The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1860-03-24
Correspondence Of the Journal.
The Great Shoemakers' Strfke-Its
Causes.


BosToN, March IS, 1860.
EDITOR JouRNAL:-As leisure hour is at
my disposal, have concluded to write you
"a line by way of employing my thoughts,
and, at the same time, to contribute some lit
tie news touching the all-absorbing theme of
the strike of the operatives in the manufac-
ture of boots and shoes in the manufacturing
towns of New England. The strike seems to
be coming quite general, and daily accessions
are being made to the already large corps of
operatives. Lynn leads off at round rate,
and presents bold front; maintains great
Independence says l will or l wont, with
emphasis. Many other important manufac-
turing points in the same line of business
are following in her wake, viz, Stoneham,
Marblehead, Haverhill, Danvers, Natick, Sa-
lem, Milford, Campello, &c, &c.
The strikers have drawn up a tariff of
prices and demand the manufacturers to
Sign the same before they will go to work,
which they refuse to do, if there should
never be another pair of shoes made $50
then saw. The advance rates demanded over
former prices, vary from Is to so per cent.
The strike is confined almost exclusively to
the " hammers" or bottomers.'-
The women (stitchers and hemmers) for
the sake of peace and harmony, are willing
to make concessions in their demands, or
even to continue at former prices.
On yesterday | attended the Boot and
Shoe Exchange, where all the large manu-
f;lcturers keep samples of their goods on
sale. Many of them are DESTROYS to sell out
what goods they have on hands, and will
then cease to manufacture until matters are
once more settled. To visit, at this time,
aarI fp
have five minutes conversation with a shoe
man, without having the stereOtyped
phrases of "BOOts and Shoes are going to Gd-
Vdnce then are bound 10 GdDdnce" "BOOts
and Shoes are rising; they are bOandtO rise"
Indeed the whole trade seems demented on
the snbject-a complete Boot and Shoe
mania The quietude of the city seems ms
much perturbed as was our city some months
since, when the cry of mad-dog had an ex-
istence, that dog that bit Smith GGOitt.)
There seem to exist the best feelings
(socially) between the manufacturers and
operatives Some of the manufacturers
donate $25 per week to alleviate the suf-
ferings of the poor and needy who are
among the strikers. AT Lynn, / have heard
both the employer and employee express
themselves, and am driven to the conclusion
that the strike, if not entirely, is almost
entirely, a mutual and preconcerted move,
with an eye to get up prices. There IS GER
taiy1lv some coLlusion The demonstration ut
the Strikers Mass Meeting in Lynn on FRI
day night was considered "tess strike. =
About six Thousand persons were present.
The manufacturers seemed well pleased
as we do in Evansville to sell a bill of
goods OF $1,000 TO 81 900 cash.
l cannot close without speaking OF Messrs.
JoHN HILL & Co.'S large steam shoe factory
at Stoneham. 1t has capacity sufficient to
make 5000 pairs OF shoes per day. They
are now making about one-thiTJi that quanti-
ty per day. The leather is put in, and in
almost no time, out comes as nice and hand
some pegged shoes as ever saw, and while
the entire peggirg operation is going on, 1t
reminds me very wildly of a gentle earth
quake. To use the language of one OF the
operatives, Messrs. HILL u Co. are natures
noblemen. For the sake of smoothing the
path of the forlorn strikers, they have given
one of their large halls for dancing room
for the disafIected operatives. The enter
tainment occurs about every ten days or two
weeks. Music and refreshments are fur
nished by the proprietors.
Every manufacturer has his reasons Tor
the great depression and stagnation in the
boot and shoe trade. Many and varied are
the reasons assigned. One gives as a reason
that "too many hides tanned, and too
many persons engaged in manufacturing
boots and shoes" Others attribute. the
cause to the West and Southwest not pay
ing their debts during last year. Others,
again, say it is the loss of Southern trade,
which loss is attributed To the doctrines of
Seward & Co, the Helper Book, John Brown