The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1888-01-07
The Stiefel Overall Factory.

blouse factory, and, with his customary en-.
ergy, in few days had ten hands employed
in making up goods. They were the best
en- the market, and sold faster than he could
turn them out. Three months later, he in
creased his force, and number of machines,
and at the end of six months was forced by
his trade to make another increase. Then
he kept on charging his capacity, until on
the first of December, of'S7. he was running
25 machines and employing 40 hands, thir.
ty five of whom were girls, born and raised
in this city.
His factory on Madison street, on the
bank of the sidecut, is 70x30 feet and two
stories high, with a floor space of 1920
square feet, and yet he is crowded even to
the wall. All machines are run by steam,
the power being supplied by rs horse
power engine on the first floor.
The first floor, beside the engine room, is
given up to q good sized store room and the
cutting department, the latter being presi-
ded over by Mr.. E. s. Yentzer, assisted by
George Willimain. The second floor is de.
voted to machines, and on it are % Of the
best manufacturing machines on the market,
run at the rate of 1900 stitches per minute;
button machine with capacity Of 1000
buttons per day, and buttonhoe machine
making 1000 buttonholes per day.
The factory has, during the past year ad.
ded fine flannel shirts to its list of produc-
tons. and has been turning out an average
of 40 to so dozen garments per day, or $50
dozen to 800 dozen per week. Even at this
rate, they have been four to elk weeks be.
hind orders all summer. The girls employ ed
earn from 81 to gil per week, and none
but highly respectable young ladies are ta.
ken.
Messrs. Stephen Hathaway and George
NJ. Eells, fill the bill ss ideal drummers, and
work Illinois, Iowa, Wisconsin, Nebraska
and Michigan.
Mr.. Stiefel has shut down for couple Of
weeks during his absence in the east pur-
chasing goods, and on his return, the Ca
pacity Of the factory will be again nearly
doubled.
Fifteen new machines are now being
placed in position, and new cutting table
has been placed, making two huge tables
with surface Of 600 feet.
At least twenty new hands will be en-
ployed, most Of whom will be young ladies,
and the force will thus be increased to 60.
The capacity this year will be 500 dozen
garments per week, or nearly twice the for
mer limit.
OF course this is but q starter, as Mr..
Stiefel expects to put up building Of his
own and employ 300 ladies in the no. dist
ant future.
Mr. Stiefel is young man, whom, al
though Ottawa is not his birth place, our
citizens may well be proud to call o resident
He has by his energy and ability won for
himself and his factory high standing in
the business world, and conferred q boon
upon the young ladies of this city who must
needs earn their own living which is unlimi-
ted. AS an example, there is one among his
employees who supports herself and her
mother out Of her earnings. Many more
assist their parents and help send younger
ones to school. He has been the means
Of keeping many Of our young girls at home,
and Is the first to give any considerable num-
Der OF them employment ct living wages.