Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1882-08-27
MILITARY TAILoRs.
Something About How An Army 10
Clothed.
A Peep at the Great English Factory at Pim-
lico-A Tailor Shop that Can Fit
Out $4,000 Men'at Mo-
menfs Notice.
100000 PAIRS OF BOOTS AND SHOES.

The great factory ut Pimlico from
which our army snot only clothed, but
completely equipped with all the null
Hilarious personal kickshaws and kick
nacks with which in these luxurious
times every British soldier Is supplied,
is Of the establishments which we
might, perhaps, expect to find, under
the stormy aspect Of the political sky,
in a state Of abnormal activity. 1t Is
satisfactory to find that it really Is not
so. The exterior of this fourishing
concern is just about as quiet and Sc
cluded as is its wont, and inside the
stranger, at first sight at any rate, can
detect no trace Of exceptional activity
or special preparation. 1t is always
busy place, and the splendid great fac
tory hall of the establishment is always
a buzzing hive of industry, whether the
external world is slumbering in peace
or distracted by war. During q stroll
through the place stranger may mere
and there observe minor features OF the
work going on, which, as q matter OF
fact, he will find on inquiry has been
taken in hand with view to possible
demands for an Egyptian campaign.
In one room, for instance, white nei-
NETS, while in process Of manufac-
! !pre aid in another building huge
heap of the light material from which
are 10 he cut stock of puggarees -!
wearing on the helnets, while in q
third department flannel belts are the
prominent feature. These things, how
ever, are hardly to be regarded as evil
dences of preparation fora campaign.
They are all Of them part Of the ordi.
nary manufactures ofthe place, ana
are in requirement for service IN not
climates in time Of peace as well as war.
The possibility OF an exceptional de-
mand, however, has naturally suggest
ed something more than the usual at
tention to such items. II Is satlsiac-
tory to find that the emminence OF war
occasions no perceptible fiutter OF ex-
element in an establishment upon
which 20 much of the comfort ana ell
cheney of our troops depends. The
place Is busy, but that is the utmost
that can be said.
At apy time one of the prettiest
sights of the kind in London Is the
great factory hall, to which alluslon
has lust been made, and for which the
external aspect of the place scarcely
prenares the visitor. 1t Isl miniature
CRYSTAL Palace, with an arched glass
roof and two broad gallaries one above
the other, in which garments oil all
kinds are cut and prepared for making
mn on the ground floor, where some
AGO women and large number oil sew
inp-machines are kept in full ACTIVITY
ali the wear round. There are some
/ 200 women about the place and about
200 engaged in the actual mnnnlac-
turing department, and nearly half ul
these latter are taken in one coup d'GiI
as the visitof 10 the establishment steps
on to one Of the end galleries. The
merry twinkle of the sewing-machines,
the movements Of the operatives, their
varagatcd garments, and the scarlet
and black Of the materials they are at
work upon, frightened here and there
by the glitter Of heaps of buttons
and other ornaments, all combine to
render this a brilliantly colored and
most animated scene Of organized in
dustry, almost inducing one to wish
that Government could take over all
tailoring i'm the kingdom, and carry 1t
OH in Just the same way. This, unfor-
!qnStfy il ffREGitE It Would necss
state the adoption of some sort to uni
form style of dress. Anything like In
dividua!ity is a sore strain upon the re-
sources ofthe establishment. An order
to fit out 5000 men with everything
they require for active service, from q
gorgeous scarlet coat to a needle and
thread TO mend il with, will be executed
with the greatest ease and celebrity. But
let some one Of the London park keep
ers-with whose clothing the establish
ment is charged make an irregular APP
plication for q pair of boots, and the
whole boot department will be thrown
into the sorest dsmay. Whether the
thing can be done will be question
that can be decided only after deal OF
hcad-shaking and grave consultation.
The establishment often has 100000
or 400, 600 pairs stacked up here IN huge
square piles, and there would be no
difficulty at all in supplying an army
corps, but the shoeing of single park
constable il a poser. Boots are not
made here. They are supplied by con-
tract from outside, and several experts
are constantly engaged here In subject
ing every single boot to close exami-
nation, one boot in'every certain num-
her being ripped to pieces to insure thai
they are as really NJ good as they look
10 be. Nobody, we believe, ever hears
a eomuiaint OF o boot turned out from
this establishment, and this rigid inspec.
ton is the secret OF this noteworthy
fact. Inspection constitutes large
mart Ofthe work Of the great Pimlie0
emporium. One Of the most trouble
Sonic and difficult features OF this de-
partment Of the business n TO deter
mine whether or not the scarlet kersey
supplied by the manufacturer for max
ing mo the rock coats Of the line regi.
ments Is fully up to the standard OF the
f,mous British red. IL must not only
be exactly true tO color, but 1t must bc
capable Of keeping its color, and wbeth-
er il will or not In "a matter demanding
agreat many different tests. This b.
more important Than 1t may perhaps
appear. When garments are mace IN
such vast numbers the chances are that
single tunic may be made OF two or
three different pieces Of goods, and how
ever valiant British warrior might be,
he would be thing to wag the head nj,
a mere scott to the natives, II one sleeve
of his tuDic should retain it. pristine
brilliancy of scarlet and the other fade
into dingy pink, while perhaps each
half of the coat should assume some In
dependent vagary Of color. Great care
has 70 be taken TO avoid 20 appalling
a turnout as q British regiment OF the
line would present II made up OF such
scarcerows. Every piece OF stuff Is sub
jected 10 stringent chemical tests OF dif'
ferent kinds, and as final ordeal
piece of each Is pinned out upon .
board, exposed 80 the run and rain.
This very often detects bad color
when nothing else will. The quality
of fabric Is, OF course, closely examined.
Each piece of kersey Is passed In Its
full length over kind Of framework
knew us "percher," 30 arranged ~ 70
bring every yard Of 1t under the eyes Of
two experts on each side OF the
cloth-and the whole Is then passed