The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1876-06-10
HOME MATTERS.
TAKE THE SOCKS.
Millions of the Best and Cheapest made Right
Here.
Another Ottawa Mandatory.


ueihahu Is an enigma he is unable to understand.
"haI are we all IN pursuit of? Wealth. What
does wealth consist Of? Commodities. Gold and
silver are commodities exactly in the same sense
That hats caps boots, shoes, coats, potatoes or
pigs are commodities, and all depend for their
value on their oxchangeability for other com.
modlties. Can their be such an over production
of commodities, then, as to appeaso the unlyer.
sal craving for mmodites.wealth.
There can be, however, and often is, an over.
production OF one, two or more particular com
moditcs; for instance, such as railroad iron.
when, by Jay Cookies collapse, there has been
general stoppage of railroad building; or loco
motives or other rolling stock for railroads from
the same cause; or many other articles that are
now no longer needed to supply the rolling
mills or shops thus rendered idle. Our country's
imports and exports, however show, that while
there has been overproduction in the direction
indicated, there are many other articles in the
manufacture OF which this country can engage
with profit. The custom house tables show
long list of articles the importation Of which has
increased during the past year, many OF which.
ought to be manufactured here and among these
are wooden and cotton hose. This brings US TO
the subject upon which, as indicated in the head
ing, we started out to expatiate
There has grown up in Ottawa small manu-
factory about which nine -tenths OF our people
probably know nothing whatever, but which
gives promise of yet proving one Of, our most
important industrial institutions. We refer to
the sockknittng establishment of the Perkins
Brothers, who occupy the building vacated by
fha Of f,,.-
Walker street They commenced on very
small scale-employing four or five g,rls-knt-
ting common wooden hose with the Family
Favor!te," or Cushman knitting machine. The
work done was so much better than the common
woven" article in the market, that some of the
heavy Chicago wholesale dealers gave them en-
couragement to believe that the article they
made, at the price offered, would find ready
market in large quantities. The severe com.
mercal depression, Eewever, that followed soon
after, with the heavy fall in all kinds of wooden
goods, greatly modified these sanguinc promises
However, the demand was not wholly cut off
and the Perkins Bros found it advisable, during
last season, to increase their force to dozen or
fifteen operatives knitting each from 80 to 40
pairs Of wooden socks per day At this rate
nearly all the work of last fall and winter was
disposed OF at living prices, in spite of the ex-
ceptional hard times"
But having filed the orders for last winters
trade what next? 1t was too early TO take or
ders for next year, our firm was too prudent to
launch out into uncertainties, and having sue
ceeded so well with wooden goods, might they
not do as well with cottonY They made the ex.
pertinent and produced such an article as the
dealers encouraged them to believe would "take."
Accordingly wool was laid aside, and instead OF
discharging their force for three or six months,
the girls were put to work knitting cotton
socks. The article thus made, though not equal
in style finish to the fine woven sock, is much
cheaper and at the same time much more sub
stantial and serviceable besides being free from
the seams and wells which make the common
cotton sock Of the stores so uncomfortable TO
the feet.
The machine used, as we have stated, is the
" Family Favorite,n manufactured at the Cush-
man machine shops in this city, machine for
the sale of which the Perkins Brothers have the
exclusive agency.
Being sensible business men, however, they
were not so partial to this machine in starting
their factory but that they were ready to try
other knitting machines and adopt the one they
found most serviceable Thus they gave the
Lamb machine and the Franz &c Pope machine,
the only machines made of any merit besides
the Family Favorite) thorough trial, but they
found the Favorite so much superior to the
others and so much better adapted to their pur-
pose that they now use no other.
The Family Favorite is the machine in the per
-ectinr of which Geo II. Cushman spent for.
tune but though il may have been the means Of
his financial ruin, it is no less on that account
he best kuitter that ever was made. Its capa
bilities are really astonishing In the hands OF
IN expert operator there is hardly any design in
yoolep. worsted, silks or cottons that cannot be
out with the little knitting hooks. In
ho1t il is among knitting machines what the
Jacquard is among looms.
We have thus brought the Perkins sock knit
ing establishment TO the notice of our readers,
rot so much on account Of its present import
nee, but rather 10 indicate its possibilities and
probabilities Our people will bear in mind that
IL the really successful manufacturing estab-
ishmen;s in Ottawa land it is the case in Chl-
ago and other large cities as welD have grown
IN from small beginnings 1t was SO with the
liz establishments Of King * Hamilton lne
,laierhofers, the Colwells, the glass works, "'r
md IT is TO this gradual growth from sHlA4i 9e
rlnnings that we must look for the ultimate
,royvth of all the large manufacturing establish
nen,s we expect to see built up IN OTTAWA
They are the only kind that in nine cases out OF
on succeed. 1t is 4 too common eoulplaih'
al the men of wealth among US are un"illinE'
70 liberal advances or joint stock SUBSCRIPTIONS
q help build up the town BY establishing
arye manufactures. Those who MAKE 'Hese
.omplaiuts should bear in mind that our men
- 9Th - made their own money from small
,egippiurs without outside help, and IS 1t IN
.ss.onable that they think Others ought to do
ne same The longest lived and soundest trees
we those that grow up slowly aud surely from
he acorn. S.,
The Perkins Brothers have begun their little