, 1874-04-12
AIMING THE SAiL-MAkERS.
! n,Dartment Of Labor in which Eoman
Is Appreciated.
rho Vo7k, Tic Wages, and The Character
of The Operatives.

,.-rcr shades; aud. after viewing the sad
.uo ..,acts of womau's labor, it is very cheer
w. w. n fnd one department where woman is mp
10 ...d and is on parva1uo with her brother
E.c. r,,r+ ~
-srr nrocession, end float from windows and
- tons of dwellings, every Fourth OF July; the
-..a ~. hammers which aro part Of an armys cqul-
-.aa. the awnings that screen The windows anu
r re- dooya Of the merchants establishments from
.1s scorchins rays Of tho MONDAY SUM- the
-,ra,;nes OF the eoldlers tent and the eml5rant 8
49, and the sails OF our fast-lying vessels
:, r;yer, lske, and eea,-aro
PRINCIPALLY ~oIAS's WORK
r,o he.yier portion OF the labor upon them is
l.1f,rnoa bv men, but al1 tho lighter work il
sope b: women. ....
= is no t-id1ns mattcr to be able to sew on
~ heavy cloth used in sail-naklns. 10 eeW it
.-lI,n|y and rapidly requires long and patient
1.,;ro. and tho use of the needle in the manu-
:s.tnre Of calls is acquired only By plodding,
,s,sevcrine self-dcnial. This needle is round
r. short distance from the eye, shout one
h;,a Of it's length tho remainder is three
~dsd shared Like three-cornered file ; towards
~. :zoint these sides are sharp to facilitate tue
.,ttinr Of the needle through the coarse, heavy
10th. Tho sail maker wears band OF leather
mind the hand +; in this band is hole through
xh;c, The thumb passes, and which keeps it in
.1,-e f, that part of the leather which rests
1 nm the psim OF the hand is a th1mble, By
-b;ch tha operator pushes the needle through
- canras as far as possible, and then Eelzcs it
,;th the thumb and foreGnger to pull it through.
LONG PRACTICE IS NECESSARY
IA o7der to do this rapidly and without injury to
be fingers: for, il the operator seizes the needle
~ ncar the point, it is apt to cut her finger. A
.-s;ned sail -mnker, who has become used to the
nsadIe. aud whose fingers are not quite SO
1 .s1der and susceptible es nre those Of q begin
rp,. will draw the needle through without IN
jur9 to her hands.
,,nned over each other, and each e5go is firmly
.5rrd making two rows OF stitching at each
sesm this renders the work strong and dura-
lila The cloth is hold in place over the lap by
shooE, but in euch o way that it does not neces-
s;ts,e stopping over tue work. The operator
s,s IN an upright position, and, as she COM
Tfnces hcr work with thread Hi1 feet in
isretb. her arms arc necessarily thrown back
ysds to their full extent in drawing out tho
th,e.d stitch bF stitch. which has the effect OF
rypsnd;pc the chest and giving the lungs full
nlsy: the marked effect ct which is, that sail
raEess are peculiarly exempt from consumption.
SID one firm, when speaking upon this subject,
"Ts have never yet buried one OF our girls !;
not one Of them l..s had consumption; but they
81 retain
A RICH DEGREE OF HEALTH.
Awnings, flags. tent and wagon-coyerB, are
usually made on the 6ewing-machlne by girls,
although some prefer to lave these made by
hand aa the work ia considered much stronger
th.n that done by machinery. Seving-machines
~ ntn f1,n work 3rt il
observed that those girls who worked constantly
n the sewiug-mnch;ne were not in such regular
ltteudance upon their work as formerly. One
Eould be absent because she did not feel well /;
mother would be reported sick and tho dlscoT-
IT was made that the sewing machine Was m
injury to the girls who worked IN ssll:mak1ne
establishment. This Tas, however, obylated By
be use OF steam. The work done BY machinery
osts IS much as the work done by hand, 20 thar
othipg is saved by the use of the sowing -ma-
hiue except little time gained in burTying
sason., Half Of the girls employed arc SO OK
ert at their business that thoy work equally well
itber with the hand or the machine. 1t is not
0 tue interest Of the employer to have thom
rork too many hours together on tho machine,
8 it is detrimental to their health, and there
re ofew well skilled sail-makers that a vacancy
hard to fill therefore it la tho interest OF em-
lovers to look after tho health OF their gl1is,
nd keep them IN
The average wages of these girls Is ~ week;
cirl who cannot earn 81 q week is not wanted,
size is not a profitable hand. Some girls, IN
uHy times, working by the piece and taking
ork homo, oarn S18 per week. The WORK that
equally shared By men and women is equally
the women receiving as much as
be men Ihp most steady, industrious, and ro-
able girls arc hired by the year at 50 per week
o TINT, in dull times, when work is scarce, they
1e not without the means OF support. as they
AVE stcady income of 50 week. How many
nen would have been glad if they could haye So
:ured By their labor an income Of that amount
through the past drcarv winter!
During the War, the demand for the goods OF
he s.ilmakers WAS far in excess OF the supply,
md Advertisements for girls we're inserted IN
he Newspapers. 1t the end OF one Teok, one OF
Tie leading firms had 200 girls who we're trying
to learn tho business ut the end OF two weeks,
they had 400 who had applied for chance to
learn, and three Of their best men we're detailed
10 give them instructions but the girls found
the WORT 20 difficult, and made SO little headway,
that thsv tscamo utterly discouraged, and we're
about 10 give it up in disgust, when the firm,
which was then go much in want OF hands, prom
ised them, if they would have patience, and tTy
to lean, they would pay them So q week Wheth-
e. they earned it or not. It did not pay the firm
to hire them Ut these low rates, so much prac-
tlce and perseverance does it require to become
competent sail-maEer; and how many OF our
Fts possess the necessary qualities to make
them successful in this branch Of industry?
The girls engaged in this work are
HIGHLY RESPECTED By THEIR EMPLOYERS,
Ebo are not backward to speak we'll OF item,
fNne them the best OF characters for Industry.
and high moral Wo:th. They are also
lnesa, neat in their dress, not given to out
sud display, saying OF their earnings, and are
esainently lifted to tako tho place Of help-meets
% sober, industrious men.
When one OF these girls leaves the buBinoss to
e2ser upon tho duties of the married life, her
ed1ess is always kept At the Office, and. when
soek Is plenty aud hands scarce, an application
[9 help is sent to her It is With women as it ls
NH men: they are looking forward to better
sondltaon in life, and they know that better
;;ondlsion is dependent upon money and they
1equently take work to their homes, Whero they
aase husbands who are both able and willing to
Export them, because they arc glad to earn
len dollars to add to the pile they and their hns-
aads by their industry aud frugality, are &C
= @:9aaiating. When their husbands meet with
aseio1tunea are disabled by sickness. or called
..a5 By death, and they are left to struggle
loae, ttey hare good trade to which they can
=. SUPPORT THEMSELVES II COMFORT.
Most Of these saii-make-s TIRE of foreign birth
foreign extraction. Very few American girls
an the business, i: is present left mostly to
ss aose who come from country Of steady habits
'ao plodding perseverance, with determination
y mASe themselves independent.
a. IL Ess hoped, when Slavery WAS abolished IN
H1 ;l country that It's abolition would give added
1solsy to labor, and that the man who worked
y v What be had would be held at least in as high
!, sssem as ho who consumed the fruits OF others
w: W.. Among men, the dignity. OF labor is being