The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1895-05-16
IT IS A GRAND SIGHT.
A TRANSFORMATION SCENE AT
A KNITTING WORKS.
MAKING WOOL INTO STOCKINGS
Visit to the Works of the Chicago
Rockford Hosiery Company and
What is to be Seen
There.

COTTON 90 1llUO Ole sue VI d UullulHS
and cone out the other a smooth, even
ly knitted stocking in the space OF a
few minutes is, metaphorically speak
ing, the sight one may see at any time
in a visit to the knitting works Of the
Chicago Rockford Hosiery company,
out on Prairie avenue.
A reporter took a trip out that way
and stepped into the presence of one OF
the most genuine gentlemen in Keno
sha, W. W. Cooper. Mr. Cooper an
Iicipated at once the desires of the re-
porter and suggested that he take
look through the establishment. This
is a large affair, as one may judge by
the fact that it takes from 25O to 800
hands to operate the concern and the
further fact that the capacity OF the
shop is 900 dozen stockings per day
TO begin at the beginning OF the
manufacture of a stocking one should
commence at the car which stands on a
side track back of the big factory
building where men are unloading a
car load of WOOL The cotton used by
this firm comes in car load lots in the
original bale as well, and is tumbled
into the store room. From this room
nearly the entire process throughout is
the work of automatic machines-ma-
chimes that seem almost to be able to
think and reason out processes, SO per-
feet is their work. 1t is, Of course,
needless to add that these machines
are of the latest patterns.
The first thing done with q piece of
wool or cotton is to put it into ma
chine which twists it loosely into big,
fluffy yarn. From here 1T goes success
ively to two or three other machines
which refine, card and reduce the
auffiness and so twist it that it is ready
for the spinning machine.
This is a machine built exactly on
the principle of the old fashioned spin
ming wheels our grandmothers used to
twist wool into yarn on in the days of
long ago. 1t is long series OF many
spinning spindles, presided over by q
bow whose business it is to see to it that
threads are kept whole. He has not
much to do, but yarns will break once
in a while and he must tie them.
The product is yarn now and must go
| to the machine which winds it on to
cones, from which it may be easily
pulled off without breaking it in the
knitting process.
Now let us step into the next room.
We take cone with us and place it on
knitting machine. This machine is a
cylinder in appearance mostly. 1t has
a lot of needles, fashioned good deal
after the style of crochet needle,
sticking up in row around this cylin-
der. When the machine is started the
yarn begins to buzz round and round
under the crooks of these needles, and
faster than the eye can wink the needles
| bob down one after the other So rap
idly is the work done that the eye is
puzzled to keep track of it. Then i'm
agine if you can hundreds OF these cyl
indrical looking machines buzzing
away for all they are worth in this
room. They are very close together
and there is a bewilderment of belts
and pulleys above them. But here,
keep your eye on the machine. 1t
isn't running so rapidly now. You no
tice the yarn don't go clear around the
circle any more. It's usefulness seems
to be shortening up. 1t only makes a
quarter turn now. Backward and for
WCblu IL NOOplCO Will CAO LAOoU hAAO
kind of wobble-now widening out
little and then all of sudden away it
goes again on $40 double quick. All,
that was a heel motion. You see it
now, don't you? And so the machine
keeps on untiringly the live long day,
making one stocking after another as
long as the yarn holds out.
From here the knit stocking goes to
new machine for it's toe finish, and then
to the dyer. w. r. Anderson has charge
Of this branch of the work, and he has
the reputation of being one of the best
6yers in this country. After the color
ing comes the drying on forms made
for the purpose, pressing, sorting and
packing in boxes made in the shop.
With so much machinery to look af-
ter machine repair shop is a neces-
sity. Howard E. Harbaugh looks after
this branch of the business in shop
fitUed with all the tools and machinery
requisite for the work. One might
easily be fooled into thinking the place
a regular machine shop if he came into
it from the outside without seeing any
of the rest of the works.
The knitting department is i'll the
hands of Charles Skiller. He is active
and energetic and certainly has heavy
responsibility on his shoulders.
The yarn department is in the hands
of two. David Nichol is foreman and
Isaac W. Huff is his assistant.
The finishing department is in the
hands of George Harbaugh, while John
Proctor looks after the stock depart
ment and the shipping.
Charles t. Cooper is the general SUI
perintendent and W. W. Cooper gener
al manager.
The product of this company is in
possession of the market to sufficient
degree to make the enterprise one of
the most stable and well founded of any
in that line of business. Mr.. Cooper,
| the general manager, is one of the most
careful students of advertising and in
preparing ads is something of genius.
!! Just now he is pushing his leather
cfnckinUS-n0t leather hI1t wear like