Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1892-07-15
GIRLS AT MEMS WORK
YOUNG WOMEN IN rlTTseURe MAKE
IRON colts AND NUTS.

Hands. but which l. Liked by the
Oiri.. who Ar. Very shrimi aru
Neat and Intelligent rhcir Pay.
There are probably thousand women
In pittsburg who work in iron mills |
making bolts. nuts, hinges and barbcd /
wire. Il seems almost Incredible that |
girls should be- employed in nn occura.
ton which isassociaiod only with Drawn
and muscle, but such Is the case. At |
the irst sight Of tho bolt works one eau |
not believe that anything bright or IN
torcsting could live inside At the call |
OF the Gi8o %. M whistle girls arr seen
coming FROM all directions toward tho !
factory. They arc generally dressed
tidy aud we'll and with their lunch bls-
kcts ON thoir arms are not unlike any
working girl ono may see.
Tho frat thing they do after entering
the building O. 10 change their street
dress Tor one to work ia. tie up their
hair, roll mp their slcovcl. and, putting
ON a coftoosack apron. aro ready TO no.
gin the days labor At 7o'olock tho
last whistle blows. the wheels groau aud
screcch ~ " they were weary 90 resume
another days work. but In little while
they bogin 10 move with moro rnpidity
and tho noiss amounts 20 something tor
ride. A sulphur smoke arises. and ~ IL
mbtaces everything IN a dim color. II
needs hut the dull rcd burning Of tho
OIL the horrible noises and the occn.
siOual sound Of human voice hnlloug
command TO stamp tho scene on ono'a
memory as q study from shcol.
Tho bolts and nuts, as they are called.
are fashioned by tho brawny men on tho
first floor. In crude state they arc
sent TO other departments, when the fin.
ishlng touches arc applied by feminine
fingers, ofttimus very delicate onrs.
Tne bolts nfc dumped into different
bins, according 10 sizo aud length. aud
each girl has one special kind 10 work
on. The first work on the bolt Is to
point" it--that Is, 20 mike round
end 30 that It will ontor the machine
which cuts the thread on H. The point.
ing machine has Hn immoyablc socket
ut ono side and steam revolving knives
facing t.
The operator. who Is known as
"pointor, places tho head Of tho bolt
IN tho socket, presses her foot ON n
pedal and tho sharp steel knives arc
forced against tho iron Little bits %
the iron hy, aud In an instant she ~.
moves her foot and the pointed bolt
falls down a slide into an iron deposit
box on the ilqor.
While the onu hand and foot has been
accomplishing this, the other foot sup
ports the girl, goose style, aud the other
hand hns got bolt ready 10 be- placed
into the socket the moment it Is empty
Thus for days, weeks and years tho
'pointor" handles ono bolt aflor an.
other for a living. being paid by the
thousand. Expert workers have pointed
10000 bolts IN day.
When the bolts are pointed they arc
takcn TO the eating quarters. These
machines are large, with deep sinks
filed with thick black oil. The bolts
ato placed In slides and pushed by the
worker up into sharp steel dies. In nn
instant the thread Il cut on them. Tho
work Ia rather dangerous, and care
must bo exercised to keep tho operators
fingers from going into the open dies and
having their ends cut on instead Of the
iron. The oil in which the girl is com.
| PEELED TO work in order 10 keep the bolts
from getting hot and thereby breaking
has very offensive odor ana gradually
smears the worker from tho root Of her
trizzly bangs down 20 her rrnoycr heels.
Girls Of any age. from sixteen 90 City,
/ NasFlH HNtN. ll..fss IsH
tho thousand averages from fifty cents
70 one DOLLAR n day.
Little girls from six years up totwelyo
| put the nuts ON tho bolts aud pack thcn.
Tho "nutting on Is nlsO accomplished
by machine power. The worker puts a
nut on a plate; then, uitor catching tho
head OF bolt in the jaws above, she
presses her foot on tho pedal, when,
presto, the work Is done Al long tables,
built Of substantial wood are rows Of
young girls. intorspcrscd with scatter.
ing of women whom life cast forth In
their old age. They pile lio bolts, row
after row, alternate heads, then wrap
them In strong paper
Tho girls always come TO tho factory
clad neatly aud woll. Dressing rooms
are provided for them, and soap and
towola At noon tho girls arc given
throo-quartors Of m hour. They lay
aside their aprons, wash their hands aud
duyom their woo lunches with energy
worthy Of u better cause. Formerly the
girls would hurry their dinners aud de.
vote tho rest OF their time 10 dancing
The orchestra was not the largest, nor
did II rival the Mexican band IN melody,
but II answered the purpose OF furnish
Ing timo for the shabby shocd girls. Il
consisted ofAio girl aud mouth organ
The mon were not permitted TO como
into tho girls side OF the shop, but they
would stand at respectful distance, as
though longing TO JOIN the merry dan
GERS, II seems rather strange, but tho
girls never minglo with tho men In tho
same factory. They are good and hon
est, and generally intelligent,
The girls were very happy, and every.
thing moved us smoothly as steel ON ice,
until forcwoman was introduced TO
take the place OF foreman, lmmo.
diatcly she put u stop to all singing
during tho day aud all dancing Mt noon.
There was decided stir among the
girls ut thcso new rules, but thoy Wore
forced to submit Since then they spend
the noon hour reading and doing fancy
work. Most Of the girls arc uxperts