Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1878-11-12
American Dexterity.

RAAAVA IVAN DVAvOAAVys
Not long ago one of the largest and
most successful shoe manufacturers In
Europe stated that, though his factory
was stocked with the best American
and manned by as good
Glass of workmen as he could get, he was
at his own door by American
His observations in American
factories supplied the explanation the
average workmen in our factories he said
could turn out more work in day, than
the most skillful in Europe, owing to
their superior dexterity and quickness.
The Swiss watch manufacturer, Dubbed,
said the American workman could turn
out by the day three or four times the
average product of the European of the
same class. M
This seems like gross exaggeration,
but it is not out of harmony with the
testimony of many competent foreign
observers. A correspondent of the Brit
ish L0nnaonger tells story which fur
nishes an apt illustration of this feature
of American workmanship.
He says that during the centennial
year an English manufacturer of stamp
ed tinware saw some presses in use in
this country which pleased him greatly.
He was particularly struck with their
rapidity of operation, and ordered three !;
they were made in due time, and the
maker hoping for other orders, took
them abroad himself. They were set up,
and men experienced with presses were
given in charge Of them but under the
most favorable conditions they could
not be made to turn out within 40 per
cent. as much work as they averaged
daily in American works. The opera
tors were not quick enough. Hereo ne
man operated a machine unaided, and
had blank in position every time the
die descended. In the English shop the
operator had two boys to help him, one
to handle the blanks and the other to
carry away the stamped article; but
even with this assistance he could not
supply the blanks fast enough, and for
ty out of every hundred times the die
descended it had nothing to do.
The same writer observes that this is
no uncommon experience with the ma
kers of American machinery. Our most
successful machines are often failures
abroad simply because they are too fast
for the workmen of other Countries
Their operations are gagged by the &C
tive capacity Of American artisans, an(
foreign operatives fail to keep up with
them.
This is but another instance of thu
educative effect of machinery; and eve
ry year, with the increasing perfection
Of mechanical devices, the need of in
telligence, precision and rapid manipu-
lation is increased. The Intellectual de
velopment of skilled workers can no
but be advanced in consequence. AL
ready the mechanic needs, and many o
our mechanics possess, a higher grade o
culture and vastly more knowledge thar
sufficed for the learned professions 81
called few years ago.-Scientifc amer
lean.
How A WOMAN TRIES ON New
SHoEs.-When a woman has new pal
Of shoes sent home she performs alto
gether differently from a man. Sh,
never shoves her toes into them an,
yanks until she is red in the face an,
all out of breath, and then goes stamp
ing and kicking around, but CAREFUL,
pulls them on part way, twitches then
off, again to take last look and see
she has got the right one, pulls then
on again, looks dreamily at them, say
: they are just right. then takes anothe
look, stops suddenly to smooth out
wrinkle, twists them around and sur
veys them sideways. exclaims, mercy
how loose they are! ~ looks at then
. again square in front, works her foo
, around SO they won't hurt her quite s.
much, takes them off, looks at the heel
the toe, the bottom and the inside, put
them on again, walks up and down tn
room once or twice, remarks to her bet
ter half that she won't have them a
any price, Tits down the mirror SO sh
can see how they look, turns in ever,
possible direction, and nearly dislocatei
her neck trying to see how the,
look from that way, backs off, step
up again, takes thirty or forty fare
well looks, says they make her fee
look awful big, and never will do in th
! world, puts them off and on three time
more, asks her husband what he think
!. about it, and then pays no attention
to what he says, goes over it all again
and finally says she will take them. IT.
a very simple matter indeed. Bridge
port Standard.