Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1881-12-17
THE QUESTION OF cLoruE..
The Manufacture Of Clethi.x /. Main.

/ AhoWu AZ 93le-wOrk. There
are PROBABLY few towns in which the female
portion Of the inhabitants is not more or Lea
occupied in making some descriptions of oar.
uiehts Ior the Boston wholesale trade. These
are furnished to sewing women by Maine
CONTRACTORS, who distribute huge loads of the
unmade work and collect it when finished
Inc pressing aud packing are done at large
| shops In our villages. where also large crew.
OF workmen are employed in making up tn.
inner grades of work, and "bushelling. which
Is inspecting work done outside of the ,hop-
ana repairing such as is imperfectlv put to-
gether. The prices paid for the various kinds
OF work are generally remuneratve, though
an unpracticed hand cannot earn very large
wages IL must be very quick and skilled
worker that can earn one dollar Der 5av a,
the higher grades Pants are made for from
nlteen To twenty-five cents a pair and coats
OF medium grade are made ready for pressing
for from thirty to thirty-five cents The best
coats made in the shops cost, ready to pack.
l-overcoats Sl.37. and undercoats 81 b.
AS TO wages earned oy those who make
coat-nakIng their business, we give a state
rnent OF the aggregate amour. paid to work
ers IN fifteen different families within nine
months Of the present year taken from the
books of Mr.. T. ID. Emery The sum is 81 =
53S-s1. Minimum amount SlO4 maximum
s326-sI; average, Sl73. In some families as
many as three persons are engaged on the
work, and all have share in the general
Homework.
Before the days of sale-work, our country
women must have had rather a dull time,
with nothing to do" only the dairy work,
the pigs and chickens TO feed. the men folks
and childrens' trousers and frocks to make,
and-the Homework. There were no sewing
machines, no kerosene lamps; and the max
ing Of clothing for home wear was task of
weeks duration, day and evening. with the
| talloress to boss. assisted by the good wife
and larger girls, all scanning. stitching, fell
ing, quilting, padding, serging and making
button-holes nearly all of which came in fall
and winter, in short DAYS and long evenings,
by the dim. Pickering candles; but often by
the cheering blaze of bright fire in the an
cient fireplace. Thus the seasons wearing
gear was fashioned by the deft hands OF our
skilled. patient grandmothers. The cloth was
mostly homemade. from pure sleeps wool,
or cotton and wool, walled" which is the
same as twilled-spun by hand, woven in the
hand loom, dyed, fulled and dressed BY the
clother. and when finished, was about As
handsome az piece of stout broadcloth.
Pulled cloth is thing of the past, but
piece of Yankee striped frocking is yet occas-
ionally woven by some old fashioned dame
who knows how to manipulate the shuttle.
Mr.. Samuel Hanson. of Buxton Centre
now about seventy years of age, is the first
person known to have had sale-coats from
Boston to make up. He was practical
tailor, had worked in Boston shops, and
brought the first job home in his hand, -four
coats in a small bundle. This was about
forty years ago. James w. Emery, of Stan
dish, was a fellow workman Of Hanson, and
the success of his friend in obtaining work
and making it at home, induced Emery to
try his hand ut the same business. These
two men were the pioneers of the sale-work
trade here. 1t was first done by hand for a
number of years; the grand revolution ef
fected by the advent of the sewing machine
being yet in the future.
Several towns in Cumberland county have
been noted for many years for their sale-work
shops. Gorham. Standish. Windham, Ray
mond, Casco, Naples. Otisield, and some
other towns have had touches of the coat or
pants fever" and the rivalry excited by a
rush of work, as to who could do the most
pants or coats in given time has been the
cause of serious heart burnings and Jealousies
in numerous peaceful neighborhoods. Female
pluck and endurance in the cause of sale
work would, if devoted to the work of
missions or the exploring of unknown
countries win renown for their possessors.
One of the ''other" towns above alluded to,
as having clothing establishments, is Harri-
son. A sae-work operation was carried on
here in the early days of the business in
Maine.
In Nav, 1873, the sale-work business was
commenced on a small scale by kneeland,
Hobbs { Emery. 1t was the beginning of
the era of hard times, and the panic which
came that wear. and its effects for several
successive wears are well remembered. This
firm continued in operation nearly one year,
employing about fifteen hands in the shop
and fftv outside Five thousand coats were
made during the year. Thomas ID. Emery,
son of the pioneer before mentioned. was
| the Junior partner. and the best man so far As
know ledge and professional ability are con-
earned He was bred to the business from
! boyhood had been connected with several
extensive clothing manufactures. and was IN
excellent business manager. In 1874, the nrm
/ of Morse & Emery succeeded to the former
propretors. and for four wears following, car
ried on a safe and successful business. max
! ing. during the time, as many as 10000 coats
a wear In 1873. Mr. Emery purchased of
his partner A. X. Morse, his share in the
business. and from that period, the operations
| of this establishment have been largely in
creased so AS to make the employment of
more room and larger number of workers
| a necessity. During the tonr wears OF MI
Emery's ownership and management, the
business has nearly trebled. Since January
| 1850. to the present time. 1000 coats have
been turned out, an average of 21.5hO per
year. To accomplish this amount of work
about $40, 900 per year have been paid out
! for labor alone.
| In July last, Mr.. Marshall Jordan, with
Mr. Emery. commenced an enterprise tor the
still further extension of the manufacture OF
clothing, hv the erection of a spacious new
building sixty-six feet long by thirty -four feet
wide. two stories high with basement under
the whole for storage of fuel, cases. etc The
building forms an addition to the Gordon
store. easterlv, and nearly fills the space be-
tween that building and the Reform Club
Hall. The rooms are each ten feet high
and are entirely occupied for manu-
featuring, except about six feet on
one end, which is occupied by STAIR
case to second story, elevator, boiler and
engine. stairway to cellar, darkroom
etc leaving clear working room sixty feet
/ in length through both stories. The second
floor is supported by two rows OF columns
and the attic floor is sustained from the roof
The second floor is devoted exclusively to the
manufacture of fine grades of work. giving
employment to fifty hands. The first moor Is
| .bar, the hinton -holing, pressing and packing