News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1882-12-28
COOPERATING sHOEMAKERs.
Twenty or More Men Working Together at
. Small Cost, and Sometimes on Sundays.
From the New York SUM-

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comparison with those of the high-born
women of Europe Our women have
pretty feet, and they like to see them
selves well shOd regardless of the cost.
just look at that riding boot, made to fit
like glove to the knee, model of ele-
gance and durability.
How dainty is this satin slipper,
with the Louis XIV heel, which adds an
inch and three-quarters to the stature of
the weaer, and makes a number four
slipper look like a number one That
heel is constructed on the same scientific
principles as the leaning tower of Pisa
So long as the centre of gravity falls
anywhere within the heel and not on the
instep it is all right.
''Women's fine shoes in this country
have about reachedperfection. Although
we do large business we do not have
an establishment where all the work in
making shoe is done. We cut out the
uppers and Innings and the kid, and tie
them all together, and they are then sent
out to the filters. Cutters receive from
$18 to $50 week The filters employ
twenty or thirty girls, according to the
size of the establishment. One pastes,
another turns in the kid around the
edges, another sews the Innings, another
sews the outsides, another works the
buttonholes, and, finally, the operator
+ho no r1,o1o 4co
'The girls wages vary from $s5 to $15
a week. The uppers are then brought
back to the store, and we send them out
to the shoemakers with the leather for
the soles and heels. These men usually
work together in large shops, which they
hire on shares. We are, as a general
thing, kept very busy, and these
shops are usually open and the men
at work on Sunday. You ought to go
there and take a look at them some
morning"
"What nationalities are mostly en-
gagged, and is there any preference as to
their work ?"
"Swedes, Irish, Scotch, and English.
The Swedes are the most steady and re-
liable men. They attend closely to bust
ness, and make the best average wages
the year round With the others liquor
is their worst enemy. If they would
only work steadily they could make good
wages. On some classes of work have
seen a man take work away in the morn
ing and bring it back finished in the
evening, for which he received 81 or
1926; and I have seen some smart fel-
lows make at times as much as $50 or
$50 week"
What is known the Twenty-fourth
street community shop is near Eighth
avenne. 1t occupies a large upper story
divided into two rooms. On entering the
rooms, about twenty men were seen on
Sunday morning tapping, heeling, sew
ing, bufing and lasting variety of work.
One man was sitting in the middle Of
the large room reading aloud the news Of
the day in The St0a.
"This is a community shop" Mr..
Richard Parker said. "All sitters here
belong to the Ladies' Branch of Boot and
for the city of New York,
and have to conform to the wages state
ment issued by the society. I was one
of the original incorporators of this
shop. About twelve years ago eight of
us took this place, paid all expenses, and
charged every sitter so much a month.
After two or three years, as we were not
making any profit, and the scheme was
favorably regarded by the rest of the
sitters, we turned it into a community
shop. Each man pays 81. so a month.
"We have thirty sitters in this shop,
and as our rent amounts to $50 month,
there is always small surplus, out Of
which we pay for fire, newspapers, etc.
We have about all we can accommodate
now, and usually have the year through.
We have a president, secretary and
treasurer, all in one, who collects the
dues, pays the rent, and whatever bills
there may be, makes the fires in winter,
opens and closes the shop, and is allowed
for that a seat and ST. so month.
ellis accounts are audited once quar-
ter. At present that Office is vacant
The shop is open from a. m. to 10 p. m.
on week days, and on Sundays from 5
q. m. to 2 p. m. Where there is any
choice of seats, the rule is first come,
first served. The men in this shop are
Irish, Scotch, and Swedes
The wages earned vary from $40 to 500
week. Some men make $25, but they
are smart workmen, and they work long
hours.
''There are about two hundred men
in the Ladies' Branch of Boot and Shoe
who work either in community
shops or shops run on somewhat similar
principle, but by one man, who charges so
much to each sitter. But the community
plan most men think better. We are now
several hundred dollars ahead, which
comes in very handy in case of
certain contingencies According as work
is from first, second, or third class stores,
the prices vary. The wages statement
provides for seventy-fve different kinds
of work"
Mr.. August Oelsen, a Swede, who
rents seats to men in shop in Twenty
fifth street, said: ''There are thirty sit
ters in this shop now. They are mostly
Irish, Swedes, and English. Two are
Germans. Each sitter pays $1.75. My
rent is $400 year. I started here last
May. [ am myself shoemaker and
work at the bench. There is not enough
profit for me to do otherwise. All the
men in this shop belong to the society,
and they charge society prices.
"The busy time of the year is from
October to the holidays and from April
to July, but good workman can get
pretty steady work the year round.
There are about half dozen shops like
this in the city. / believe several are
run on the community plan. The men
here earn from $12 to $40 week. 1t is
customary for some man who is not busy
to read the daily papers aloud, and one
of the rules of the shop is to keep order
while any one is reading"
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The NeaCS says a Philadelphia girl re-
fused to marry n young man until she
accidentally discovered that his hair and
mustache We're dyed. Then she blush
ingly consented She knew she could
throw that up to him if he ever found ont
that she had glass eye.