The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1884-03-06
Columbia ReQister.

Glul6 Dy ltS superintendent yos tnoAS os'S
been latterly so much of quiet, nndem..
onstrative progress within its walls, and
progress the extent and Importance OF
which so few even of our own citizens
have had any full and intelligent knowl-
edge, that we felt persuaded of the fact
that to many of our readers detailed
description of all that is to be seen with
in the walls of the penitentiary would
be new revelation.
sThe manufacturing enterprises that
are.now. established in the penitentiary
and that ARE carried on with convict Ia
Dor are naturally the first points of in.
terest to the visitor, and before describing
the institution generally we will lay be-.
fore our readers a brief description Of
these features of the institution:
DIBERT's SHOE FACTORY.
This factory employs at present one
hundred and two hands, thirty-two OF
whom are boys and girls. In the cutting
room the uppers Of the shoes are cut
out and carried to the fitting room, where
they are all put together by machinery.
Thence with the bottom stock all dyed
out By machinery, the shoes go to the
lasters, who prepare them for the sole
sewing and mailing machines; from
thence they are taken to the heelers, and
thence to the heel shavers, who shave
the heels. They are then given to the
edge trimmers and burnishers, and from
them to the heel burnishers, who pass
them on the sand paperiDg and brushing
machines, where the bottoms are cleaned
and polished. Then the shoes 60 to the
shankers, who polish the shanks; thence
to the treera, who tree them out, remov.
ing all wrinkles and placing the shoe in
condition for sale. This is the process
for the machine-made and nailed goods,
being similar to that of hand sewed
goods, save that with the latter the soles
are sewed on by hand. They are finished
in about the same manner as other goods
in this line.
Hand.sewed work is specially at this
factory; employing about thirty'hve
hands and turning out from sixty to
ninety pairs per day. This hand.sewed
work is mostly custom work, I. e., single
pairs made to measure. The material
used is of the best, the greater part being
French and English tanned feathers.
Mr.. Dibert uses, however, American
tanned leather, some of it being obtained
at the Columbia tannery. He has three
depots for the sale of his goods, one at
Columbia, one at Charleston and one at
Augusta, and is working up very large
trade in South Carolina and Georgia,
and also at other points in the South.
Exclusive of local and factory sales, his
retail sales at present average about S7V,-
900 year. The convicts learn rapidly
and appear to take decided interest in
the work. MIR. Dibert gives great deal
of personal supervision to the work OF
the factory, and when he is not there, is
ably represented by the agreeable and
gentlemanly foreman, Mr.. Jackson.
THE COLUMBIA HOSIERY COMPANY.
This new enterprise, owned and direc-
ted by the Messrs. Moulton, is on the
highway to success and the work it turns
out has already taken high rank in the
market. The process Of manufacture is
an exceedingly interesting one to witness,
and one cannot but compare the old te-
dious way of manufacturing hosiery by
hand to the rapidity of movement and
execution here displayed. To give one
an idea of how rapidly the work is fin.
ished off, we will mention that Mr..
-Moulton whilst showing US around timed
.one of the workmen lone who was by no
means regarded as swift HANDY and
stocking was started and completed in
two minutes and fifty seconds. The pro-
cess of manufacture is about as followa:
The yarn is first placed in skeins on
large spools; thence it passes to the
winder, to which is attached scraper
that takes the knots out of the thread;
from here it passes to an automatic top
machine, which is a most ingenious con-
trivance and great improvement on the
English top machine. At this machine
the tops are cut in proper lengths, and
then passed to the seamless knitting ma.
chine, of which last there are some fifty
in operation. Of the other machines in
use in the factory there are twenty rib
bers for ladies' and cbildren's hose, one
set OF plain looms for cheap grades of
half hose, and on these looms some S00
pairs q day are turned out. There IS
also a circular heeler and footer, and
fifteen Abel scanning machines. The
stocking passes from these last to the
rough members, who take up all the holes.
This part of the work is all performed
by female hands. One of the most in.
teresting machines, when in operation, is
the trimming machine, which sews and
cuts at the same time. 1t is swift and
noiseless in operation, making 800 rev.
olutions to the minute.
On the lower floor of the factory build
ing there is washing machine in which
the stockings are put when they come
from the knitting room, and from that
they are taken to the rinsing box and
put under steady stream of water.
Then they are taken to the dyeing house,
which is thoroughly equipped with an
abundant supply of hot and cold water,
and where everything is prepared for col
oriug and bleaching at a moments no.
tice. In this department of the factory
all the laundry work of the penitentiary
is now performed. Passing out again
from the dyeing room the visitor stands
before the extractor or dryer, machine
in which some rs or 100 dozen pairs Of
hose are put at time and rapidly dried.
From this room the goods are taken to
the drying room, a place where one does
not care to tarry long as it is heated to
temperature of 160 degrees, and would
be unbearable but for the fact that by
some tanning process circulation of
fresh air is kept up. In this room the
hose are put on press boards, and from
here they are taken to the steam press
and undergo an operation very similar to
that of ironing. Lastly, they are taken
to the examining room, where they are
closely examined, all holes mended, all
inferior work thrown aside, the goods
counted off into dozens, labeled and
packed ready for shipment.
The factory employs 125 hands, all
convicts, with the exception of seven