The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1886-11-05
HOW TO MAKE GLOVES.
Their Manufacture in a Specimen
American Factory.
Tho Steel Hands Used for Cutting-A
Dainty Process for Fine Gloves
No "Back-aches" in this
Business.

. III inc WOrK-room OF glove factory,
which we lately entered, we found
some of the operators cutting
prepared skins into blocks or square
pieces, the exact length and width of
certain sizes of gloves and mittens.
The skins, two or three thicknesses at
81 time, after being laid under cutter,
were chopped square in an instant.
This was the second step in the pro-
cess. In another place young man
stood before a machine that looked
like printing press of moderate size.
Beside HIM on q table were heaps of
the square cut skins. He showed me,
at q sign from the fore-woman, a
square box open on one side, in which
was shining-steel outline of hand.
On this outline or shape he now laid
six squares of skin, and, slipping a
cover on the box, placed it on the top
OF the queer-looking machine, fixing
ii very squarely and evenly. Then he
siezed string which held the handle
OF an upper arm, pulled this arm with
it two big iron balls-one at each
end twisted it on one side, then gave
il sharp, sudden turn twice, each
time II soft distinct thud being heard.
'Now you are to look" said my
conductor.
The young man again fastened the
handle of the cutting then he
took out the box. He was obliged to
Us hammer in opening it, the top
had become so fast, There in the box
lay the entire glove, cut as smoothly
and evenly and perfectly in shape as if
done by the most deXterous scissors
six of them. Each part of the six gloves
was complete; the hand. the fingers,
the thumb isolated and by itself, with
the little gusset on the under side of
the thumbpiece and the strips that 90
between the fingers. The workman
quickly took out and laid aside the six
gloves and repeated the operation with
another set of six skins.
care all your gloves cut by ma
chinery?" / asked.
"All, save those made to private
orders, where the hand is carefullymeas-
ured all over and the skin cut with
the scissors. Now, see again. From
the cutting-machine-and all gloves
made for the general trade in Europe
are cut in the same way-must be taken
out all the shavingS, the little scraps
that ale waste. This is done by other
workmen. Then pairs are carefully
sorted to each other and laid together
and marked"
care they all made here?''
"Oh, no, they are carried to the pri-
vato houses by the dozen of pairs, all
persons taking them away having a
book in which the number taken and
returned is registered. We make only
the best quality here"
The buzz of sewing-machines was
audible all over the building; and no
wonder, since the large room was en-
tirely occupied by girls making differ
Gnt kinds of gloves There are several
kinds of machines used in glove-sewing,
some of French invention, some of
American, the over sewers all French.
No gloves whatever are now sewed by
hand. My guide led me to one side of
the long-room, in which she said the
finest gloves were made, and where
several girls sat each before 81 peculiar
looking machine, its needles turned
sidewise instead of being in hori-
Zontal position. This process seemed
to be dainty one On each machine
lay pile Of soft dark skins, cut and
and ready for manufacture. The ma
chine was in this instance threaded
with white silk, two spools. The OPP
orator picked up glove and folded it
together-from the lower part of the
thumb to the wrist it is cut whole
and began the outside seam, diminu-
tive hook letting down the silk, the
needle catching it, and thus the beauti-
full, even overseam of the glove was
made. When she reached the top of
the little finger the operator paused,
and picking up pile of small Sits of
kid, selected one and inserted il. in the
seam she was sewing. If you will ex-
anime kid glove, this insertion of the
slit or gusset between the fingers will
be understood. Down then She went
with the seam to the inside of the little
finger; and so on up anu down fingers,
until she reached the top of the fore
finger, where she turned and went
back to complete the outer seams of
the gussets till the top of the little fin
ger was again reached. The sewing of
the thumb piece and thumb gusset was
an after process.
Nov she has done her part of the
glove, remarked the forewoman,
How many pairs does she sew in a
dav?n
II think she and all the smart girls
can sew six or seven dozen pairs a
day, The stitching on the back of the
glove is made by another machine.
The next group of sewers made a
different seam in the gloves flat
seam. 1t was stitched by another kind
of machine; and there were still other
kinds, all for fine gloves for gentle
mems and ladies wear. The finishing
ut the top, whether of binding, pink
ing or with gauntlets, was all done By
separate wo4lwomen, as well as the