The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-06-26
BASKET MAKERS OF DELAWARE
A Race or Girls who Work with Denuess,
Precision, nnd Speed.

Precision, nNd Speed.
By wise provision OF Providence Delaware.
which produces great abundance Of small
fruits. also produces the sweet gum. Now. the
sweet gum is not an article adapted to the
wants Of seminnries for young women. but a
largo and extremely useful tree. The peculiar
wisdom cf Providence in associating small
fruits and tho sweet gum is not apparent to
persons unacquainted with the properties OF
the latter. The sweet gum is TO lower Della
ware what tho palm is to tho West Indies and
the bamboo to Japan. Nature as clearly de-
signed the sweet gum to furnish berry baskets
as tho bum boo TO afford dwellings and house,
hold utensils. and the palm to yield not only
food. but clothing. shelter. and dozen other
nccessaries Of lie.
The sweet gum loves to stand with its feet
in the tan-colored waters OF n mosquito
haunted Sussex county swamp and Just grow.
BY this process it comes to have a diameter Of
two three or fous feet A boiled gum log is
one Of the marvels Of the vegetable creation.
1t can be turned into almost anything that in
Genuity may suggest. but chiefly it is turned
into baskets for Strawberries. black berries.
huckleberries. cherries and grapes. There Is
nothing cleaner. sweeter. neater. or better
adapted to the purpose for which it is de-
signed than q sweet gum fruit basket. The
basket factories OF Delaware are provided with
great watts for boiling the logs.saws for saving
them. lathes for turning them. and great va
riety Of special machinery for various pur-
poses The gum log. cut in suitable length.
comes from the watts steaming and odorous.
and Is then 80 placed upon spndlcs
that 1t may be revolved in contact
with broad. clean. sharp.edged instru-
ments that act as great plane bits.
AS fast rs the log is revolved. broad. long ris-
bons Of the wood. perhaps an eighth OF IN inch
thick. slip out over the bits. These hot and
smoking ribbons sometimes reach length Of
many yards before breaking. They are folded
upon themselves. snatched away from the
machine by attendants. and laid in long piles
upon the floor. In few minutes q log two
feet in diameter Is thus drawn out into rib.
bons until there remains revolving upon the
spindle o core only six inches In diameter.
This Is thrown into pile with others. and
all are subsequently sawn into scant!inR and
ing the empty or the full baskets for shipment
by rail.
passed under saw that cuts them tranyersely
into little boards. from three to four inches
Esss sn4 % 0ns a "a 1s w wd bs H. St
made. As they come from under the saw they
are 50 saturated with the hot and sugary sap
black with hungry flies. ' Wv
basket max is done by men. but tho mar nSt
tGriai y put togeth i BY women and young
II is to sort out the defective ones and bond
the sound ones. The girl shuttle the boards
pieces with the utmost swiftness. Each board
Is bent at at. two points indicatsd by trans:
I and I 1hs By s h. hsnd that
iiTsa ssslIiss the szs and in shane s'ASS
Each basket requires from two to thros
boards. according to its size and share. The
edges are bound with narrow plant strips Of
sweet gum. Small taeks are driven in ut half q
from the eastpa and amehe Il be Is
energy. precision, and speed. A skliiul girl
from 800 to 1870 small Ierry Baskets In SIM Anu
Elc day One young woman ut Fr1nk ford Del.
in single day the Girls are paid cents sA pss
hundred for small berry baskets. and il cents
fhGe s sssset nsd
large room and dried either by steam heat or
=! " the atmospherc. When ready for shipment
1000 each and shipped 70 the iohbers or tho
YORK market laden With ali sorts rts' Of n nsc ESw
given away to the purchaser Of the contents.
res shall have ventilation upon all sides. but
fashions the material from which strawberry
baskets are mado so that not even tho small
est huekleDerry can escape Other machines
press the warm. sweet. ,pl liant wood into vari-
the like. The wood is also turned into beauti-
iul ladies and spoons. while it Is peculiarly
Many OF the Sussex county basket girls are
clever and Intelligent. and most q them earn
their leisure hours. The standing rule OF
factory ut Georgetown excludes visitors, es-
Recially OF the male sex, and the gallant old
tory explains that the rulo is enforced out OF
consideration for the girls. who do not like to
be seen ny visitors In the rough garments they
The berry basket TRADE is largo and con-
stnntly. growing. One factory in Delaware will
make 4.0OO.OOO grape baskets this year, DO. |
sidos millions OF baskets for native small
fruits. Half dozen other factories in the |
mfr vuyill