River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1886-08-05
A CITY INDUSTRY.
TOlliag Women Who Make Ment
NeCkties.

] l4eH nechtlts, says 'OIlNe haIp
in the New York World, and we do so
because we somehow think that those
who make up those pretty satin and
silk arrangements must find easier
work, better pay and less of that mo-
notonous drudgery that seems INSOFAR
! able from work ON white goods. But
probably there is not worse paid
\ branch of female labor existing than
making neckties of all descriptions.
/ The making of neckties is trade, and
one requiring rapidity, exactness and
/ extreme neatness and not little taste.
/ 1t takes long time to become expert,
and few ever do attain the degree
I that commands living remuneration.
! The trade is learned in some instances
! through the following routine: A per-
sOn-and there are very many who do
/ this-will advertise to teach necktie
making, also Teck and puff scarfs, at
reasonable price; and many of them
/ also promise to secure profitable en-
/ ploy for those who learn. The fee is
/ S5 in advance. The learner is con-
/ Quoted to wOrk-room, when the So
4 have been duly paid, and given a seat
amongst other learners. For the first
week the novice must rip uo old
scarfs and ties that look as if
/ they had been fished from ash-barrels.
| The Innings of these are saved and
used afterward. The second week is
| given to Substituting the Innings and
wadding. The third to sewing up the
I ordinary cravats and then as many
more as the girl is willing to give the
woman who manages the place are
occupied in making up ties of all kinds,
which she takes in from dealers. but
the learner gets nothing for her labor.
In some instances the husbands of
'hese women sell the neckties.
1t really does not require, even the
i1llest, over one week to earn all that
can be taught. The rest comes by
practice. When the mistress sees that
her pupil is becoming restless she sends
her to one of the houses which give
! out their work. Unjust be understood
that the learner has been led to believe
I that she can earn $40 and Sl2 per week
/ if she is expert.
FURNISHING SAMPLES WITHOUT PAY.
These dealers, who only manufacture
and sell ordinary goods, hire the new
\ recruits, and the first thing they have
I to do is TO set down and make Il sam
/ pie Sometimes they bring samples of
I their work, but the dealers prefer that
I the sample be made before their eyes
/ for two reasons, first, TO satisfy them
selves of the capacity of the person,
and. secondly the sample is never paid
+ for apd i'm year the amount saved is
quite worth the trouble. If the sample
I h., rsvI srix- aIIracu nj
references, and gets half dozen or a
dozen ties TO make, which she can take
home with her. When these are
/ brought back they are examined one
4 by one, By a lynX-eyed person, and if
/ one only is not just right, she gets no
pay ior all until that one is Uttered and
made exact. If a girl gets ten gross of
one kind to make, every one must be
/ the exact counterpart of the other with
4 out a shade of difference. or she gets no
pay whatever until all are arranged to
/ suit. no matter how much she may
need il.
/ HOW TIE sCARFs ARE PUT TOGETHER.
The work Is cut out by professional
cutters and the applicant for work gets
all the necessary adjuncts for each
/ style of cravat she is to make, all cut
smooth and exact, but no more, each
dozen done up in separate packages.
The ordinary necktieS, made of satin
and crossing in front, have first a
leatherctte shield in which is fastened
a long needle. A piece Of cotton,
/ flannel is laid over this and then the
satin or silk. The pieces which lap
over this are eight in number ami con
sisis of first satin outside, cotton
flannel. buckram and satin or silcSia
for lining. The band which passes
around the neck is made of satin out
side, satin Hiring, a tin which is
sewn TO a piece of buckrain and
pasted inside the band. This then has
TO be slip-stitched and carefully pressed
and the band has to be turned, a tire
some job on account of its narrowness.
The Teck and puff scarfs are very
much more difficult to make and more
nicely of work is demanded of the
workers. In most of the factories there
are girls with machines who DO what
machine work is required on each tie
or whatever class they make, and
these are given to such women as
have no machines of their own. OF
course the difference of labor is de-
Quoted from the pay.
FAyoRITIsM OF FOREwOMEN.
The forewomen have the giving out
of the work in most of the factories,
though in some men do it, and in some
again there are hands employed in the
building, generally in those places that
manufacture the very finest work. In
those places the expert hands are kept
constantly, but in all of them the work
is ''piecework, and they are only
paid for what they do-not by the day,
In those and second-class, and, in fact
in all the other establishments the fore
woman has all the power and she can
give more work to one, less to an 9TH
or, or none at all, just as suits her, and
there are many of them exact of the
girls a small percentage on all the
work they give on condition that they
are to be kept constantly employed,
and so many an eager searcher for
work is turned away in slack times,
and the others get full complement
where there should be a fair division.
When girls and women are waiting
for work theg have to stand in a line,
and the stronger ones force the weaker
back when the bundles arrive, and they
frequently leave the mos. needy no
chance to get few dozen ties, wher,
perhaps. that little amount would have
kept them from starving. In one place
a basement, there is nearly always a
car out stating that they want more
help. and there is acrowd there always
seeking work. This firm makes the
foxes also that hold the ties and they
keep many girls working on machines
One woman told me that she stood in
line one day from 9 O'Clock in the
morning until 3 in the afternoon be-
fore she got to the forewoman and had
her work examined and got her money
and other wOrk-the best part of day
every week, when every working
hour counts.
TWO WOMEN ; EXPERIENCES.
Another, an artist, whose name
should be better known than it is, who
is now sickly and poor and past the
age that can strike out anew after
crushing loss, and who has had TO
devote all her best energies to earniL Q
her bread. works in one of the facto-
ries. and she saws with her beet en-
deavor she can only earn about 80
cents day, but she is thankful to be
able to do that, as it leaves her early
morning free and she paints till time
/ -, no arI thap nv tho few rom ainiu o.