Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1883-07-05
ARAPID CUTTER.
The Way leans Clothes are Cut
by H. Morris & Bro.
A Home Factory With a Large and
Steadily Increasing Trade,
Exclusively Wholesale.
Numerous Interesting Points of
observation Worth Keep
ing in Mind.

| Ine jeans clothing manufacturing
establishment of II. Morris & Bro,
No. 306 Main street, are turning out
at the present time 5000 we'll made
garments per week, chiefly mems
pants. To perform this, large num-
Der of seamstresses are employed, and
the best that can be obtained are in
their service. Theses working for the
firm are all doing we'll, and are we'll
satisfied with their employers. Their
pay is, to some extent, governed by
compensation in other cities which
compete with ours for the same trade
which Morris Il Bro. command, and
the territory Of which lies exclusive
ly south of the Ohio river, but
the pay here is rs to so cents per
dozen higher than 1t is in other cities.
For example, at New Orleans pants
making is as low as 65 cents per
dozen.
At present the rate paid to makers
ranges from 81 rs to So per dozen. Of
the cheaper class, seamstresses make
four to five dozen per week, and of
the best from two to three dozen.
They therefore realize for their labor
70 to 81 per week. Those engaged in
the service appear to like it, and after
learning and ence getting we'll started
seldom change for any other calling.
Close competition from factories else
where renders it necessary for the
goods turned out by H. Morris & Bro.
to be carefully made. and it is mainly
to their superior workmanship that
the firm attributes the advantage
gained in the heavy trade enjoyed.
The firm is holding its own
against all competing factories, and
find demand for every garment that
eau be turned out. The price at
present for pants is from SAFE per doz
upward, to retail dealers, and the
manufactured goods are to be found
for sale in several hundred towns
cities in Tennessee, Mississippi, Ar
ksnsaw, Louisiana, Texas, Alabama,
and even further away.
A manufacturing house with SO ex-
tensive traffic naturally has an enor.
nous amount of garment cutting to
perform, and it is this particular feat
ure OF the business that until recently
gave more occasion for thought and
and action than any other branch. In
fact the firm found it almost impossi
Bile to keep up with the demand. They
could sell more goods than they were
able to cut, and very often the seam
stresses in their service were unable to
keep steadily at work. The member
of the firm who gave this
part Of the work his particular atten-
ton Mr.. Frank Kahn finally de-
termined on increasing his facilities,
and some time agol he made trip to
Northern cities with view Of pur-
chasing regular cutting machine.
After an examination of several, all
of which proved 10 certain respects
unsatisfactory, he went to Cincinnati.
where work of the kind is carried on
In an extensive manner.
While there he almost by accident
discovered the very thing needed for
the factory here. 1t was a simple
concern, the entire machinery being
uothingmore than grooved table with
peculiarly shaped knife having a
sharp edge like a moving scythe.
These 1.-TWO objects, manipulated by
the steady hands of one person, in
cludes the whole machinery, and the
quantity Of work it can accomplish is
truly surprising.
The goods to be cut are smoothly
laid on the grooved table, one thickness
on top OF another, to the depth of five
or six inches, the lines to be cut are
marked with chalk, as is usually done
by tailors, and the knife is started.
The goods are not clamped or pinned
down, but hold by their own weight
and slight pressure of the left hand.
while the knife is guided by the richie
hand. The knife passes through With
surprising CELEBRITY, leaving 9 Smooth
edge: A specimen Of the work done
by Mr.. Kahn Is now on the desk of the
writer, and shows 1870 layers, or s.
pairs OF pants cut at one time, or with
aslngle passage Of this Celeritous cut.
ting knife.
The table upon yhlsk tha knife
works, Wills very simple, is at the
saae time a most excellent piece oil
mechanism and was made here
in the city by Mr.. D. Kahn.
lhl Poplar street. lis Of solid oak
fourteen feet long, with several grooves
running through it, lined with brass
Tor the knives to run in, or to admit
their passage.
The knives, as before remarked are
OF peculiar shape. There are two
sizes chiefly used from twelve to four.
teen inches long, and are OF the first
quality pt steel and can be removed
IRON their handles by simply turning
a screw or button. The knives are
sharpened on common sandstone.
such as shoemskors use. This gives
2, rough, though a very keen edge
The knife capacity is hardly known
AS before stated, a specimen
| y oAuhlO Clclb is at
hand with 100 layers. Frequently
70 layers. or four dozen garmeats, are
cut at one time, and the thicker the
mass the bettO7 the knife appears to
"a, abiding to this innovation, it
may DO proper to mention that Mr..
Frank Kahn, who superintends
the manufacturing department Of
Messrs. H. Morris b Bro, is probably
the only knife operator in the city.
The Eastern manufacturers are many
OF them using the knife Instead Of
machiueS,al they Go more work and at
less expense, but they can be used to
advantage only by large manufacturers,
as the material must be laid up in
large quantities to be cut to any advan-
tage. Few can use so many garments
Of one size, but such is the business Of
this firm that thev iound shaara lnada.