National Republican., 1883-02-26
SPINDLES FRAMED II ROSES.
How the Great Thread Mills at Will.
mantle are Run.
The Best Treated Operatives in The World and Why
They Make the Best Spool Stton.
Yale students Accept an Invitation, See n
Host OF Pretty Girls, aud Learn that
Their Professor was Niistascn-Nauu-
facturing OF n Sort that Iecommcnds
Itself
Ne,p Iork SIM.


Mr.. Sumner, professor of political economy
in Yale college, used the name of the Will
mantle Linen company in ILLUSTRATION of some
Of his claims, and made statements concern
ing that corporation and iti buincss some of
which he subsequently admittd upon more
correct information-to have ben erroneous,
and the blame for Others of which he charged
upon the reporters" Col. V. l.. Barrows.
president and general manager Of the Wilt
mantle Linen company, sent d Mr.. Sumner
by telegraph correction of his errors, TO
which no reply was given. Thin he wrote at
length, and received an answr beginning
81 have learned by oxporicnGCto TO economizo
my cqunnimity by never reading report of
anything | say" Col. BarlOvs then OK
tended an invitation to Mr. Sumner and tho
senior, scientific, and law classes of Yalo
college to visit tho Willimante mills, and
learn by observation what IL the condition of
the employees in them; that the company does
not employ any women at the starvation wages
of fifty cents day; that il did not pay 95 per
cent. dividends last year, andanything else
that an earnest desire to accord information
might enable the officers of the company to
convey TO their visitors.
Tho visit was paid yesterday Mr.. Sum-
ner did not appear. lie sent word that he
had other engagements. OF the 1i0 mcm-
bers of the senior class, 100 accepted the in
vitation; of the 40 in the scient fic class 30 ;
and Of the SO in the law class, 15; in ALL o31,
They arrived little after Noon by special
train, and partook Of an excellent lunch set
out in the packing room of mill No. 2. At
tho conclusion of the repast half dozen
bright, pretty, quicl-witted girls, profuscly
trimmed with the Yale blue ribb,ns, appeared
with baskets of firvOrs," which hey attached
to the coat lapels of the young men. The
favors were square pasteboard loxes each en-
closing spool of thread, on one side inscribed
"With the compliments of the Tariff Built
Fraud" and on three other sides with vigo-
rous Endorsements of the vast superiority Of
Willimantic spool cotton thrsad over all
Others, the whole being bound and swung
by knot of blue silk ribbon. After this
distribution, the students divided up into
bands, under tho guidance of supcrintend-
ents and fOremen in departn ents of the
mills, and scattered upon general inspec-
tion. Half dozen members Il the senior
class, bearing too closely upon the insecure
flooring over the race near to the turbine
wheels in the basement of m II No. 9 were
suddenly precipitatcd into the swift running
water beneath by the giving way of section
of the flooring. The water is six feet deep,
rushing under q floor, and falling into it was
exceedingly dangerous, but all escaped with
no worse injury than little sca'e and great
ducking. One young man swan twenty feet
under the floor before finding hole at the
side where he could be dragged out The
members of the scientific clissos devoted
themselves, with every appearance of interest,
to examination of the ingenious machinery
abounding in the mils-the swift running
power engine, the automatic spool cutters the
cotton pickers, twisters spinncrs, mules, &c.
The law and senior classes, on the other hand,
seemed most interested in talking with en-
ploycs in the various departments, learning
tho wages paid to them, the labor expected of
them, their mode of life, and the really re-
markable efforts made by tho company to
ameliorate their condition.
The Willimantic Linen company was
started in 1854, to manufacture coarse linen
goods, ON q capital of $250OJ0. That was
tried until 1857 and abandoned, for the rca-
son that it did not pay. Then the making of
three-cord spool cotton was taken up, and was
moderately successful up to tho time of the
breaking out of the civil war. That event
found them with a large stock of goods on
hand. The manager then, Mr.. Lawson g.
Ives, was man of foresight and energy. In
stead of slackening production, rs some the
directors thought would be most prudent, he
increased it, and when the great rise came in
the value of cotton goods the company rcaped
an enormous profit upon their manufactured
stock, which, instead of distributing in dvi-
dends, they invested in new buildings and
machinery for the extension Of their produc-
tion. In 1865 they increased their capital TO
81 100000 and built Mill No. q Mr.. Ives died
and was succeeded as general manager by Mr..
Austin Dunham. In 1874 Col w. l., Barrows
entered the employ Of the company as assist
ant to the treasurer in Hartford. In 1876,
when Mr.. Durham died. Col. Barrows was
made vice president aud general manager,
and in May last was elected president, con-
tinuing in the office of general manager.
From the time of his accession to the Office of
manager the work began that makes this
company to-day the brilliant illustration that
it is of how far 1t is in the power of large
corporation to advance the happiness and the
moral and intellectual conditions Of its en-
ployes. To the stockholders aud directors of
the company is also due an equal share of
credit, for they have always seconded every
effort designed to benefit their employees.
The first thing the company started was q
reading room for the employees. An old black.
smith shop was handsomely fitted up, we'll
supplied with newspapers, magazines and
books, and the people in the mills were in
vited to spend their evenings there. At first
thoy were shy and suspicious of some sinister
purpose beneath such consideration for their
welfare, but as time wore on they realized
that there was in the company solid pur-
pose to benefit them, and then they were
quite ready to meet these advances half way.
| Learning that they were customarily paying
to local coal dealers for their fuel at least Sc
q ton more than the company obtained its
great supply for, at once 700 tons of coal were
| ordered and notices issued--the local dealers
having refused to make any better terms
that all employees could have coal from the
company Mt cost. Then ii was discovered
that they were paying too large profit to
storekeepers for flour, and the company put q
stop to that by buying several car loads of
| flour, which was sold at cost TO their people
| These We're promptly recognized as practical
things that proved good intentions, and re-
moved the last germs of suspicion from even
| the most incredulOus. hegO0d results of the
coal and flour experiments encouraged the
company to start three store departments, one
for meat, second for groceries, third for
dry goods, shoes, and millinery. In each the
margin of profit ON retailing was put at barely
enough to cover actual expenses of conduct
ing the business, at least 10 per cent. below
those of the private stores in town. To this
advantage were added Others Of no small i'm.
pOTtance In the requirements that all goods
sold should be Of the best quality in their
several kinds, that the most perfect ceanli-
ness should be preserved, that full measure
and full weight should always bo given, and
that the people should always be treated with
| EXTREMIST courtesy and consideration, In
order that mistakes about pasabOoks might
| never bo oven supposed to occur and that the
employees might be practiced in economy by
handling actual values without being re-
| quired to carry money always with them, an
| ingenious system Of order cards was adopted,
purchasablc only for cash. and good as cash at
the stores, where amounts from one cent up
| to their full value would be punched out as
goods were obtained on them. The stores,
starting small, are now large and fine, carry