The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1896-11-27
Largest Carpet Works in Yon-
kerS Reduces Force One
half.
CORNELIUS BLISS SAYS NO.
BODY SHOULD HAVE Elk.
PECTED A LEAP INTO
PROSPERITY
H B. Claflin's Firm Says no Dry
Goods Boom Can Come Before
February or March.

For at least 200 men, Woodworking
employees of the Smith tapestry mills
at Yonkers, there is dark cloud cur
tanning the promising bright dawn of
prosperity.
When those 1000 men laid down
their dinner buckets in their homes
last night they had sad story to tell
their families. 1t was a story of an
other Black Friday, the blacklist day
in their lives. They had been given
notice that on Saturday they iced not
report for work. For the future there
was no promise. 1t was stated that
the suspension was temporary, but the
men understood that they might not
get work for months and these
months the hardest of the year.
The chill air of the evening remind
ed them that cold winter is coming,
and their coal bins had not been filled,
because wages had been reduced before
the election. None could hope for aid
from their friends, because they all
had suffered from the hard times, and
hope for the expected reaction was de-
strOyed by the unexpected misfortune.
The mills from which the men were
discharged are owned by the Alexan-
der Smith & Sons Carpet Company.
Until yesterday there was about 2,4O0
employees. Two months ago their
wages had been reduced 10 cents on the
dollar. A week ago the wages had
been restored to the original rate. The
employees were Jubilant in talking of
the future, and the possibility of re-
duction 10 the force was never dream
ed of. They all knew, of course, that
there was big surplus stock on hand,
but they all believed that. as times
improved, the surplus would be dis
posed Of There was not the expected
demand, however. Instead of the big
piles of carpets diminishing in size
they increased, and more piles were
started. Prosperity, apparently, had
not reached the point where people
were buying new carpets, SO the man
ufacturerS decided on a reduction in
force.
THE FORCE REDUCED ONE-HALF.
Half of the employees were retained
and the other half let go. Their re-
employment depends on the reduction
in the surplus stock. If trade i'm
proves, if the brightest hopes of bust
ness men are realized, the 1900 may
get work by the first of the year. But
during the intervening six weeks
they will suffer great hardships, be-
cause few are prepared for severe
winter with no pay envelopes each
Friday evening.
If trade does not improve, however,
the future is uncertain. 1t looks so
gloomy that many Will leave on Mon
day for Philadelphia, where the carpet
factories are in operation.
Business men of Yonkers We're amaz-
ed by the news that !, 200 of their GUS
toners had been thrown out of work.
1t means for them loss of trade that
might mean ruin in these times, when
business houses are sailing close to the
wind.
The Smith Company owns a large
number of tenement houses, tenanted
by their employees. 1t was reported
that the suspended men would. be al
lowed to continue in these houses at
reduced rentals, but it will take rent
day to confirm this report.
There Is news from other sources of
trade not booming as had been expect
ed. A Wall street publication says:
A canvass of dealers in leading lines
of business indicates disappointment
over the improvement in business thus
far. There have been good many
more inquiries in regard to goods, but
buyers have not been disposed to pay
advances. The largest real gain has
been in the fact that it has been possi-
BILE to make sales instead of being no
demand, as was the case some time
ago. This applies, to a considerable
extent, in dry goods circles. There
has been some speculative buying in
staple lines on the belief that prices
will improve later. The increase in
the volume of clearings shows consid-
cradle aggregate gain.