The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1892-12-28
GIRLS AT MEMS WORK
YOUNG WOMEN IN PlTTSBURG MAKE
IRON BOLTS AND NUTS.

There are probably 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
teresting could live inside. At the call
of the $3.50 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 coffeesack apron. are ready to be-
gin the days labor. At Z o'clock the
last whistle blows, the wheels groan and
screech as if they were weary to resume
another days work, but in little while
they begin to move with more rapidity
and the noise amounts to something ter
rife. A sulphur smoke arises, and as it
embraces everything in dim color, it
needs but the dull red burning of the
oil, the horrible noises and the occa-
sional sound of human voice halloing
a command to stamp the scene on ones
memory as a study from shed.
The bolts and nuts, as they are called,
are fashioned by the brawny men on the
first floor. In a crude state they are
sent to other departments, when the fin
ishing touches are applied by feminine
fingers, ofttimes very delicate ones.
The bolts are dumped into different
bins, according to size and length, and
each girl has one special kind to work
on. The first work on the bolt is to
"point" it-that is, to make round
end so that it will enter the machine
which cuts the thread on it. The point
ing machine has an immovable socket
at one side and steam revolving knives
facing it.
The operator, who is known as
''pointer," places the head of the bolt
in the socket, presses her foot on a
pedal, and the sharp steel knives are
forced against the iron. Little bits of
the iron fly, and in an instant she re-
moves her foot and the pointed bolt
falls down slide into an iron deposit
box on the floor.
While the one hand and foot has been
accomplishing this, the other foot sup
ports the girl, goose style, and the other
nd hao mo- 6u 70 ha
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 day.
When the bolts are pointed they are
taken to the cutting quarters. These
machines are large, with deep sinks
filed with thick black oil. The bolts
are 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 operators
fingers from going into the open dies and
having their ends cut off instead of the
PEELED to work in order to keep the bolts
from getting hot and thereby breaking
has very offensive odor and gradually
smears the worker from the root of her
frizzly bangs down to her turnover heels.
Girls of any age, from sixteen to fifty,
work 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 q
nut on 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
OONCio' az hOOh tiiO Sll 10 dic SlNcll
three-quarters of an hour. They lay
aside their aprons, wash their hands and
devour their wee lunches with energy
worthy Of a 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 mouth organ.
The men were not permitted to come
into the girls side of the shop, but they
would stand at respectful distance, as
though longing to join the merry dan
GERS. 1t seems rather strange, but Q
girls never mingle with the men in tie
same factory. They are good and hon.
est, and generally intelligent.
The girls were very happy, and every
thing moved as smo )thly as steel on ice.
until a forewoman was introduced to
take the place of a foreman. Imme-
diately she put stop to all singing
during the day and all dancing at noon.
There was a decided stir among the