Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1879-02-01
CHEAP SHIRT-MAKING.

A World reporter discovered some
time ago that one-halt of his stock OF
shirts-whlch number two when COM
plete-was becoming unfit for further
service. and few days ago he went to
Keep, the shirt man, at No. 637 Broad
way, to get another. The World man.
as IS his wont, found himself "spesring"
for Information.
he to Mr.. Keep. '.Is it not of very re-
cent date that large houses such as this
have made specially of shlrt-makingP"
"Well, as to that can't answer pre-
cisely; this business has been establish
ed tour years, but have been shirt
maker for over twelve years.
"Yeu seem TO have built up a pretty
large BUSINESS" said the reporter, as he
glanced at the immense piles of skirts
around him.
"Well, yes," said Mr.. Keep. land I'll
tell you how. l have done it by always
selling tirst-c class article, never selling
an inferior class OF goods, economizirg
as much as p ssible in the manufacture,
and offering them to customers as low
as could afford, and letting them know
that am doing so by advertising, be-
lieve in advertising; no man ever built
up business that did not advertise"
OF course the reporter agreed with
this, and said SO, and Mr.. Keep continu-
ed: 'I'll tell you another thing. 1t may
seem like boasting, but l can say what
no other firm in any kind OF busi-
ness can say truthlully: have but one
price for the trade. Ii a man should
come and say, Keep, | II take your en-
tire stock of shirts; what are you going
to take off?' l should hand him my
printed list, and say. Here are our pri.
ces, and can't make a reduction of a
quarter of one per cent The reporter
expressed his interest by saying Well,
and Mr.. Keep continued: Il began this
business by making what we call partly
made Shirts I'll show you one." and
Mr.. Keep produced a skeleton garment
sleeveless and bandless. Here said
Mr.. Keep. pointing to the bosom. ''i.
all that portion which woman at home
finds difficult; all the rest she can d.
easily, and found that could give hel
; the shirt in the unfinished state for less
than she could buy the material. even a
wholesale prices. OF course l soon hat
a great demand for these partly made
shirts, and | still sell a great many o
them"
You employ girls l suppose" sait
the reporter, '.and get them Tor little o.
nothing, and in that way you
Now you were never more mistaken
in your life," said the shirt-maker
"you ought to see my girls; you ough
to hear them sing; come up morrow
most of 'em have gone home now. bu
come up tomorrow, and l will show yor
: my girls. l got nearly a thousand o
them, here and in the mandatory a
Troy, and they're the happiest lot O
young women that can be found any
where. l am more proud OF my girls
than of the shirts VIII ch they make, anc
thes earn from 81 to Sl4 week. When
ever the time comes that can't afford tt
pay my girls fair wages, then this bus
iness has got to close. But you come
up to morrow and I'll show 'em to you
You shall hear 'em sing that'l sho y
: yon whether they are starving or not
The reporter apologized tor his Ill
timed suspicion. but expressing a desir,
: tor further information as to shirt-mak
: ing, was conducted to the cutting-room
Here were counters extending the Who'll,
depth of the building, on which wer.
SHiootuly Spreiu iutWeDLV-iOuT IN OK neSSe
OF Wamsutta muslin. On these is lalt
the wooden patterns for the front anc
back OF shirt, and the cutter presses
deftly sharp knife around the edge o
the patterns. and two dozen shirts ar,
ready for the sewing mach mes, operated
by girls on the floor above. One OF thes,
, machines, MIR. Keep said. could max,
:. 5000 stitches in minute. In another
room the Iinen for the bosoms, collars
and cuffs was being cut with equal ra
pidity. But few shirts, Mr. Keep said
were laundried, the process frequentl,
J damaging the goods somewhat. Those
that were required to be laundried were
sent to New Jersey Tor that purpose
/ The largest portion of his shirt making
, was done at Troy. the place in Broad
way not being large enough to supply
the stock required for the store IN Sixtl
avenue and the one in Brook lyn, in ad
dition to what was required for tho
Broadway store. Mr.. Keep makes alse
drawers and umbrellas, and has recent,
begun the manufacture of kid gloves
from which IN the future he expect:
much, but which at present is only in it.
infancy.
NaSsar college girls are fond n.