Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-05-17
SCIENCE OF OvERALLs.
Even the Most Commonplace Things May
BE Worth Knowing About


Ordinary people suppose that there is very
little indeed to be known or learned about so
commonplace thing as oyeralls. And yet
there is vast amount OF information well
worth ascertainlng regarding them. as a SrAR
reporter was surprised 10 discover one day this
week, while taking lunch at Pennsylvania
avenue hotel not lar from the Capitol. Two
drummers. representing rival firms engaged in
the manufacture OF oyeralls, we're seated at the
same table discussing the comparative merits
of goods they sold To begin with. il became
evident from what they said that the business
ofmaking garments Of this description is simply
enormous. More particularly in the west great
establishments strive with each other IN the
contest Tor supplying the mining population
Win them; but. OF course. overalls are used
everywhere. Plain and uncomplicated as these
equipments appear, the methods for turning
them out are secured as proprietary by patents
OF immense value. All this the newspaper man
quickly found out from what the drummers
said. but they went into the subject with a pro-
tuhdity that well nigh carried the listener out
To commence they discussed the cotton used
tor the material OF oyeralls. One thought that
upland cotton was the best for the purpose
while the other advocated the merits of the
south Sea Island product Next 1t was a aues-
tAOh nc " JUST hoN many TWISTS should be given
TO the threads In the process of weaving the
cloth. Then the
sUBJEcr OF DYE
came mp, and on this point argument became
decidedly vehement. Drummer No. / said
that he did not think the brown tan the most
desirable.
why, Holy Moses" he exclaimed, s.it's the
dye their nets"
''Schoost SOL" replied the other triumphantlv.
AND w Is II Eat der feeshermen dive der nets
NIT re brown tan? Seemply BECAUSE il keeps
zem from rotting in re water IL is re same
idea init der oteralls vich are protected by re
brown tan from rottlng ven zey git vet"
mat argument seemed TO be a squecher so
TAR as the question of dye was concerned.
though drummer No. l would not own up 70
being convinced on the point. However. dis
cussion passed to the manner in which the
SEAMS OF ovERAILs
are sewed, each seam being repeated at least
eight times by carrying the thread back and
forth. so that ripping is rendered almost an
lmposslblIty. Next the method Of attaching
the ny piece came up, that important part
being carried down the front and back up
again SO as 10 make loop that nothing can
tear. As drummer No. expressed IT, the
wearer of garment constructed in this way
can schtraddle all over creation and neffer
bust anyding"
Buttons came next
when we sew button on" said drummer
No. l, I'VE make il as strong as we know how
TO begin with, and fasten the end OF the thread.
Then We take fresh thread pass il through
the cloth and the button, and wind it round
and round-so that, when the bloomin thread
wears out, 1t Is not the thread that holds the
button at all, but the other one"
HE STAR reporter was just taking the con-
Guiding bites of his dessert when the argument
on the opposite side of the table had cor AZ far
as the pockets of overalls, which were men
noned as being made of duck and fastened at
the corner with small rivets-themselves repre-
sentlng valuable patents--to keep them from
tearing down. Still further information would
doubtless have been interesting. but the talk
became so highly technical when il reached
the bottoms OF the trouser parts that il did not
seem worth while to listen any further, though
doubtless there Is a great deal more that is well
worth knowing on the subject Of overalls