The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1883-03-28
COLLARS AND CUFFS


COLLARS AND CUFFS. v
The growth of the collar and cuff in !
dustry in Troy has been anna ing. Thirty
years ago there were two o. these manu-
factories, employing about ewentysfiye
hands, TODAY there are one b ndred
ploynent to 1000 females and LOCO
males. Thousands upon; thousands OF
dozens of collars and cuffs are manu-
factufed daily, and no less than 80, 0OO,-
600 yards OF thread are consumed
weekly. 1t is computed that to emale
operatives alone at least 80. .000 Is pad
every week
The girls-uo matter how ancient
the feminines, If they are collar and cut
operatives they ARE invariably called
girls-earn all the way from "a to $50
per week. The SJ5 class contains but
one repre- ertative, and she is known
throughout the different shops as 1.-THE
boss collar girl Of Troy This fort :
nate person is jolly. brighteyed Irish
woman about thirty-six years of age.
Her name is Mrs. Haggerty. and she
tips the scale at 240 pounds She has
followed the business for years. and
month ago, upon her marriage to cigar
merchant of this city, paid 5000 In
cash for residence ina central part OF
town. This and other money stored
away she earned BY hard work upon the
pieces of linen that encircle the necks
and W lists of civilized humanity. The
second dat after he marriage she was
in her accustomed place at the shop. and
matrimonial cares do not prevent her
from still crediting to her ac cunt SS5
ever six. days. This woman alone dis
poses of weekly 20. 900 yards of thread
The female members of some of the
most aristocratic families of Troy are
..collar girls" OF course they are not
numbered among the inmates of the
factories. but behind closed bl nds and
in rear rooms of their sumptdously-
furnished houses their slen er fingers
are busy upon the same class of work
performed in the crowded shops The
Question will naturally be asked: Why
should these ladies of leisure invite self
enforced toll of this nature? S'h!
Iisteni There is skeleton in some of
those mansions. Your correspondent
knows of q gentleman that soc ETY.
favors largely. He is q stock specu-
lator His ventures have been dis
astrous, and have slowly but surely re-
duced what three years ago-w q re-
spectacle fortune In little apartment
removed rom the elegant Pariors Of bis
home. his wife. an estima6le lady; sits
hour q ter hour working upon collars.
She earns large wages and hopes by her
humble mite to save her. husband from
being obliged to forfeit his stock, which
she trusts some dayS will be in the as
cepdancy. Then other ladies are en-
abled by their CO lar-wprk to dress more
lavishly than the potion allotted fol
. this purpose by their husbands W -uld
permit 1t was only last Saturday that
4 lady turning to her companion anc
pointino to q fur-lined doIman enveiop
ing the form of q bankers wife in ad
vance. observed: .sShe earned that il
two months turning collars" The wifi
of a proprietor of one of the fact ries do
ing q princely business works on cuii
five hours out of e cry twenty-four
An she receives for her labor she give
TO the DO T. These home operatives ob
tain and return their work thr ugl
messengers, or. rather. boys OF tn
ne;ghborhood. whose pocket money ]
considerably increased thereby.
The other side of the picture is hardl
SO bright The majority of the thou
sands Of girls who report at the shop
at seven o'clock n the morning an
often labor until eight at night are
the poorer class Many ot them are u
sole support of families-of widowe
mothers. drunken fathers, or feebl
children. In the infirmary Of this cit
Is Q man who seven years ago was tn
prpprietor of col,ar-shop. giving en-
pl3yment to three hundred person
: Drink and dissipation ruined him an
brought his family TO want his onl
daughter, who in her fathers prospe
-ous days was receiving an education
the Willar / Female Seminary. Is now
hard-wors ing collar girl support n!
with the aid of an elder brother. her II
valid mother and two small children
The minority of "the girls are re 1
not Obliged to spend their days in cola
shops, but common desire "to eal
something'' being stronger than fab
pride they willingly consent to Il
weeks out at sewing machines. ne
representatives of . more sensible ella
of the gentle sex dress elegantly. an
in fact, when they are on the streets
would not be suspected that tley shal
and make their share of the nine-tent
OF the cuffs and collars so d in A er
Occasionally. however, threads ciingil
to their clothing betray their occupati'
and furnish the street gamin never-t
be-missed opportunity to sing out
original production:
There goes Susie. oh. she's coils
butcher"
Susie and her class are membe
OF good society, and to them fall the
of creating the most those romano
fhat have distinguished the lives of 9
lar girls, and the best part of it Is th
their romances are usually realitis
They frequently leave the busy shop a
humm.ng machines TO marry IN
wealthy ami les. At the Rensseis
Polytechnic Institute in this city you
gentleman. the SON of q T tired M
chant living then in Chicago. gradual
four or five years ago with high homo
He had formed the acquaintance OF
handsome young lady. who. hsyi
ssrved her time at the sewing MACH
in q collar-shop. was appointed 10
woman. It was q case OF true love U
reached q climax at the altar. !
Isdy, now in the lap of luxury and wi
cut doubtas true and good wi g a
Chicaooan ssor any other man e'
promised 10 cherish and protect,
receDf letter to her former employer
fbis city says; .sEvery time my n
band buttons hi collar or cuffs it
minds u e tof the dear old shop. !