The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1881-04-14

per, tue HnIng, hnu tue stays, ana
marking the same, Is done by four
men. Each piece Of the upper Of the
lining and Of the stays is numbered by a
machine, so that there can be no possible
mistake in putting them together.
For the next stage in progress OF manu-.
facture the parts fashioned in the sole
leather department and 10 the cutting.
room are brought together In the
FITTING ROOM,
OF which Mr.. &. II. Norton Is foreman.
Here the parts are assorted and bundled
together, the lining stitched in, the eyelets
put in. fancy stitching done, and in all the
little and Important mnutie, the shoe pass.
ing through the hands OF twenty-five dif-
ferent men. The eyelet.puncher in this
room is one of the greatest curioslties and
most complete machine in the business.
With it one man puts in the eyelets for six
hundred pairs Of shoes in one day, and as
each pair Of shoes (of the simple taheD) con-
tains fiity-six eyelets, il will be seen that be
punches and puts in 33 600 eyeleis in one
day.
The machine for f,ncy stitching on the
vamp Of the upper Is also ingenious, and we
saw colored convict who was ornamenting
with it eight cases, or four hundred and
eighty pairs, per day.
Every little scrap OF lining IL here util-
ized by means OF a capital little machine for
cutting cotton goods invented by the fore
man. said Mr.. Williams, in speaking Of 1t,
81 believe il could cut up In small strips
all the cotton goods in Richmond in three
days" The shoe next finds 1t way to the
LASTING ROOM,
OF which Mr.. George Scales is superintend-
eni. Here the shoe first takes its shape and
receives the really first hand-labOr reqnir-
ing Judgment. unasslsted by a machine. 1t
passes in this room through six different
bands and some beautiful and rapidly
working machinery. The Mckay metallic
fastening 1aCbine or tacker, for temporarily
uni'n 'ie outer sole TO the UPPER before
sewing. is placed in the centre OF 4 circle
OF twelve mcn who are lasting, and
with il OGe man keeps the twelve
busy. The McK,y sewing-machinc does
swift and beautiful work, as with it
man stitches together the inner and
outer sole. Upon this, as also upOn other
OF the Mckay machines. is a register, from
which it is ~lid that Dr. MOffett derived his
ide1 Of bel.punch. This registers every
single stitch il makes, so as to regulate the
paving Of the ROYALTY, and With the stamp,
|
company. act, a. a check upon the certain
and full pas mcnt Of the royalty tax.
THE BCrTONiNG- AND FINISHING ROOM
is in charge OF Mr.. ID. s. Gates. Here the
shoe goes through the handling OF thirteen
different wOrkmen in trimming edges, put
Ting on heels furnishing, securing, sand
paperng. and buffiDg. and receiving many
other little tuishipg touches.
Here we found Honesty in the person OF a
convict who. as paradoylcalas the name and
! fact IN question may seem, was sent 10 this
Institution from Fairfax county for lSyearS
! for horse.s:e ding. The aforesaid Honesty
manipulated The edge.setter, which makes
! in polishing the edges OF the sole 2,200
vibrations per minute, and completes In
this respect 800 pairs per day.
The Mckay beeler, in this department, is
another wonderful machine, and requires
two men in Il> operation. The Tapley heel
furnishing machine does effective and beau
| tiluI work, furnishing three hundred pairs
OF shoes per day. The finishing work, in
detail. is very pretty and varied, and when
the shoe receives the last touches here it is
taken to the packing department, where, in
the preparation for shipping, 1t passes
through the hands OF five more wOrkmen.
Here the shoes are boxed a1d shipped to
various parts OF the United States, some OF
which are said to be consigned as far west
as Omaha.
The men seemed to work with great
cbeeriulness, and this
FEATURE OF HONEST THRIFT
robs the penitenliary Of the thought that
might otherwise suggest itself to the visitor
OF these poor fellows langulshing in feIon's
cell.
Thirty days Of free labor is allowed the
contractors for each new hand in learning
the trade. when hey go on full pay, the task
being increased until they can make theiI
quota Of work.
There are other industries in the peniten'
iary which engage nearly all OF the able
bodied cOnvicts, male and female.