The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-12-27
Oriental Shoemakers in the Shops
Of North Adams.
JOHNS APTNESS AND INDUSTRY.
How Contest Between Capital and
Labor Was Settled.
NORTH ADAMS, Mass, Dec. "A, Is

factory of North Adams the result of unusual
complications of capital and labor. The latter was
demanding concessions that the former positively
and emphatically declined to make. These conces-
sions related not only to the price of labor but
the control OF the establishment employing it. The
wages demanded were not only greater than
the propretors thought they could pay, but
the laborers demanded that they should decide
what workmen should be employed. and in what
pacty The assumption Of the right by laborers to
dictate to the managers of the establishment which
they worked had wrought ruin to many factories
elsewhere and in Massachusetts it forced the extreme
experiment which has proved successful. In 1870,
when the first instalment Of Cinnamon arrived in
North Adams, it was found necessary to escort them
from the to the factory Of Mr.. Calvin T. Samp-
son by $50 armed men, who with great difficulty kept
back the dense throng that ercely struggled to get
within arms length of the inofensive moon eyed
Celestals To-day these same men, or their sue
walk the streets Of this town with much
freedom and little fear of bodily danger any citi
zen in it. They recognized portion of the COM
munity, and even by the whose places they took
in the factory the inevitable has been calmly ac-
copied.
ACCOMPLISHED MECHANICS.
representative shoe factory here stands upon the
bank Of the Hoosac River. almost in the very heart
of the town. 1t is m exceedingly fine brick building,
covering four sides Of q quadrangle and having
garden and lawn surrounding il. Tho main portion
Of the building facing the street 100 by feet and
contains the ground floor the Office and packing
ROOM the latter opening into archway leading into
the street. through which all goods delivered and
received On the other side of the archway is
the room in which all sole leather is cut,
and Immediately above this is the "bottom-
ing room. in which the Chinese are en-
putting the sole and heel . shoe, or rather
fastening them to the uppers. is performed almost
entirely by Chinese labor. This department Of the
trade in former years controlled by the Crispin
Society, and is considered the most important, al
though not the finest, work on shoe. The China
were brought to North Adams expressly to I'LL
this department The other departments gave no
trouble fer the laborers in them were not recog-
nized by the Crispins shoemakers and
consequently took part in the numer-
Gus strikes. The Cinnamon have become
most expert mechanics and it is really wonderful
the ease, rapidty and quietness with which the
work is performed One Of the men. known as John
Thomas" who tends pcgging machine is consid-
cred of the most expert mechanics at that
machine in the world and is said to rank above any
other workman in Berkshire county if not in Massa-
chusetts.
FIRST EXPERIMENT..
The first seventy Ave Cinnamon came to Massachu-
sets under contract for three years. They were to
receive fixed sum per week, which satisfactory
to both employer and employee. When the three
years up some of the men returned to China
with their earnings. and Others the far
greater number, remained and continued at
work. During the time it had been found
necessary to increase the force Of workmen and the
Cinnamon were augmented in number to about
hundred and fifty. They were constantly coming
and going, and to-day, but no and inexperi-
enced hands are now being employed After some
little time the backbone of the Crispin revolt was
broken and many of them sought work at the rates
paid to the Cinnamon, and We're glad to get It, When
of course his place was generally filled with an
American workman. many Of whom stood ready to
accept Thus gradually the workshops became filled
with about an equal number of Cinnamon and
others. and that state Of affairs has continued up to
the present time
The Cinnamon were very quick to learn, it is said
much quicker than the average white workman.
They knew absolutely nothing of the trade of shoe
making when they first entered the shops, but in
less than month were turning out surprising
number Of well made shoes. That popular rumor
which gives to the natives of the Flowery Kingdom
great capacity for imitation confirmed in this
case and It Is told at the factory with much elee
shoe given him to examine. put bent peg In every
he male for some time, when the keen eye of the
superintendent noticed the flaw and he made the nee
essary explanation score of similar anecdotes
told of the first efforts of the to learn the trade
Determination their part to succeed and deter
mination on the part Of their employer that they
should be protected and have every facility carried
the day. and 1t was evident after the first month that
success was assured.
GREAT WORKERS.
'They have said the manager of the factory to the
HERALD correspondent, "a wonderful reserve force.
III we want $50 of shoes in given time tell
tho foreman, and they ready. This is invariably
the case we want 800 they are made and 1t is the
same of less number. The men grumbe.
always cheerful and contened, never lose days
work except their New Year. can always be relied
upon and or course In consequence are model work
men. We make no distinction now in our workmen.
but take any capable person when vacancy is to be
filed or our force increased. The Crspins far
our factory Is concerned have lost their power They
would have ruined us had they had their own way.
but when they saw that we could get ON without
them they were willing enough to make terms. Now
we never ask workman who or what he IL or what
society he is member of so long as he conforms to
rules and does his work satisfactorily.
HOW THE cHrNAMEN LIVE.
The quarters of the Cinnamon are in the factory,
or rather in building built expressly for them and
facng one side OF the quadrangle IL is OF brick and
three stories In height. The windows Of the lower
floor are barred with iron. measure Of safety made
necessary at the hrst by the threats of discontencd
workmcn, who promised not only to destroy the build
ings. but to also utterly annihiate the Cinnamon
we'll. The bars yet remain, although the necessity
for them has departed. The lower door devoted to
a kitchen. q washroom, dining room and general
sitting reading Stairs leading to the upper
floors ascend from the end OF the dining room.
The men quartered in sleeping rooms which con-
tain about six persons each No beds are used. the
Cinnamon prcferring hunks one above the other,
very similar In construction to those used
steamboats,. Through the courtesy of the manager
the writer was shown through the quarters. Inc
hunks clean and tidy. Each room had table
aud chair two. well tea cups and the facili-
ties FOR making tea Some of the rooms had little
strips of gayly colored paper pasted the walls and
in or two there were figures of men half joss
half human also pasted on the wall. The floors were
clean and the attendant who showed MS about. and
whose remarks confined to very few words in
pigeon English evidently proud of the general
order and cleanliness. On the hoor below
the Kitchen where we met an old
bronzed 'chef" who scowlcd ferociously. after the
manner OF conventional cooks OF all nations His
pots and kettles bright and clean and he was
busy at the time In stirring huge cal,iron of rice
that was boiling and bubbling ON the fire. The diet
is very similar to that of Americans except that they
do not eat bread or butter drink coffee. Rice
takes the place of bread and IL in fact the principal
article Of food They very fond of and eat IL In
large quantities. Everything except the raw material
Is furnished by the factory. The rice potatoes. pork
beef. tea sugar. &C, they purchase themselves
having treasurer. who is elected from time to time
and keeps account with each man large strips
Of paper pasted the wall These accounts are kept
of course in Chinese characters and each one seems
~ long the bill of French hotel. Mistakes are
never made. and the wards and Yards of accounts