Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1886-11-25

We uHutfsbOOu. DOWN. tnea Sne went |
with the seam to the inside of the little
finger; and SO on up and 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.
Now she has done her part of the
glove, remarked the forewoman,
"How many pairs does she sew in
dayP''
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-a fiat
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
at the top, whether of binding, pink
ing or with gauntlets, was all done by
separate workwomen, as well as the
putting on of buttons and fastenings.
Thus completed glove has passed
through the hands of five or six per-
sons before it is folded and packed for
sale.
"How many kinds of gloves do you
makep"
"Oh, so many" said the cutter.
"There are heavy gloves for warmth,
both gentlemen's and ladies' coarse,
thick affairs they are; there are the
driving gloves, the gauntleted gloves,
now so popular, and the visiting
gloves. Then there are leather nit
tens, lined with the wooden and topped
with the fur, and the castor glove and
all the undressed leather gloves of both
yellow and black. All, there are many
glovesr'
How much does the ordinary
glove-maker earn per week."
From $40 to $l5 Some earn $40;
but usually they get $40 in the month,
and the demand for the labor is
greater than the supply. Little girls
that do nothing but tie the ends of the
threads on the coarser kinds of gloves
can earn $15 per month, All, it's the
good business. 1t is not the heavy
kind. 1t makes no back to ache"
Later learned the process of pre-.
pairing the skins. The domestic, that
is, the American skins of different
kinds, and the imported, both ''in the
raw" are placed in cask, seventy
five or eighty at a time, to receive a
salt pickle; they are then washed and
placed in an alum bath, in which they
remain twelve hours. Then they are
stretched by thin, roundfaced iron,
to remove wrinkles, and then are
fastened to frame to dry, either in
the sun or by steam. They are next
sorted for coloring, the best being re-
served for the lighter shades. Again
they are washed and put in an egg
bath, the yelk alone being used. After
the egg bath, the skins, being now q
pure white, are laid flesh side down
on zinc or lead tables, and brushed
over with liquid dyes, composed Of
wood, citron, redwood, lignum vitae,
Brazil bark, etc., according to the
colors desired.
" Is this the final processp" / asked
"Oh, no" said the proprietor OF the
mill. "The color must be set, and fol
this purpose mordant of some kind
is used-that is, the skins must BIZ
brushed with a preparation of alum
copperas and blue vitriol, again dried
then dampened and rolled up in sepa-
rate parcels, flesh side out, and packed
in barrels to season; that is to render
every part alike, and equally soft ant
pliable. After the seasoning they are
shaved; that is, sharp knife is passet
over the flesh side, and every littl'
, bunch or supeifluous particle is re
, moved, making the surface smooth ant
soft The last process is to polish tn,
grain side of the skin with pad made
of flannel, making it still softer anC
{ more pliable and ready for manufact
ure. The finest white skins are re
, served for white gloves, and are rubbe'
and rerubbed with the flannel pad"
"What slow processp'
Eyes, and one requiring great care
, Deer skins are the most difficult to pre-
pare and the tanning is somewhat, bn
( not essentially different. save in tn
4 smoking to which they are subjected
They are placed in d smoke-house {
: dry, the smoke also darkening them
Oh, there's work in it, plenty Of work
. hard, careful, pottering work, but it
: a good business and an enduring one.
h The question of economy in glove
n would seem to be difficult one, wit
s the ladies especially. There is, 1t ar
c pears, no substitute for kid GLOW
n either in wear or in appearance; threa
S and silk gloves are delusion and
r snare. The dogskin glove outwear
two or three kids, but it costs more, t
7 begin with; it looks well, but can onl
be worn in the street The cheap XII
glove hardly has enough endurance fo
I a street glove, though a cheap, man
IL buttoned CANT de suede, if one is s
a fortunate as to find make that fits
d can be very well worn for occasions o
y half dress, as, for instance, dinner O
reception, where the hands are no
Is much used, or the gloves removed earl
o in the evening. One can find sue
l. gloves for from sixty to eighty cents
r pair, and they will serve many sue
ii occasions At dancing party, how
J, ever, they are exhausted in an evening
If Perhaps it may not be considered OF
/. of place to advert here to a remark {
y common occurrence, bearing on th
If subject, at the meeting of friends MOI
Ie especially when it takes place in tn
'e streets. Certain kinds of mistake
r politeness, sincere as they are, al
d absurd enough to be grotesque.
l. common mistake of this sort wit
ID some persons is to say Excuse m
lie glove,n when they offer their hand to
ID casual acquaintance or on introductio
a to a stranger. 1t might be inferre
ID from this remark that the wearing ,
p gloves is extremely rare in civilize