The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-03-12
TIE GROVER &c BAKER SEWING MA
OIINE COMPANY.


From the Boston Ddily Advertiser.
OF all Inventions which have tended TO relieve
OF the injurious effects OF excessive donestc
arudge that OF the sewing machine ls lncompari-
bly, the most important IL the Ariel OF the mousse
hold. By giving woman time to think h Is lmpos-
sibe TO say how much 1t may have had 10 DO In
orig mating the "wOmans Rights" movement,
which, IL is said, is TO revolutionze and renew the
world What this little triumph OF New England
Ingenuity has already effected in thousands OF pri-
vate houses 1t will eventually erect on larger
scale, In regard to factory labor, and the vehement
pathos Of Hoods touching "Song OF the Shirt" will
seem merely as the wall OF the misery of past age
We have therefore right TO feel justly proud that
New England Is the home OF this invaluahle lnven
tion To give some idea OF the extent and impor-
tanoe OF its manufacture in this city we subjoin
short sketch OF the establishment Of the Grover n
Baker Sewing Machine Company
Messrs. Grover Baker began business about
eighteen years since under patent taken out by
them for certain important improvements Ia the
construction OF sewing machines. AS might De sup
posed the first operations Of the firm were on
very small scale, and as the sewing machine was
new invention that had yet TO make its way In the
world great exertons were required TO bring Its
merits fairly before the public. Confident in the
posse sson of article Of high merit they sprltedly
avaied themselves, among others, OF one OF the
nost efficient means OF overcoming the dlniculty-
mat of advertising in every we-established paper
throughout the land. To such an extent d'd they
carry out this plan that their advertising expenses
during the time they were making their early repu-
tatlon were often high $50 600 in single year
At first business came in slowly, for the world
Eidicued the idea that machine could ever be made
90 perform effectively 80 intricate and delicate an
operation sewing. At one time they considered
that fair business was done II ten sewing ma
chimes q week were disposed of, and these were
made for them by other parties, by contract The
merit OF the machine however, and the publicity
given by Advertising soon brought 1t favorably be-
fore the public, and In short time the growing de-
mand necessitated the starting Of factory Of their
own in Haymarket square ;-business still rapidly
increasing, they, In 1866 built their present extern
sive factory at the corner OF Washington and Wal
than streets. In this city, and q corporation
formed under the name OF the
GROVER q BAKER SEWING MACHINE COMPANY.
AS a striking contrast to the commencement Of
their business It may be interesting to state that at
present the company manufacture about 100 ma
chimes per day-averaging one completely finished
machine every four minutes; employing In their
factory about 500 hands Qncludlng q large number
Of the most skilled mechanics), to whom are paid
about s425 600 in wages per year this does not in-
clude some 60 employees In their foundry.
The business OF this company ia as extensive as
the world. In addition to their handsome and spa
cous store Summer street. in this city, they have
large branch establishments in thirty-hve OF the
most important cities OF this continent and In Lon
don, liverpool and Melbourne-all under the dlrec-
ton OF the head ofice in Boston-besides numerous
agencies in all parts OF Europe and South America
and sub az gencies In this country.
About 2I5 600 machines have thus sfar been manu-
factured by this company.
The works, covering more than three-quarters Of
an OF ground are located at the corner OF
Washington and Wsltham streets. The main fac
tory is an extensive and substantial brick building,
I've stories in height. The portion fronting on
Waltham street is 200 feet, and that on Washington
street is 10 feet In length.
Directly you enter 1t the busy hum OF labor tells
You that you are in an enormous hive OF industry,
which is amply confirmed by the very first glance at
the interior.
Few persons have any idea of the immense amount
of labor required to complete one snall sewing
machine, and of the great nicely exacted in Its con-
structon, until after q personal inspection OF the
process OF its manufacture.
The first step in this building towards the manu-
facture OF the machines is to receive the castings.
These are made at the company's foundry on Albany
treet and are delivered at the first story OF the
actory at the rate OF about seven tons per day.
These, after being assorted and weighed, pass
through the hands OF number OF workmen, who
finish and prepare them for the japanning pro-
cesses. On this 1oor three powerful presses
weighing nearly three tons each, for cutting and
orming into proper lengths and shapes bars and
aheets of STEEL iron and orass Here also are to be
seen long rows OF polishing wheels revolving at
lightning speed, and emitting showers OF scntiating z
second story Of the main building is power
full sIeam engine built by the Putnam Machine Com
pany at Fchburg fed by two large boilers, placed,
for safety In brick boler-house so feet in length,
separate from the factory. BY means Of endless
array of shafting and betting this engine supplies the
motive Nwer to the whole establishment, A BIRDS
eye,ganceat this and the story above conveys i'm
pressve idea of the amount OF labor performed in
this factory. AS far as the eye reach is q close
array of all kinds OF lathes and other belted TOOLS
attended by Of intelligent and busy workmen,
engaged in the various requisite operations-such
the turning OF screws, nuts, pins sprals and hume
other minute parts OF the sewing machine.
Among the interesting and effective tools in this
place are "gang drills some OF which drill ST.
multaneously from seven to ten holes Many OF
those beautiful working instruments were made by
the o3rps OF mechanics constantly employed on the
premises in tool-makng.
The general aspect OF the third story much resem-
bies that OF the other two. IL IL filed with all kinds
OF costly tools and contains many ingenious edglng
machines for cutting irregular surfaces by means OF
a shifting framework and shifting bed the direc-
ton OF the cutter can be made to follow the will OF
the workman; labor-saving devices being con-
stantly invented and put in operation by ths sklful
mechanics employed for this purpose, for facilitating
the exact manufacture OF the machines, and every
thing tenong TO Improvement In this respect Is Inn
mediately adopted.
THB NBHDLB DEPARTMENT.
The needle department is on this noor. The
manufacture OF the needles is q most inn pOrtant de
partment OF the factory, when is considered thai
about $4,000 are made here every mouth. The
work in many OF its details requires great nicely Of
eye and hand, which can only be acquired by long
practice.