The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1895-10-23
COAT SHOPS"
How Clothing is Made By Farm
ers in Maine.
An Industry Which Has Grown
Into Large Proportions.

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deal for manufacturers in New York
also, but the "farmers" include more
than the male portion of the popula-
tion. For many years Boston cloth
ing manufacturers have been shipping
clothing to Maine to be made up. 1t
was first taken by local seamstresscs,
who occasionally hired the wives and
daughters of their neighbors to "help
out, and Inter took larger amounts
and gave it out to farmers wives aud
village families.
Thrifty aud enterprising citizens
saw that there was profit in the busi-
ness and began to contract with the
manufacturers for the work. They
established shops and employed neigh
boring help to make up the goods.
The business grew so that companies
were formed, shops built and labor
saving machinery was introduced.
Competition was inevitable and more
buildings were erected. Boston man
ufacturers were better pleased for the
| firms of contractors made up of re-
sponsible business men, gave bonds
for the faithful performance of the
work and its prompt return, and losses
by spoiled garments and delayed lots,
which never could be enforced against
the village seamstresses, were reduced
to minimum.
Clothing manufacture has become
as firmly established an industry in
the State of Maine as numbering or
woodpulp making.
The chief location of the industry
is in the Kennebec Valley and ''up
Rangeby way" although many towns
in other parts of the state have estab-
lished "coat shops" The towns of
Norridgewock, Skowhegan, Water
vile and Fairfield on the Kennebec
River, and Pennington, up Rangeby
way" lead in the manufacture of
clothing.
The work is carried on in buildings
especially erected for the purpose.
They are square, two and three-story
frame structures, SO placed as to give
light and air on four sides and fitted
with as many windows as possible.
They are arranged to be cool in sum
mer and warm in winter. Steam and
water power is introduced, and every
process requiring the exercise of
strength is provided with power. The
sewing machines are run by steam, and
even the pressing, which is managed
entirely by men, is done by machine
power.
These towns are none of them more
than ten hours from Boston, and the
clothing, ready cut, together with the
materials for making it up, is shipped
daily by express to the contractor. 1t
is made up and returned by express at
a stated time.
The introduction and growth of the
trade has been godsend to the peo-
pie of the State. Agriculture in the
eastern part of Maine has been unpro-
ductive for many years. The condi-
tions of the farms has driven many of
the younger men to other States, but
those who could not go have had to
look about for means of livelihood.
Farmers wives and daughters either
took clothing to make or entered the
employ of contractors. They not
only provided livelihood for those
dependent on them, but saved money.
Mortgages were paid off, homes We're
bought, education provided. In the
small towns were many well educated
Young women, widows, and others of
good family, with meagre, pinching
incomes. Gradually, one by one, they
turned to this work when driven by
dire straits, and found remunerative
employment The prejudice against
hand labor was finally broken down,
and now not only women of good
families work daily in the shops, but
even young men with college educa-
tions, who have nothing else Mt hand
become "bushelmen" and pressers,
make buttonholes or run sewing
machine. There are here il the cities
of New York and Brooklyn men in the
practice of professions who oversew
their tailor's work as to seams, pock-
cts. buttonholes and Innings with a
practiced eye.
While amounts running from Sc to
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