The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1878-11-17
WoMAN'S SWIFT FINGERS EMPL0YED.
SOME INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT THE
MAKING AND SELLING OF CIGARETTES.
N. Y. Exchange.


There is an establishment in this city
where three hundred and eighty girls and
| women sit at work for ten hours a
day in deep silence Frcm floor to floor
neither tie slighteat bazz nor the fai ntest
laugh is heard. All are closely watched.
They are cigarette makers, and belong to
the largest of the FIVE establishments in
this city. Great has been the increase of
cigarette consumption. and great has be-
| come the export since 1874, when the finer
qualities began to be made in strings of
tobacco extending the length of the paper
instead of being granulated in fine parti-
c!es and falling loose upon the tongue. In
1873 there were about SO, 600. 600 cigarettes
consumed in this city, either manufactured
Eere or imported. The average yearly
| increase since has been 25 900 600. This
year the sales will be about us ,00O, 900
The Government report for the fiscal year
to jane 30, 1873, gives l66 ,000. 600.
In the process of manufacture, the leaf
is first moistened with cold steam, and
then placed in press, where pressure
of sixteen tons power reduces it to a block
two feet long, six inches deep and four
wide. The block is then placed in another
machine which cuts it into thin slices,
and after being cut the requisite length
teE q cigarette, it is ready for the gisls, to
whom it is weighed out. They are ex
pected to retarn the same weight of cigar
ettes, allowing for the slight weight of the
paper and paste. They sit at long tables
and are each provided with a small stone
slab, on which is paste Of very white and
pure quality. If any dirt ia fonnd in this
paste or on the stone, or on the fingers of
the girl, she is fined. She is not expected
to touch the tobacco in rolling II, and to
prevent this is furnished with frat paper |
which she manipulates in q peculiar way
before using the second. This latter is |
made from rice for the fine grades. Tie
good points in a cigarette are in it's being |
round, neat, and eufsi ciently hard to resist |
a moderate pressure of the fngers. The |
pssting is done with little fiat stick. 1t
is said that the delcacy of touch and mani
er than in that of ordinary cigars.
There are about twenty five men and
seventy FIVE boys also in the establishment
The weekly wages of the men range from
sS to $50, averaging about SIG. All are
paid by piece work. Women and boys
the most money. The work of the best
women is quite as good as that of the best
men, except that it ia not SO rapid. a
learner requires three weeks instruction to
do fair work An experienced hand acts
as teacher, and no wages are paid until
competency becomes attained. A kind Of
cigarette is now also produced IN small
Quantities which have no paper connected
with them. The inner tobacco is rolled 10
4 square of tobacco leaf. They are higher
priced than all others.
Only about five thoroughly good girls,
n cigarette sense, are found in fifty.
They talk, or come late, or in some way
infringe rules. A good girl is expected to
make about 5000 cigarettes week. If,
through idleness, she drops to half that
amount, notice is quickly given her that
other hands are waiting for her place.
In the last great strike of cigarmakers
the cigarette makers did not participate.
Three years ago men were generally en-
ployed, and strike took place. Women
we're substituted, and no trouble has since
occurred. An export of long strip cigar
cites is beginning to England, Russia and
Germany. In France, Spain, Italy and
Auetria the preparation of tobacco is
monopoly, and no cigars are
Japan is also receiving them,
and also China, but very sparsely. Makers
of ordinary cigars have, in some cases,
been alec making cigarettes, but as yet
chiefly with granulated tobacco, and with
papers folded at the ends and unpasted.
Much pasting is, however, done.