Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1892-07-16
GIRLS AT HENS WORK
YOUNG woMEN in PiTIsBURa MAKE
IRON BOLTS AND NUTS.

Hands, but Which Is Liked by the
Girls, Who Are Very skiilfu,-They Are
Neat and IntcIl;:.cnt-Thcir Pay.
There arc probably a thousand women
In Pittsburg who work in iron mills
making bolts, nuts. hinges and barbed
wire. 1t seems almost incredible that
girls should be employed in an occupa-
ton which is associated only with Drawn
and muscle, but such is the case. at
The first sight of the bolt works one can
not believe that anything bright or in
tcresting could live inside. AT the call
of the 6:3O a. m. whistle girls are seen
coming from all directions toward the
factory. They are generally dressed
tidy and well, and with their lunch bas-
kets on their arms are not unlike any
working girl one may see.
The first thing they do after entering
the building is to change their street
dress for one to work in. tie up their
hair. roll up their sleeves, and. putting
on coffeesach apron, are ready to be-
gin the days labor. At Z o'clock the
last whistle blows. the wheels groan and
screech rs if they were weary to resume
another days work, but in q little while
they begin to move with more rapidly
and the noise amounts to something ter
rife. \ sulphur smoke arises, and as it
embraces everything in a dim color, it
needs but the dull red burning of the
oil, the horrible noises and the occa-
sional sound of human voice halloing
command to stamp the scene on ones
memory as u study from sheol.
The bolts and nuts, as they are called.
are fashioned by the brawny men OH the
first floor. In Il crude state they are
sent to other departments. when the fin
ishing touches are applied by feminine
fingers, ofitilnes very delicate ones.
The bolts arc dumped into different
bins, according to size and length, and
each girl has one special kind to work
on. Tie first work on the bolt is to
point" it-that is, to make a round
end so that it will enter the machine
which cuts the thread on it. The point
ing machine has an ilnmovGble socket
ut one side and steam revolving knives
facing it.
The operator, who is known as q
pointer" places the head of the bolt
i'll the socket, presses her foot on a
pedal, and the sharp steel knives are
forced against the iron. Little bits of
tie iron f., and in an instant she re-
moves her foot and the pointed bolt
falls down a slide into an iron deposit
box on the floor.
While the one hand AID foot has been
accomplishing this. the other foot sup
ports the girl, goose style, and the other
Land has got bolt ready to be placed
into the socket the moment it is empty
Thus for days. weeks and years the
pointer" handles one bolt after an
other for living, being paid by the
thousand. Expert workers have pointed
10000 bolts in Il day.
When the bolts are pointed they are
taken to lie cutting quarters. These
machines are large, with deep sinks
filed with thick black oil. The bolts
arc placed in slides and pushed by the
worker up into sharp steel dies. In an
instant the thread is cut on them. The
work is rather dangerous, and care
must be exercised to keep the OPERATOR
fingers from going into the open dies and
having their ends cut off instead of the
iron. The oil in which the girl is COM
PEELED to work III order to keep the bolts
from getting hot and thereby breaking
has very offensive door and gradually
sn.cars the worker from the root of her
frizzly bangs down to her runover heels
Girls of any age, from sixteen to fifty,
worl; in this department. Their pay by
the thousand averages from fifty cents
to one dollar day.
Little girls from six years Up to twelve
Put the nuts on the bolts and pack them.
The ..nutting on" is also accomplished
BY machine power. The worker puts a
nut on a plate; then, after catching the
head of bolt in the jaws above, she
presses her foot on the pedal, when,
presto! the work is done. At long tables,
built of substantial wood, are rows OF
Young girls, interspersed with scatter
ing of women whom life cast forth in
their old age. They pile the bolts, row
after row, alternate heads, then wrap
them in strong paper.
The girls always come to the factory
clad neatly and well. Dressing rooms
are provided for them, and soap and
towels. At noon the girls are given
three-quarters of an hour. They lay
aside their aprons, wash their hands ind
dcvour their wee lunches with energy
worthy of better cause. Formerly the
girls would hurry their dinners and de-
vote the rest of their time to dancing
The orchestra was not the largest, nor
did it rival the Mexican band in melody,
but it answered the purpose of furnish
ing time for the shabby shoed girls. 1t
consisted OF one girl and a mouth organ.
The men were not permitted to come
into the girls side of the shop, but they
would stand at a respectful distance, as
though longing to join the merry dan
cers. 1t seems rather strange, but the
girls never ningle with the men il the
fame factory They are good and hon.
tst, and generally Intelligent.
The girls were very happy, and every
thing moved as smoothly as steel on ice
until forewolnan was introduced to
take the place of u foreman. Imme-
diately she put stop to all singing
during the day and all dancing at noon.
There was decided stir among the
pirls at these new rules, but they were
forced to submit. Since then they spend
the noon hour reading and doing fancy
work. Nest of the girls are experts
with the needle and those who read
would surprise scholar with their quo
t;ltions. There are more handsome girls
in this factory than could be found
among the same number at reception.