The Portland daily press., 1894-11-24

Very often a business is started IN this
city and grows to large proportions withoue
attracting much attention. The rooms OIL
the King Manufacturing company. IN inc
Storer block, might well be termed the Bee
Hive" for it may we'll be doubted if there is
a more busy place in all Portland, or one
where the people work.under better circun'
stances.
While the business is under the manage
ment of Mr.. J. Viking, and is known as
the ning Manufacturing company, it is
part of the extensive manufacturing busl-
ness of the Boston house of Russ, Eveleth
& ingalls,, who own the business. Mr.. King
as their manager having full charge OF
every detail of buying and making; and he
has kept several things in view. one being
to secure for the men and women in his en-
ployment the best possible sanitary
arrangements, and to make life and work
as pleasant as possible for them. Of course
this has cost money, but Mr.. King insists
that it has paid.
The history of the business has been
story of the continual following down OF
fixed policy from the days of small things.
Six years ago Mr.. King opened his manu-
factory 1OT tuc' tIIucs Will q oSe'AS'
idea of what he was to do with a large
establishment even then paying for his
rooms in the Storer block $500 year. but
with only six girls in his employment. lie
laid his plans well. and proceeded to de-
velop them until at this time he claims to
have the model establishme Mt of the sort in
the country.
Recently he has taken additional space.
and is quietly woI king up to the time when
he shall employ at least 900 girls. The King
Manufacturing company make ladies' ana
children's underwear, and ladies' wrappers,
the latter portion of their business having
but recently been entered into. The main
room as you enter, and you don't get in un-
less you have business. for notice outside
warns you to ring, occupies almost the
width of the great block, and is crowded
with windows. Facing the door are the cut
ting ia bles, and nearer the windows Is a
long line of machines, where ninety girls
are at work. The wrappers are started only
with cloth at one end CT the line and come
out the completed product or very nearly
so at the other. At the end of the machine
room is another room where such as the
finished product as is not at once shipped
can be found, the arrangements of shelves
and drawers being such as to save every
inch of room. There too a group of girls
are at work making button holes. At the
opposite end of the room is the once where
Mr.. King is occasionally to be found. for he
is his own manager. Over The door of that
room is what may be termed the motto of
the place, "This One Thing"
Back of the main room is the lace room,
to which the girls go, present ticket and
receive the laoes called for. There to is
stored the more valuable part of the
material. The room is not large, but the
value of the goods stored there ls.
The cutters work on carefully tested.
plans. They cut from twelve to eighty-four,
wrappers at once. There is an effort made
to have the cloth go as far as possible. and
absolutely nothing is allowed to be thrown
away.
Passing from tie machine room. there is
the ladies' cloak room, where every hook is
numbered to correspond to the numler on
some one of the machines. Back of that is
the engine room, where very handsome
little engine is doing the work of the estab
lishment. The elevator takes you next to
the floor above where another of the pecu,
liar features of the place can be found,
showing how everything is saved. There is
long row of bags on hooks into which the
clippings and even the sweepings of tie
floor are sorted. 1t pays in the end to do
this work in the most thorough manner.
Mr.. King recently added another room to
his f1oorage, and now has the space through
to Pearl street, and Is rapidly hitting up
that floor very mlch like the machine room
already described. and in short time will
be ready to fill i'll another long line of
mac hines. and Of course to give emplyment
10 many girls.
He has 2oO feet of cutting tables, and a
cutting table is with Mr.. King costly
affair." 1t is made of the best selected wood.
and is planned down from time to time un-
til entirely worn out. That. however, is
work of time. even with the constant wearing
away of the polished surface.