- cts 81 the panic upon i.
Probably there Is no town the State where the de
preston character as al Natick Men 3,
boys and youths brogas constitute the principal artce
of manufacture there and, as usual the manufacturers ~
ar tsalv tmnloyed IN Natick about twelve hundred,
and per haIs times thirteen hundred men. or this
number two hundred are now al work, and these at
prices generally lower than those which we're paid at the
time u the strike. so that taking the workmen IN att
departments Of the manufacture, at east one thousand
have been discharged Perhaps four five hundred Of
thoeo out Of employ have homes in Maine New HaInp-
shire, Vermont and the rural portions OF Massachusetts
and have enre 10 them to remain till the improve
This leaves about five six hundred Of the uneInptoy
cd at Aaok, ano believe thay rather sxceed nah AL
short Of this number Nest of these have families depend
en upon them for support and considering the mpover
shng effect which the strike must have had upon Them
| their circumstances must be unusually Strengthened
Many Of these have had work since the first of No
yember while Others have been employed only portion
time But it is wonderful fact that not one Of
Z
solicited charity in any way, except so far as asking
work of Bosses who declared work no longer profit
able to them, may be considered begging
In this the greatest depression seems 10 exist IN
the village OF South Natick. The four manufacturing
firms here, s. Walcot Co., L. ID. Moody Brother, John
W. Cotton Co., aud Crosby and Woodbury., have all
failed their aggregate liabilities being nearly $500 900
These failures have all taken place within few weeks,
have thrown hundred out Of employ and
stopped the manufacture Of about 226 per week
At Nack Centre where there are about fifteen firms,
there has been one failure within short time, that OF
IIhV OMAN anI .hn fSty ptf
l nothing whatever The others employing few
hands to work up what stock they have hand but viii
buy no more leather until there Is decided change Tor
| tMr F. wacots mandatory about forty cases per
week being made but no other firm, that We could
learn, making than twentyiour cases week,
and but two than fifteen. f. b Phillips who
formerly made thirty 10 forty cases per week is now
making about ten fifteen and that only TO work
MP what stock he has hand. The same Is true OF
Huntress Johnson and other leading firms, while the
relchye there are three Arms, 4 F. Trovis C. D. Ira
| Wis and Travis & Mead. They making from ten
to twenty cases each weekly great deduction from the
former amounts
The highest price paid for work in Natck that
could ascertain 50 so per of sixty pairs or sixteen
cents pair and this is only paid by one firm 70 old
| and skiliul workmen. The former prices were from
seventeen TO twenty cents The prices now, with the ex
cepon Of firm, vary from nine TO fifteen CENTS and
there hundreds Of workmen who would be glad 10
work for I've and six cents per pair IL should be re-
membered that an expense OF about Of " % on each case
accrues TO The workmen for !" findings"
Al Lynn which is noted for its production Of the finer
qualities Of ladies' and misses shoes there Is not such
complete stagnaton at Natck though the suffering
from the effects the panic be and
the apprehensions greater than in that town Not only
the regular manufacturers but the contingent interests
greatly Affected and this, believe is true of the
other towns The only recent failure at Lynn, however
is that of John Williams Co, morocco manufacturers
The number Of employers Of the various manufactures
| in this town is about $500, perhaps 3 900 OF this
number probably over 900 are out Of work entirely,
many Of them have been for weeks. About 600 or
200 at work portion Of the time, earning mere
pttance each week and the remainder including some
I Of the best workmen are pretty regularly employed
The prices paid generally less than the prevailing
the time Of the strike but few who know their
ability, and win not come down on their prices get their
large number of manufactures shut up entirely,
and in most Of them the cutters have been dismissed
Many Of the bosses only employ people who say they
must work the city, and none that We could
learn are getting in any new stock Perhaps onefhird
| the customary amount of work is being done.
~ Bubier, Esq, of the leading bosses, who usn
ally employs about two hundred men, has now only
thirty forty work and these without particular
prospect Of making their employ ment profitable. They
have dismissed all but two OF their eustersnne
or ten in numberand are reducing their help AZ much
as possible To many q their employees, who are poor
and deserving they give work enough TO furnish
4 .hm with the necessarios OF life.
John Woodbridge CO., Exchange street, who usually
40 hise business aaa h~~s ~~-s @1 -'.'ern trade,
are doing nothing now.
last year and usually large orders are received IN
nnnsy M h S ny orders are re-
cetyed and the manufacturers are afraid TO oil these un
/ ~ there ~ a favorable change.
Nearly all the dealers have fair stock TO commence
| their saies with, but none a them large one.
The great resort ~ the unemployed workmen and MS
well the bosses during this great stagna,on OF bust
ness 70 be on Flax Ponda natural skating park,
II the out krts OF the town On the old Dnnvers road
Here ON an cool DAYS NAV he found thousands mnvmg
together the esjoyment Of the exhiiaratng afnuse
ment forstfu alike OF secession, pancs aud the loss OF
The change between the appearance Of the city and
this spot Is wonderful IN the every countenance
seems depressed in the other JOY regns, and perfect
caelessncss II everything except the sport prevails
silks and satrs rustic against calicoes and well dressed
bosses mnge IN the sport with the poorer clad Jours
There e. be III feeling between these classes
the strike, and all hopeful uf the future dis
! oouraged with the present state Of things.
Marblehead is similarly affected. The number Of work
there only about third that Lynn, and there
other precominatng interests Sti large class
| In great measure dependent upon the shoe interest
than half Of the jours work, and these
low prices Many engaging IN other business either
permanently or temporarily with view TO returning 10
shoemaking when business reviycs.
Al uanvers the business is ducr than before ex
cept possibly IA 81 The manufacturers are cur,aing
lose who stu employed paid pretty generally Ia
orders, aud glad even to get employment At TINT
Less than third Of the usual number are at work put
ou &C work and Of prices is from circumstances wch
| they IN no way control
In faverhili. II except the panic of 1887 the bis.
tory Of business there bears record o. depressed
AMI glo, my condition a. Is at the present time exist
| ing lufOfmsti0n gained from manufacturers and me.
| chancs well informed show that nearly one third ~
the workman IN town are entirely out OF employ msn,
1 Nhic those who are nj work fully employed
FAR lower proportion, the preference being given to me
chanics resident there.
The prices paid Tor making from twenty 1--we to
City pr below the usual rate; shoes for which
twenty ave cents pair Is usually paid for making are
now made or twelve ard half cents and 50 down IN
about the proportion. No orders Of any account
berg received, consequently very few goods have
been shipped Cor sone time, and no stock las of late
! been bought.
other branches az business arc oquaSy depres scd
Mcsrs How Mitchell haters, discharged fcyty hands
last saturday. having about orehird the usual number
employment and they that Il there s ~ In.
pfCvtucnt w.thin weeks their establishment viii b.
! ci0ecd entirely.
| The bcst Informed manufacturers in Haverhl, in
CthCr towns signs % immediate improvement and
efc e Opun thai when Improvement takes place Il
NiM ~ WY gradual, whch VII be feature the
changes the shoe hus " he attributed 20 ta IN
nrence ~ machinery generally employees IN N :
hrsircss, ~ mcals "a which Inv dcnaud Tor go~ds u
| more easily met ..e
| H. sTcak generally or the trade IN these prominent
| places We remark that orders frcti Tie south anu
West crfne r. occasionally. but the manufactures
aonsfa Is afraid "a n them durnr the present criss
1hCre ~ he asTtston "a the part u uthern
cIstontes rcrud'ate fbts, though SINE have faded
| stst pfNfr askef for extern ufp