New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-02-22
THE WILLIMANTIC MILLS.
AN INSPECTION BY YALE STUDENTS.


| IRON A SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT THE TRIBUNEi
| WnLMANrIc, Feb. 21.-The Senior class of
Yale College and nearly all the students in the Law
and Scientific Schools visited Willimantic to-day
| in search Of the forgotten man" concerning
whom Professor Sumner spoke with such eloquent
COMMUNICATION short time ago in Brooklyn. They
knew the species to which the desired specimen be-
longed. and the Professor had kindly pointed out
the locality In which it was expected that they
would find it. They came straight to the mills Of
the Willimantic Linen Company. They
searched among 10000 hnmming spindles;
walked over acres of floors thrilling with the life Of
busy Industry; peeped INTO the library, school,
rooms and stores of the tarf-built fraud -; down
across the tumblng cataracts of the Wiliimantio
River ND 10 "Tha O1ksD where two scores of pretty
cottages with gabed roofs told Of the habtatiOns Of
a small fraction of the families employed by the
company and further on up the hills that skirt the
old borough the west saw the snow glltterlng IN
the grove set apart for the summer merrymaknR of
the Willimantic Company's work-people But they
found no forgotten man. woman or
child. They found instead wonderfully
cheerful. contented heathy-looking industrial
community
Then, too, the college men found that
they themselves were among those remem-
bered by the Willimantic Linen Company and
It's president. hot lunch gaddened their stomachs
their arrival and started them off on their tour OF
inspection in a capital condition Of reoeptivity.
Unfortunately, Professor Sumner could not accom-
pany them, but he had already discouraged the
search for the interesting variety OF
the vertebrate in the locality that
he first pointed out by saying that he knew there
no forgotten in Willimantic,
and he promised TO visit the thread mills when next
he shOnld be IN the borough. Since he talked be-
fore the Revenue Reform Club in Brooklyn, Pro-
fcssOr Sumner has hal occasion to be amazed at the
great matter which his little fire kinded. Half
hundred words have set half n hundred lOusand
tongues buzzng III New-Engand and scores OF
pens writing throughout the country. He
has tried for ten DAYS to exngush the little blaze
with silence but President Barrows. finding him I'M
willing to make public correction OfbI uterances
fell back upon his keen instinct for advertising
and adroity famed the blaze until 1t grew large
enough to throw vivid illumination upon the great
industry in his care.
THE STUDENTS on THE GROUND.
The invitation was originally intended by Colo
mel Barrows TO the sen ors of the Academic Depart
ment and the faculty. but afterwards was made to
include the Scientific and Law Schools
A special tram OF cars was put at their
disposal. aud at haltpast II o'clock
they arrived here full Of life and animation, but
young men, Out Of the Senior Class numbering
49, 80 were present. out OF the Scientific School,
% ~: 81 and the lay students NUMBERED about
II. The Academies" had been cXcus from lee
lures hv President Porter and Professor Ladd and
the " Scenthcs" from Professor Brewers noon lee
ture. Tney were taken at once to the packin0-room
Of one of the mills where they took luncheon of
y,ters salads, sandwiches fruits cakes, lce-cream
aud coffee While they were eating half dozen
voung womer i'm the employ of the COMPANY, in
while aprons looped up with Yale blue distributed
souvenirs among them lac tayors were neat boxes,
eacn containing spool OF Willm mite thread, and
belrit z label: with the compliments of the
tariH-buiit fraud" They tied by doft fingers
10 the coat buttons of the young with blue RIB
bons Thus decorated tine whole party was divided
into squads OF about twenty, and under the guild
ance of Otiic r. ana employees OF the company the
tour If the mills begun. The "Dynamcs'
plunged az once into the machinery, took indicator
card, OF the aoion OF the Coriss engines, ana,
under the direction OF Colonel Barrows, himself IL
master mechanic examined the details OF the pick
10 z, card ny, spinning and rowing machines with
evident In crest add proht.
The Academies" seemed TO pursue a different
course; that free trade was mere theory, aud pro-
lection n tang bic, substantial and generous fact
they knew the moment they found the lunch-room.
The remainder OF their inquiries seemed mostly
into the ustrousness OF the eyes of some Of the
Young women operatives aud the or fitness % their
teeth. one would have thought tina the only in
teresting machines In the mills were those whose
fair tenders had clustering bang" bright eyes,
clear 1ions and pretty smiles: AMI they were
not lew IL was very entertaining way on sluuy-
ing poll tical ecOnomy-sO all admitted. Fully Tour
hours were spent in the mills and only one iucdent
occurred TO mar the pleasure of the occasion. Half
a dozen of the seniors ana one junior, VINO nad got
INTO the party, were to see the turbine
wheel which supplied power to a portion OF one OF
tbe mills their guide took them down To the wheel
room. While huddled together upon a narrow
plank and peering into the dark waters OF the tail
race. the plank broke and llilieberg. sher
man. Beede, Vernon and L. Calhoun, of the
Senior. and Hidden, of the Juniors were given
n snnden and unexpected bath One or two were
drenched to the skin, the others were merely
splashcd with water aud mud, an none were serl-
on sly dam gcd except as 10 their CLONES.
After ali tho departments OF tho mills had
been examined, and visits had been m" 81,
some of the work people IN new and trlm niue
village called The OAKS, built by the company,
which they hai started out: There Colonel Bar
rows WAS put upon table and Piled WITH
questions touching t@e 'qP@,TfGysPsy % Sn@
neTs allusion to the WImantic Linen
Companys capital, dividends and pay Inst, and the
effect of a prostctive tariff upon the Industry and
tine work-people A great many of the students,
including the only japanese left az Yale. crowded
around aud the oohoquy was carried on
enei getically and made tO cover the comparative
earnings of thread spinners here and III Great
Britain the condition or the operatives in both
countries and tho Teiatvo cost Of cotton thread 10
the seImstress. At 6:30 o'clock the young men
started back to New Haven, having enjoyed profit
able and delightful holiday. They were enthnslas-
TIC IN prOnouncing the excursion triumphant sue
cess.
An INTERESTING EXPERIMENT.
Aside from the comparative advantag OF pro-
lection or free trade, tins visit of the students
showed them the workings OF an interesting exper-
iment In the treatment of mill ope ratves by their
employers The Wihmantic through a
policy for which Colonel Barrows claims nothing
more than that it is the wisest, most
economical and most profitable to the company the
physical mental and moral health of 1000 opera
tlyes Is beng watched over day and night. 1t Is an
effort on a largo scale to solve the problem of the
relation efwaen emDover and labOrer, Colonel
BarrOws has gone at IL in practical, buslnesslke
manner, bringing to the task the knowledge OF the
mecnanlc and tne sym 'athy when the aequroneht
of that knowledge az the mechanics lathe brought
him A college professors sou, and man of refine
mcnt and culture he served his apprenticeship IN
the Lowell Machine Shop, worked al MS trauo ahu
l..nrLnd the tlnmRhts md feollngs OF IaDOrln&