Telegram-herald., 1889-06-24
PASTE-BRUsH ADOPTS.
rco 5ox-Ask-nx Girls Of New
York s2d Their work
A. ns-fsaa rsza1s~s fz WkaSA n.@y
Ths4s>.ss 81 ws-asz Are kEg~x~s-
f&stsb<@Es. S1t. spAaxtes. o4d
6os1s AES FFstty kA0&N


drsss 4 s.~1 "a May tAoaszsas ef slras
are en- gloyet n the paper eox f@ctorses 81
New Yerz Worxins uec1es y Eals tr@es.
SAYS tas New xork St2r, are not - vel
pad a. t1oss engaged IA tEs rneFe cS-lc4ts
serk 81 m&xtn Z srt1Gcl4l rosers, en- orolc-
err sad taS se. aor as those II tie more
l.ecFious trades TIE boxEaszsr sork
Gals Ter less SKI tbza ree former, @Hd isss
of boEb siren 90 s1a ski LEzn soI1c ~ TIE
Litter. Most or@zc1es Cf Dcx EzklDg CA
ce learned Ia = few weeks Tie materials
are ght and TIE tools simple TIE result
= thai wages are sometimes zs low as - .
weez and seldom above s. or e.. The
women are employed A. piece WORK. The
o~.. whose ages are better, woFk oy the
wees. Men and bows ruG tue machines and
prepare ths m4Ierial Tor the finishing
touches gwen 81 TIC gIT.s.
On catering a box factory one is bewl-
cerec ~ aultlJuos Of shapes and coicrs.
There ars b3xe., Big and little, Il cylinders,
ia lat trayAk forns, IA long, narrow
books, aRd IN dozen other shapes 70 DO
only indicated by learned gsometrical terms.
Gay eolorsd papers Ia reans, IN strips, Ia
ribbons aud in confused clippin 90, lie about
everywhere. Great machines al one end Of
Tie room are cutting the ugly cheap straw
board into suitable shapes. The prepared
pasteboard. with nOtched edges and long,
straight cuts, where IL is 70 be turned up for
fitting. is laid IN great heap on = table DO
fore a boy or man " no stands on guard be
fore great glue pot
The heap Is quickly arranged, so that one
edge OF each piece Of pasteoosrc is slightly
exposed, and WIN. broad thick brush the
workman hoeraIly bcglues al tue edges al
few strokes Otner pieces are deity rxed
10 the glued edges, the pie is brought u al
even edge. turned over and pounded with
the mallet at the newly glued JOINTS. The
opposite edges are then glued, and finally,
piece by piece, the pasteboard Is stood on
edge and brought round SO as 70 form the
sides Of box. A pinch where the glued
edges meet makes all fast, and the box,
without bottom or lid, Is passed 10 one Of
the girls.
The girl stands by her table and rapidly
smears cardboard with glue. Upon this
glued space she lays half dozen lorg mar
row ribbons OF paper. Seizing the box she
claps on the pasteboard bottom and secures
II by adeft and sure application OF the paper
ribbon. She makes no pause for measure
ments, but tears OF her ribbon when IT is
too long and pieces 1t out when il IS too
short Thumb and fore6nger fit the rib
bon with unerring accuracy. AS each box
is bottomed IL is laid aside 10 dry, and II is
! interesting 70 see how rapidly the pile
/ grows under the girls flying fingers Her
pay, however, is only small fraction Of .
/ cent for each box.
LIDS are fashioned much in the same way
The lid reaches the worker with edges
turned up, and her work is TO apply the rib
bons OF paper that add strength and orna-
ment. The lid is rested upon round
wooden post twelve or fifteen inches in di-
Gmeter This stands on the table 1t Is a
simple matter TO turn the lid as it rests on
the post ard apply the RIBBON of paper 10 the
four sides. Huucreds Of lids can be com
pleted in a day When nd and bottom are
: finished the box must be labeled, so as 10
/ ind. .te the article il is 10 contain. This
/ work is rapidly done by some Of the younger
girls.
Boxes Of this kind are turned out bv the
million and are sold al from one TO five
dollars per hundred Costlier boxes are
edged with gilt paper and covered with fg-
ured material. Costlier still are the bon
bon boxes. Gay photographic pictures are
imported by the thousand from Paris 70 or
nament such boxes. They are lined with
delicate paper and edged with an imitation
/ of lace. The foundation material Of these
/ pretty cabinets for sweets IS plain brown
| pasteboard. II j an instructive lesson in
the striking results OF simple devices To see
! one of these bare, ugly pasteboard trays
| grow under a girls nimble fingers into the
! dainty receptacle that shall make sweet
/ meets douby valuable. Bonbon boxes
sometimes whole sale at twenty-five dollars
a hundred, and wages for this work are
somewhat higher than in other branches Of
! the trade.
One accustomed to the sight OF the work
/ ing girls of New York at their daily toll
will note the absence Of gay apparel among
/ the workers Of the factories. Glue is an
enemy OF pretty gowns, and the girls either
come 10 the factories In their oldest garments
or exchange their street dress for solled
working clothes on reaching the scene of
their labor. Glue, however, does not jure
face or figure and in the box factories, as
IN others, most OF the girls are ruddy and
clear eyed. while a fair proportion can lay
/ good claim TO beauty.