The Hot Springs star. (Hot Spings [Hot Springs], Dakota [Dakota Territory, i.e. S.D.]) 1886-189?, 1890-05-02
PASTE-BRUsH Adopts.
Tho Box-Makins Girls Of New
York and Their Work.
An nl-Paid fsusincss in which, Many
Thousands Of Women Are EnGA-
easteboard. Gilt, Spans ~
Gowns aud Prettt 4 jSas


drods Of men men & saa ~ = = Of girls girls
are employed - factories Of
New Yosl r., 81 In this trade,
says the 0NsFS III, are not as well
paid ast d In the more delicate
work of 1kakt16 6xfuflcial flowers, embroid-
cry and the IKE, nor Us those in the more
lnborious Trades. The boxmaker's work
calls for less skill than the former, and less
Of both strength and skill than some OF the
latter. Most branches Of box-making can
e learned in few weeks. The materials
! arc light and the tools simple. The result
! is that wages arc sometimes US low Us - o
week, and seldom above Is or 20. Tho
women are employed at piece wora. The
men, whose wages arc better, work by the
week. tlen and ys run tue raachinea anl
prepare Ike material for the finishing
touches given by the girls.
| On entering a box factory one is be,vil-
t!ercd by q multitude of ahapcs and colocs.
There a.rH boxes. big and lts,c, In o.-.;:Gcrs,
in Eat tray-iise tcrms, in long, narrow
b.ccls i:..i. in q Go.en other s!,;ipas to be
only is.lc:..ed b; learned gconaetricGl terms.
Gay co.e.ed papers in rcallis, in strips, iu
r:ei,ciis ard iI confused clippings, lie about
cvcr..1slicre. Grcat machines az QUO end Of
-...e room aro cutting the ugly cheap straw
board i.i.o suitable sliupes. The prepared
.aatctoard, wiih noschea edges and long,
ssr.;:.iit cuts, where it is to be turned up for
:..t.iag, is :s..i. ii great heap on table be-
fore T. boy cr man who stands on guard be-
fore gsc@t glue pot.
T!a Leap is quickly arranged, SO that ono
easo Of each picce of pastcboard is slightly
exposed, and with q broad thick brush tho
. few strokes. Other pieces are deftly fixed
10 ,ile glued edges, tho pile IL brought to an
even edge, turned over and pounded with
the lnal;ct at the newly glued JOINTS. The
opposite edges arc then glued, and finally,
piece by piece, the pastebcard is stood on
edge and brought round so as TO form tho
| si.ics of O boz. a pinch where the glued
edges meet makes all fast, and the box,
without bottom or lid, is passed to ono of
the girls.
The girl stands by her table and rapidly
smcars q cardboard with glue. Upon this
glued space she lays half dozen long mar
row ribbons Of paper. Selling the box shc
claps on tho pasteboard bottom aud secures
1t hy adeft and sure application of the paper
ribbon. She makes no pause for measure
incnts, but tears of her ribbon when 1t is
.co long and picccs it out when it Is. too
short. Thumb and forcnngcr fit the rib
bo,l with u,,crring accuracy. AS each box
is bot:onlcd it is laid asidc to dry, and it is
Interesting to see how rapidly the pile
grows unicr the girls flying tingers Hcr
oay, however, is only small fraction of q
cent for each box.
Lids ure fashioned much IN the same way.
Tic lid reaches the worker with edges
turned up. aud her work 10 TO apply the rib
bcns of paper that add strength and ornu.
next. The lid is rested upon round
wooden post twelve or fifteen inches in di-
meter. This stands on the table. It is q
simple matter to turn the lid as il rests on
tho pos. and apply tho ribuon OF paper to the
ssour sides. Hundreds of lids can be com.
plcted in day. When lid and bottom are
finished the pox must be iaoeieu, so Us rc
Indicate the article 1t is to contain. This
work is rapidly done by some Of the ycunge.
girls.
Boxes o. this kind are turned out by the
million and are sold at from ono to five
dollars per hundred. Costlicr boxes are
edged witt: gilt paper and covered with fig
lured material. Costlicr still are the bon
bon boxes. Gay photographic pictures arc
imported by the Thousand from Paris to or
,ia,ncnt such boxes. They are lined with
dciicate paper and edged with an imitation
of lace. Tho foundation material of these
pretty csbinets for sweets is plain brown
pastetoard. 1t is an instructive lesson In
the rihing results Of simple devices to set
enc CT these bare, ugly pastcboard trays
grow under a girls nimble fingers into III.
dainty receptacle thnt shall make sweet
meets doubly valuable. Bourbon box:
sometimes wholesale at twenty-five dollar:
a hi,i,u.sd, and wages for this work arr
somewhat higher than in other branches O.
t:ie trade.
O..e accustomed to the sight of the work
ing girls OF New York at their daily toi
viii note the absence of gay apparel anon,
the workers Of tho factories. Glue is q,
enemy Of pretty gowns. and the girls eithc
come TO tsie fas tories in their Oldest garmc, I,
or exchange their street dress for sole.
woriiing clothes on reaching the scene o
their labor. Glue, however, does not iniur,
face OR figure and in the beg factories, q
III others, most of the girls orc ruddy an,
clear Keyed. While fair proportion cen Ia.
good claim to beauty.
9IE rAl XRa-he. khtA,r