Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1885-09-25

ticles even this small percentage of
the old trade will be annihilated in a
few years. This industry has grewn
almost unnotieed in such short time,
until today the business represents
nearly S. 000, 600 value of yearly pro
ducts, and the home demand is fully
supplied by home manufacture.
'SThe quality of the goods we manu-
factare, said prominent manufac-
turer, is inferior in quality to the
geaerality of those formerly imported
not because we are unable to make SIS
ins 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 finished than
Frances best productions - but do so
only to keep our reputation and for
samples. The consumers of the better
grades of goods l find to be among the
middle classes, msarativeIy few of
the more wealthy using our products.
The inferior grades, of course, are
used by the poorer classes. / find, as
a general thing, that finer grades OF
feathers, In comparison to flowers, are
used by most LADIES' Why this is l
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 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-tha
is, initiating nature to perfection
and are more apt scholars than either
the French, German, or English girls.
When it comes to artistic com blnation
of colors, the French girl is par eXeol>
lence and all first class manufacturers
employ the best they can fiud in
France.
'The wages earned by the operators
are small at first, but they increase
rapidly, and in a comparatively short
time they can earn from Sc to SIS and
sometimes $50 per week. Only the
most experts are, however, able to
reach the latter figure, and then only
in the very busy season, when mig hit
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 al
lowed to go home when certain
amount is done, but la the buster sea-
sons $50 is tn. 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 i'll
the manufacture of flowers are fine
muslins. which we dye ourselves
fine wire, wire cloth, robert tubines,
and particles OF feathers. Quantities
Of feathers are also used. The manu-
facture of feathers is entirely ditfer>
emit, and all the materials used ar e
natural to the product Chicken and
turkey feathers are largely used
and quantities of heron feathers.
Wire cloth aud coarse muslin for
backings and dust for gliding, togeth
err with the glue pot, play prominent
parts. The feathers are dyed to the
required tints and cut iato various
shapes. They are then steamed by
the girls, who with def fingers make
them into plumes ard 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 bonuets or hats with flow
ers for stock. and they viii only do so
On orders. The only flowers that will
be used to any extent will be roses and
'center" flowers, such as daisies.
chrysauthemums, and pansies Fea,h-
ers will not be worn large as in past
seasons. but IF more moderate dimen-
sions. For hats, of course, plumes
will be principally worn, but on bon
nets small punches, most y about the
siz3 of the palm of maud, will be
worn. Subdued colors will rule. A
great many small plumes will be
edged with gilt and ornamented with
petals, ending in gilt buttons ON balls.
''The designs which fashions are
mostly governed are made by the
girls IN the feather factories, who are
called upon by their employers for
original designs. In anticipation of
this call of the trade the manufac>
turers have taken almost all their girls
off flower work and set them to manu-
featuring feathers. The wages paid
in this country are equal to, and in
some cases larger than those paid in
Europe, but owing to the superior
facilities of the home manufacturers
they are enabled to successfully COM
pete with the foreign trade In Europe
the factories are small, and are mostly
carried on in private houses, where
every member is either an artificial
flower or feather maker. AS this is
their sole means Of livelihood, they are
compelled to seek large profits, thus
cutting themselves off from foreign
trade. The business IS very combining
and also injurious, as the fumes rising
from the dyed cloths and feathers are