The Cook County herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Minn.) 1893-1909, 1893-10-14
UNCLE SAN a TAILOR.
THE MAKING AND SALE OF
ARMY AND NAVY :. SUITS.

THE MAKING AND SALE OF
ARMY AND NAVY SUITS.
The soundest Material at tho Lowest
Price Is the Portion Of the Soldier Boys
and the Jack Tars DIficulty OF Cheat
Ing Uncle Samuel. .T,.-~' a j
.% Uncle Sam takes a paternal inter-
est in his soldier boys and clothes
. them in the warmest and soundest
fabrics at a price that never goes
above cost, says the San Francisco
Chronicle. There are three clothing
supply depots connected with the
army, one of them in a low, square
building beneath the Palace hotel on
New Montgomery street, San Fran
cisco. This; establishment, among
its many functions, makes uniforms
and underclothing for enlisted men.
Upon this kind of work an average
of 250 persons are employed for
eight months of the year: Most of
the sewing women are widows of
soldiers. Captain c.. W. Williams
has charge of the clothing and
equipage branch of the depot
and makes the inspections Of work
and material A piece of kersey
must be sound in every fiber or it
will not pass his rigid tests. The
cloth is first weighed to see if it
meets government. requirements.
Then it is run over reel and ex-
amined from the diverse side with a
strong light in front. If single
hole or flaw is seen the piece is dis
qualified. A careful measurement of
the material follows and then the
pulling test is made. This consists
in stretching process in machine
with a dial. Blouse flannel to be
passed must stand pull of twenty
three pounds to the inch. If it gives
way. even to the extent of thread,
the dial pointer tells the story. A
scorching process is used to develop
the threads in the texture and ascer-
tain their number: To pass exami-
nation each piece of cloth must have
sixty threads to the inch to the
warp and ffty-two to the filing. A
piece of cloth is passed back and
forth before horizontal gas Jet and
the nap burned off, Then, with a
needle, the crisp fbers are separated
and counted.
10 find out whether call wool''
goods have cotton in them a bath
hft been devised which eats the wool
an leaves has&cotton sin evidence
The fxity Of the .colors is tested by
acids. When the material is pro-
nounced sound and in conformity
with the regulations it goes to the
cutter, tailor and sewing women.
The labor Of each is examined almost
microscopically, and woe to the per-
son who has botched a task. The
rule that when the clothing is issued
it must be as near perfection in
quality, make, color and staying
power as anything that weavers,
and dyers can create admits of no de-
linquencies. - H.. -
An outfit of clothes tested and
made in this way would command a
premium among men who willingly
pay from $50 to $40 suit for their
apparel. Yet the. total cost of the
clothing to the government and to
its customer, the enlisted man, is as
follows:
Fine flannel blouse, noncommis-
stoned officer, 81. 85; trousers, $3. SO;
total, $751;. : r: %.t1f::~:.'~ = ...r :.
White duck blouse, 81. 21; trousers,
$1.07:4totaL 81 %.
Canvas blanket-lined overcoat.
equal to buffalo ulster in warmth,
and impenetrable- to the wind and
rain, $1,000.
Full dress uniform coat, noncom-
missioned officer, best quality kersey,
50. A; trousers, $3.98; total, $12.42.
Kersey overcoat, with cape, lined
with fine warm flannel, Sligo
Corresponding prices obtain in
other items of military supply.
Uncle Sam. after buying his material
of the manufacturers and paying the
regular price for making it up, sells
the product at cost. Officers uni
forms are not made at the depots, but
kersey may be bought for them there
at 81. 80 a yard. Enough stock is
hSHV O4A A1WA1u AOA AscVO 01OAs dAu IL LII
cludes everything a. soldier needs
from cork helmet to an undershirt.
Twelve sizes of trousers are always
in stock and six sizes of uniform
coats. In such an assortment a re-
cruit usually, finds a good fit, though
if he happens to be of uncommon d.
mensions he is measured and his uni
form is made to order. Kersey cloth
is about of the quality that goes into
the everyday business suits. It has
a rougher nap than English dress
goods, but it is used in the uniforms
of army officers, class. which is
habitually we'll dressed. Every Of
fcer is required to possess two full
suits, one for smart occasions and
another for fatigue duty. The en-
listed man is similarly supplied, ex-
cept that he also has a working suit
of brown canvas. In severe climates
extra cl0thing, as we'll as fur hats
and mittens, is issued. The navy has
q manufacturing and supply depot at
Brooklyn, but every ship. that goes
on q cruise takes q stock of cloth