Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1891-10-23
IN A STROUD FACTORY.
. THOUSAND GIRLS HAPPY IN =
STRANGE OCCUPATION.


The shroudmakers OF New fo'A
49,. Class of Needle Piyers--Cio'h'hs
for the Deadly Various Designs ora"''
ard Fashions.
,,ver one thousand well fed. Wen
dressed. we'll paid young women ~ -.
yorI city who earn tneu hvnns ,,,1
shro,,ds for the dead The Dong =. IT. ~
shirt was not written for tnem iu.y
sing nc song With voices OF deiorous p''sn
and indeed they have very little reaso" ~
doing 90. Their songs are as merry a. w
day il long. and are sung to the busy "u'D 4.
saving machines Less doleful me'ocieS "
would be hard to find
Tho .hroudmasers OF New YORK FORM
DISTINCT class of bread winners. Ihey dine'
from other needle plyers as essentially us
s;jversmiths differ from locssmiths An ca
r,orianced shroudmaker may know no" 70
rats a dress. but dressmaker has little OF
no knowledge of how a shroud should Do 20"
structed. This part is emphasized whenever
.dressmaker secures employment In shr""'
factory Before she is able tc earn the reg
mar wages of her craft she must serve an
apprenticeship, the length OF when oePenos
soIelv upop her aptitude to learn the peculiar
tpack Of this strange trade. There are twelve
we'll known firms In this city engaged IN the
| manufacture of shrouds, and it is in theiF
factories that all the work is done Inc
wages are well maintained, although liked
| by no union, and employment is guaranteed
the year through, for the sale OF shro"os y
not marked by any Of the fluctuations "hicn
are noted in some other branches OF manu
facture.
New York Is the recognized headquarters
for the clothing Of the dead as well as OF ths
living. There Is nothing about snTot'
factory to indicate the character OF It's
product. Even the rows Of collins and eptic-
| ing varieties of caskets in the ware room he
| low seem to belong to another business aito
| gether The showcases that are visible from
the head Of the stairs, with their display OF
the latest styles in shrouds, appear to have
been left there, perhaps by some previous
tenant, and bear no possible relation to the use
the rooGs are now being put. It's very diin
cult to imagine that these light hearted girk
who chat so merrily over their machines are
turning out burial robes by the dozen, but
such is the case, and to them the work Is nc
more dolorous than the making of shirts
CHATTER AND CHATTER
IL YOU are curious come with me to one Of
the largest factories in the city, within fe"
blocks of Cooper union, in the bowery, ant
see for yourself AS the door OF the shoI
opens the noise is almost deafening Between
the clatter OF the machines on the one hant
and the chatter of the girls on the other, on
can hardly hear himself speak. 1t is ~ o'cocl
early for us, perhaps, but not for the girls
They have been at work since :, and one
quarter of their day has already been spent
In the center of the room is a double row @
sewing machines, varying in size and power
and all fastened to two long and narro'
tables with little round places cut in th
sides into which the operators spugly tit
the other end of the room are several counter
forming a quadrangle Within this squai
sit dozen young women chatting and sewing
while toll, middle aged motherly woma
ships out of yards upon yards of black, whit
J and brown cloth patterns OF shrouds. ShrouC
with long skirts, shrouds with short skirt
shrouds with no skirts at all Shrouds fo
the rich and shrouds for the poor. And sue
patterns they are.
This elaborate design in white satin, wit
soft ruching around the neck and Aeec
, ruffies around the wristbands, is modele
after wedding gown as nearly as is poss
: BILE considering the different Use it is to
put to, 1t will grace the funeral of son
: rich patron of a fashionable undertake
4 This plain black garment, with false sh
r bosom and collar which ties behind with
: cord, is patterned after an evening suit.
is quiet and eminently respectable 1t
intended for man of middle age and cos
u quite as much as a suit worn in life Besid
u these there are robes of brown and combin
tions of brown and black, some faced wit
y satin, some with silk, and others plain eve
to severity. These form the cheaper graz
= of goods and are worn By men or women
u advanced years The white robes are all i
t tended for the young Some of these a
y marvellous pieces of work, and if embroi
cred by hand would cost small FORUM
Il This little gown would hardly reach fro
:. your hand to your elbow. The tiny nee
n band is ruffled and tied together in fro
, with white satin bow The little sleev
are covered with embroidery and the skirt
- deliberately trimmed with lace 1t is bal
shroud and is the smallest size that is mac
u The styles in shrouds are continual
p" changing Every fashion used by the livil
contributes to the robing of the dead Ea
large factory has its special designer, al
not even death can still the competition t
u tween them.-Benjamin Northruo in S
r Louis Republican.