Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1885-10-01
THE FLOWER INDUSTRY.
An Important Industry That Has
Grown Up in This Country and
Crush ed Out Foreign Competitor.

are engaged in manufacturing artifi-
cial flowers and feathers, and divide
with those of New York and Chicago
almost the entire patronage of this
country. This industry until within
the past ten years was almost unknown
on this side of the Atlantic, ali the
large wholesale dealers importing
their goods from France, Germany,
and England. Within the past few
years the business has been completes
ly revolutionized, the importers be-
coming manufacturers, and dealing
Immediately with the jobbers or in
ternediate men.
By making goods equal liz quality
to the best imported, and being enabl~
ed to sell them at lower figures, they
have succeeded In cutting down the
value of these particular importatiops
from over So, 000,00 to a few thous-
ands. The finest goods were brought
from France and those of an inferior
grade from Germany and England,
Now this trade is almost entirely de-
stroyed by local manufacturers, and
even the raw materials are domestic
products, only the finest muslins and
robert tubingS being imported from
France. With the improvements be-
ing rapidly made IN the machinery
used in the manufacture of these ar
ticles even this small percentage of
the old trade will be annihilated in a
few years. This industry has grown
almost unnoticed in such short time,
until to-day the business represents
nearly So, 900, 900 value of yearly pro
ducts, and the home demand is fully
supplied by home manufacture.
''The quality of the goods we manu-
facture," said prominent manufac-
turer, els inferior in quality to the
generality of those formerly imported
not because we are unable to make as
fine goods, but because the demand
for the better quality of goods has
fallen off and that for the medium
and inferior grades has proportionate>
ly increased Of course we manufac
ture the finest goods - and they are
better made and better flushed than
Frances best productions b do so
only to keep our reputation and for
samples. the consumers of the better
grades of goods find to be among the
m7Gdle classes, comparatively few of
the more wealthy using our products.
The inferior grades, OF course, are
used by the poorer classes. I find, as
a general thing, that finer grades of
feathers, in comparison to flowers, are
used by most ladies. Why this is I
cannot say.
THE operators employed in the
manufacture of flowers aud feathers
are mostly girls. AS a general thing
they are superior IN intellect TO those
employed in mills, their work requir-
ing a greater amount of Intelligence
and refinement. To become an adept
a girls sense of the beautiful and Of
artistic arrangement must be highly
cultivated.
''The American girl is the quickest
to learn the art of manufacture-that
is, initiating nature to perfection
and are more apt scholars than either
the French, German, or English girls.
When it comes to artistic combination
of colors, the French girl is par excel~
lence and all first class manufacturers
employ the best they can find in
France.
''The wages earned by the operators
are small at first, but they increase
rapidly, and IN comparatively short
time they can earn from IS to SIS and
sometimes $40 per week. Only the
most experts are, however, able to
reach the latter figure, and then only
in the very busy season, when night
work has to be done. All flowers and
feathers are made by piece work and
much work is done outside of the fac
tories. The hours for work vary from
six or seven to eighteen hours. When
work is slack our employers are all
lowed to go home when a certain
amount is done, but Ia the buster sea-
sons 80 is the hour. The girls are
then allowed to make as many pieces
as they can, and IN that way they can
make more money than the average
mechanic. Here, again, the Ameri-
can girl pushes to the fore, as her
thirst for money spurs her to geater
efforts.
''The principal materials used in
the manufacture of flowers are fine
muslins, which we dye ourselves
fine wire, wire cloth, robert tubings,
and particles Of feathers. Quantities
I'll 1Cdb1lCIS 61I cISO USS0 1bC L1dh
facture of feathers is entirely differ
ent, and all the materials used are
natural 10 the product. Chicken and
turkey feathers are largely used
and quantities OF heron feathers,
Wire cloth and coarse muslin for
backings and dust for gliding, togeth-
er with the glue pot, play prominent
parts. The feathers are dyed to the
required tints and cut into various
shapes. They are then steamed by
the girls, who with deft fingers make
them into plumes and rosettes.
''But few flowers will be worn dur.
ing this fall and winter; they will be
almost entirely superseded by feathers,
None of the wholesale milliners are
making up bonnets or hats with flow
ers for stock, and they will only do Sc
GA orders. The only flowers that will
be used to any extent will be roses and
S1apntn,.3 Hn1Tpp-c S11ah daisies