New-York tribune., 1884-03-24

carpet 10 on the floor. Win the weaver u is
work. or the cafe. The weaver aud his vile ana
children outer garments that are clean; lhey
will appear better the street than their Englsh
brethren. Their garments principally cotton
and are washed in public. Projecting into ine
may be seen hundreds of little stalIs. whlch are are
rented by the day or hour for small sum, and mere
the women assemble and wash the soled rags Oh the
town. The silk weavers are physically an IN,
terior race. and many of the young men are
frou military service on account or weakness
The raw material is given out either directly 20
the men by the large manufacturers OF uy WHaU
are called Patron masters who are really species
of forrer" These small masters | found made a
decent living. earning from 2,4OO 20 ZJOO francs
year, or about $500. which enables them 10 Nv, nVe
comfortably. The poor weaver OF black SILK uIess
goods only makes 2 francs 40 cents q day. ana on
the finer grades francs go cents. ponteu ouI
III the letter from Crefed that II was lmP9ssDe ~
compare the earnings of silk operatives IN germany
and France with those in the United states because
power machinery is almost exclusively used at
home. while here and IN Germany w per cent VI
the work is done on the hand-lOom. 80,
While i'm LYONS visited the manufactory OF the
celebrated Bonnet 1t Is located about iorty lhlles
northeast of the city, at place called AI4DerSu.
ACCOMPANIED bv the Two sOns-ip-law of the founder
of this celebrated house on. Cyrllle COttH ana VI.
Antoine RchaTd,) Consul PelxottO ana MI James
L. WitherOw, | started early IN the morning irOnl
Lyons and after about two hours on the cars ana
then a six-mile drive along finely shaded roau,
through or two quaint villages arrived AZ the
factory. The American guests were astQnlshed
beyond measure. II looked more Ike gentleman ;
mansion than a factory. The buildings were OF
surrounded by gardens; orchards ana Woods. IL
was indeed beautiful spot. i he mansion OF the
elder Bonnet Joined the factory and Is now
occupied by NJ. Richard.
Spinning and reeling are chiefly done here, (,
though they have what is called weaving sch00l
in which girls taught to weave. About l,ZoO
persons are employed on the premises though II
weavers and dyeTs III the nelghbOrhOOd OF Lyons
were counted in, this firm probably employs neaTiy
IO, 600 persons of both sexes About 200 girls lVe
on the premises. They are we'll cared Tor. twenty
Sisters of Mercy look after their morals and give
them religious and other instruction. The 1000 is
wholesome. 1t was an interesting slgnt to see lue
hungry 200 sit down to dinner in large dining
hall. Soup. meat. potatoes, bread and VINE formed
the fare The red wine of the vicinity was on the
table in buckets as plentiful as water would De IN
America Each gITl helped herself 70 as much as she
wanted.
tors, though soup was only half done every glIl
arose Then NJ. Richard Informed them we were
visitors from the United States Consul Peixotto re,
sponded in few words in French. but every girl
remained standing until we lett the room 4hey are
taught housekeeping and needlewOrk. -
In the flature room the girls looked as near alike
as peas in pod They all wore Lilac cotton dresses
before each one was bright copper bas'; IN tHe
hand OF each one a tiny blrcn-broom. and boD-
bing round in the bright steammg BASIN were the
coc0ons rapidly losing their silken thread. IT. was
surprising TO the deNtrOus manner IN winch the
girls substituted the thread from the iresh coco0A
and fshed the unwOund ones from the basin. lhe
secret of the of Bonnet is SAID 20 be the great
care he always exercised III the earlier processes OF
the silk rs well as in the weaving, dyelug ana mn
ishlng SUNDAYS the girls arc allowed picnic I'D
the adjoining woods and though the life must at
times seem mOnOt0nOus, they are perhaps upon lhe
whole better OFT than the celery -Wutc, haI-le''
looking creatures one meets trOOplug nome IN the
mud and sush from the gloomy mills of Dundee
and Manchester The operatives at Bonnet look
clean healthy anC are well fed and cared for. out
side of the necess ties Of life they make but little
still what they do make they save, and when they
get married. NJ Coffin told me, they oil bring their
kOBERT 4. PORTER.