The morning call., 1892-10-15


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filters" concluded Jones, land before you
go around among them, take my advice and
don't get funny"
l don't know what he meant by that adj
monitioD, but l was very careful subse-
quently not to betray any humorous inten-
lions in thepresence ofany of the girls.
Being at liberty now to pursue my own
Investigations, | looked around and saw
long, well-lighted and perfectly ventilated
apartment, along the sides Of which were
ranged rows of tables, each one supplied
with some kind of what looked to me to be
large-siZed sewing machines. but what l
afterward was told were different appil-
ances used for various purposes.
Every one OF these tables was presided
over by a neatly dressed young woman,
whose whole attention was given to her
work.
Hundreds of busy little hands moved
nimbly, to the hum of the spinning wheels,
and more striking picture Of activity had
never seen.
1t was like beehive full of queen bees.
There were no drones and some of these
busy bodies were quite pretty too, almost
| too pretty to be shut,up in workshop all
| day, thought aloud, but Jones said il was
none of my business and subsidized into
| silence determined 10 keep my impressions
| locked into my bosom after that.
| On the walls were posted the working
| heater occupied one corner
heard it was for the use of those girls
| who prefer to cook and eat their luDcheons
| in the factory to going OUT during the noon
hour.
While we were talking about this gas
stove and its uses the whistle which so
cruelty deceived me in the morning sounded
once more.
1t was 2:40 P. NJ Lunch time.
All the girls dropped their work and left
their tables, but before L could have
chance to talk to them Jones hurried me
downstairs.
He said that the girls floor would be
locked during the lunch hour and il we did
not descend immediately we would have to
remain on that floor during the nooning
Why Jones was so afraid OF being locked
in with lot OF nice women don't know,
but if he had left me my choice would
certainly have preferred to be prisoner in
their company to taking my leave so alb
ruptly.
One reason why l wanted TO stay was
that / wanted an opportunity to talk to
these girls.
What Jones had told ME interested me in
their condition and l did not care to en-
gage them In conversation during their
working hours. because that would be rob-
bng them of precious time, every moment
of which means more or less money TO them.
However, Jones would not have it, and so
that nice little chat l had promised myself
during lunch time was lost.
noticed that the great majority of the
men employed in the factory left the build
ing TO lunch either in their nearby homes
or in restaurants.
The proportion of the women who left
was smaller.
The men who remained in the building
produced tin buckets, and finding con-
venlent place in the factory, the engine
house or the courtyard, they. ate their mid
day meal in groups.
Pipes were lighted afterward and the
workmen enjoyed brief rest from their
labnrs.
What the girls upstairs did do not know,
because | had no means of finding out.
At o'clock the whistle again sounded,
and everybody once more resumed work.
The young man who had checked off the
personnel of the factory in the morning
once more put in an appearance and re-
peated the process.
Once more [ also was prepared to resume
my journey around the factory. But where
was Jones?
Jones, the faithful. well-informed moral
ist was not by my side.
He had left me fully half-hour before.
saying he would be back Immediately; but
''he never came back"
What was to become Of poor me? With
out Jones | could never hope to get along
in that place full of nook and corners.
There was only one thing left for me to
90. anu lnat was 10 lTy 10 Gritty Out my
original project alone and unaided
1t was dreary prospect and the second
half of the day promised to turn out badly,
when l started out to find my shoe where
had last seen 1t.
Slowly assembled once more to the shoe
filters floor, wondering whether would be
able to find what particular process my shoe
was about that time subjected to.
[ walked over To the f0reman'S little win
dow to ask bis help when. to my astonish-
ment and joy, saw Jones talking to little
brunette girl.
lie had stolen away from me TO visit the
shoefitters during lunch, although be had
taken care to tell me the rules were strictly
prohibitory in this matter
II thought I'd come up and keep track OF
that shoe of yours" the sly old fellow said,
with a grin, when he realized that l had
discovered his little scheme, and then he
resumed his duties as guide again just as
if nothing had happened.
He never even blushed when we discOv-
cred that our shoe had left that floor and
had, in the course Of its circumlocution,
once more passed into the hands OF male
operators.
We found it in the crimpng-room, whore
a lot of men were seated on cobbler.s
benches and hammerlng away as u tneIl
| lives depended on the number Oh Ilcks they
dealt out every hour.
Tn the bottomers' room, and there you VIII
learn how the soles are manufactured anu
fastened TO the uppers OF shoes, or. IN other
words. how most people 10 THIS country gu
tain their understandable. .s,..,s,,
Jones ia n emn-looking Individual and
ba loco mt look faceti0ns, but he Will nave
his little Joke occasionally nevertheless.
rba bottomers' floor is noisy one, and
everybody seemed to be bent on making
himself heard more than his neighbor or
the machinery.
An old man sitting all by himself at
tracted my attention first.
he was lasting by hand, and the vicious
blows with which he drove the little tacks
that fastened the leather to the wooden
last proclaimed that his mind was far away
and that his hands performed their duties
mechanically.
Jones told me the old fellow was sup
posed to have had some great trouble or sor-
row at one time.
He never speaks to any of his fellow
workers. and nobody in the factory knows
| where or how he lives.
| When heard all this wondered whether
| the old man imagined be dealt blow 10
| some one who had wronged him every TINS
| he let his hammer fall. Perhaps that is tne
] reason why he uses so much seemingly uh-
| necessary force. "a.
| Some men were driving big spikes INTO
| soles OF heavy boots.
! They were Intended to be worn Dy the
! miners in the gulches and Canyons oi tue
| Territories.
/ who was fastening soles onto snoes WIN an
/ astonishing rapdity.. lie ,I nad naxen-