St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-09-29
EMBROIDERY BY STEAM.
A Revolution in an interesting In
duStrV


EMBROIDERY BY STEAM.
A Revolution in an interesting In
dustry.
A revolution in embroidery is at hand,
says a Washington correspon dent to-
the st. Louis Globe-Democrat. Every
feminine heart Will beat quicker at this
news. Embroidery is to be better
that is, more elaborate. And it is to be
cheaper. What does it all mean? The
same agency that has revolutioniZed
other Industries has reached this deli
cate work. Steam is going to take the
trade right out of the deft fingers of the
SwitZer. The American consul at ST.
Gall, Mr.. Byers. tells the story in let
ter to the state department.
Last year St. Gall sent out to the
world nearly S5,000.000 worth of en-
broidery. Half of that came to this
country to adorn the petticoats, etc., of
American women. In early times en-
broidery was made by hand, and it was
worth its weight in gold. The knowl-
edge of the craft spread through APP
pencil, Thurgass and st. Gall, three
cantons of the Alps country. A great
industry grew. The technical skill and
readiness of oand of the AppenZell
y,
the exquisite embroidery made by them
became famous all over the world. Very
many thousands of the people are en-
gagged wholly IN the skilled business.
Girls were trained to it from early child
hood. At that time all the beautiful
work was done with the hand and III
the peoples homes.
More than half century ago the
hand machine was introduced, and that
rapidly changed the whole situation.
To-day possibly not per cent of the
embroideries are made exclusively by
hand, and these only of special articles,
fine and expensive. The hand machine
was soon found in the houses of half
the peasants. and factories were founded
where many machines were collected
and worked, but still by nandpOwer
only. The character of the work was
then, and remains now, excellent; but
the production was comparatively slow.
The profits were usually large to the
dealers, but the embroiderer barely
made good wing, as it was always
necessary for him 10 pay an assistant,
known as the ''threadeT," to help work
his machine.
This common old embroidering hand
machine of 1927, with few improve
ments. is the one that is used to-day for
the millions of fine embroideries that
are sold to all quarters of the globe.
There are, perhaps, 1000 of them in
use in Eastern Switzerland, the num-
Der OF needles averaging 250 To the ma
chine, and the number of stitches not
exceeding 1900 to the needle daily. AS
embroidererS are paid on the stitch ba-
sis only, and sometimes rs low as four
and half bentS per 100. they have very
small earnings left after paying the ir
threaders and other expenses. AT the
present time, 80 cents, sometimes less.
is fair av. rage of the daily earnings of
hardworklng embroiderer, who must
toll long day with head. hands and
feet working h S mac Inc.
A machine that would increase the
number of stitches. and with less labor,
has been the effort of inventors for
nearly fifty years. Some fifteen years
ago machine, called the ''Schiffii, 70
was invented and worked by steam. It.
produces, however, ONLY low class of
goods of inferior quality. The product
OF this machine is usually known as
'Schiff1i goods or ''Schiffli embroider-
les" A little later other and greatly
improved steam machines for fine en-
brOlderies were invented, but failed TO
enter into general use. fiattering as
were their prospects. For seventeen
years the firm of Laurer Bros, at Ar
bon, OH Lake Constance, have been
striving to solve the problem of a rapid,
perfect-acting embroidery machine that
will Increase the steam production,
lessen the labor, and even improve the
quality of the goods. 1t is believed that
the desired object has been at last OBJ
timed.
Without detailed and technical de-
scription, it may be stased that the own
erS claim the new machines will at least
triple the product of the hand machine.
The latter seldom produces much above
1000 stitches daily OH an average. The
Arbon machines, when placed two to-
gether, with the single automatic pam
tograph acting for both. will, it is
claimed, produce $4,000 to 1000 stitches
daily. 1t requires no rest, and can be
worked twenty-four instead of twelve
hours. Two hand machines, worked by
two men and two girls. may, it is
claimed, be forced to produce $500
stitches daily; put even then, If the
estimates are correct. the Arbon ma
chine would nearly triple the prOduc-
ton, allowing nothing for the advan-
tageS of power over hand machines in
many OIL er directions.
1t is power machine, but retains
some of the ideas of the old hand ma
chine. The short thread is still Ased but
with vertical tension, by spring mo-
ton, in place of the horizontal moving
carriage of the common machine. The
needles are all put in place at once by
means of bar that is replaced as often
as needed. saving valuable time. The
pantograph that moves the frame hold
ing the cloth is moved by steam and
follows the pattern by means OF an au-
tomato attachment which takes the
place of the trained embroidered
These are only the general
features. The cost is about three times
that of the hand machine The ire
mendous production, too, would indicate
its suitableness only for articles that
are demanded in immense quantities.
1t is maintained, however, that this Is
not an objection, as the machine will
produce almost everything in the EN-
broidery line. OF course no machine
ever has, or likely ever will, take the
place of hand labor entirely, and so 1t is
with embroideries; eel tain articles will
always require the touch and help of
the hand