St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-07-13
The Lot of a Factory Girl in
st. Paul a Decidedly
Happy One.
Employers Who Make 1t an
Object to Care for Their
Employees.
Girls in Smaller Retail Stores
Work Long Hours for
Small Pay.
The Higher Class Domestic
Makes Good Money and
WedS Well.

Ae HAS OllGu Uc6u IculdlhcQ lIldb LILO
| factory girl of st. Paul is better paid
and is superior in condition as COM
pared to hersister of Eastern cities. The
reason for this fact will be found to be
that factories here are not subject to
| the adverse criticisms so often quoted
! against those of Europe and some cities
in the eastern part of the United States.
A visit to the factories in this city will
not reveal poorly clad. distressed, half
| fed looking or descrepit women and
| girls. The passer-by in the early even
| ing, when the girls are thronging the
! streets from the factories, as they quit
| their work, will see armies of bright.
cheerful and happy women and girls,
starting for their homes on foot or fill
ing the street carS-all chatting good
iiumoredly and many laughing In a
manner that indicates that they are
neither over worked or unhappy. In
short, it may be said that the factory
| girl of st. Paul is independent and as
we'll satisfied with her lot as circum-
stances aud surroundings will permit,
A Query4s suggested, when these con-
dtiOns are admitted. as to how the
factories can flourish in competition
with those of cheaper labor? That such
competition is successfully met is suS-
ceptible of Verification by visiting the
factories of st. Paul. With a view of
answering some of the inquiries con-
templated by the subject under discus
sion, a GLOBE reporter made some
what extended tour of the places in the
city where women and girls are en-
! ployed. Concerns were visited that not
| only control the trade in Northwestern
and Southwestern parts of the country,
but carry out sharp competition with
Eastern concerns manufacturing the
same lines i'll their own territory.
The solution of the problem of COM
petition is found TO depend on several
conditions, not the least of which is in
the fact that the climate here is health
tul, and is conducive to robust health;
consequently the people here are capa-
BILE of greater eXertiOn in labor. An
other that may be forcibly urged is that
the people of st. Paul are hardy peO-
pie, being either the collection or de-
scendantS of the more progressive and
energetic families of tine Eastern states,
or of Europe. The factories themselves
are operated by gentlemen of the high
est skill, energy and information, at
tainable-men who have added e. t1e
information derived
From Their Ancestors
the lngenuities suggested by actIvo
minds.
A model factory is that of Lindekes,
Warner IL Sehurmeier, the dry goods,
jobbing and importing house. This
house manufactures pants. overaIlS.
shirts, engineers jackets, blanket-lined
coats and lumbermen'S supplies. The
factory is located on the fourth floor Of
their large establishment atthe corner
of Sibley and Fourth streets. This part
of the establishment has the especial at
tentiOn of Reuben Warner, native of
Connecticut, man of excellent judg-
ment, wide observation, and. as well, a
humItarian, who Is ScfupulOusly careful
as to the comfort of his employees. He
is much respected by the operators in
the factory, and the labSr agitatOrS and
those seeking to better the condition of
the working girls in this city hold MIR.
Warner up as an example to others. A
lady who devotes her whole time to
looking after the working girls. and
especially those standing in stores, said:
If all employers were like Mr.. War
ncr we would soon improve the con-
dition of the girls who earn livelihood.
He is member of the board of an insti-
tuition that has our object in view and
gives us good suggestions. The factory
is well-lighted, large room, in which
there are 225 employees, nearly all of
whom are yonng women"
Mr.. Warner remarked that their bust
ness is growing so rapidly that 1t is diff
ficult to secure enough skilled opera
tiveS to keep up with their trade. The
girls work mostly on piece work, and,
having one particular thing to DO, such
81 no ndS q shIrt
making the fronts, sleeves or sewing on
buttons, they become very expert. The
machines are all run by steam and are
kept in perfect order by an expert
machinist. so that no time is lost by q
girl because of her machine getting out
of order. When artificial light is needed
each girl may turn on an lncandescent
electric light. All machines are stopped
for few moments during the middle of
the fore and afternoon, when each girl
oils the bearings needing it. The aver
age number Of hours worked is 9; the
maximum being 9 q hours daily, except
on Saturday, when the factory shuts
down at p. m, after 81 hours work
during the summer. The girls earn
from 81 to $14 per week, according to |
the eXpertnesS of the operator.
At noon warm lunch may be eaten or |
hot coffee had if desired, through the |
kindness of Mr.. Warner, who has pro- |
vded hot water tank on the factory |
floor for the purpose of heating the food. |
A commodiOus dressing room is pro- |
vded for the girls, in which they |
change their street costumes for work |
ing dresses. AS has been intimated, !
great attention is given to providing for }
the comfort of the girls working in this |
factory, and they are bright and !
oh Inniyinn " nf fniIQFc fhof |
probably never think of
ssThe Song of the Shirt.''
The sanitary condition of the factory is
excellent. The factory IS comfortably |
heated in winter, and ice water for |
drinking purposes is convenient in sum- |
mer.
Morton Pfaff, German, who has been |
in this country twenty-five years, and |
five years at work in the factory, is |
superintendent, and gives his whole |
smoothly. The appliances for eXpedit- |
ing work are of the best, and, as Mr.. |
Warner said, are superior to most of |
those in nse in the East. He did not |
care to especially advertise them, as |
they were advantages that he claimed |
The exclusive use of, especially those of |
cutting and marking. The pressing |
of seams is done by men who use |
electric wires, so arranged that by |
touching a convenient button heat may |
be turned on or off at will. There are |
six such irons now IN use, and half !
dozen more will be added in few days. |
All work is done by aid OF machinery, |
even to sewing or riveting the buttons,
except in such garments as require hand |
sewed buttons.
No labor trouble has arisen between |
employer and employe, and so far as the
operators are concerned there has never !
been any dissatisfaction among the en-
ployes.
Gutterman Bros factory, at 375 Sibley |
street, was also visited. Here 80 girls |
are employed at machines run by steam
power, making pants, shirts. oyeralls, |
and Mackinaw and duck clothing. |
The factory is on the fifth floor,
and is well lighted and airy.