The record-union., 1896-06-07


the cock of pipe is turned and the
feathers are engulfed in a perfect cloud
of steam, which is allowed to continue
until they have been thoroughly
washed. The steam is then shut off,
and the rotary motion continued until
the feathers become dry Next a pow
erful blower is connected with the CYL
inder box, which cools off and raises the
downy parts of the feathers until the
| box, which was half-full at the COM
mencement of the process, seems ready
to burst with its load of down. After
this process has been finished slide
door in the box is opened and the orr
| flee connected with a funnel which en-
ters the large, clean, well-lighted
room built especially for the reception
Of feathers, and in less than one min
ute every feather in the renovator will
have escaped into the room, leaving
all sand and grit in the bottom of the
| machine. The funnel attachment was
designed by the foreman of the de-
partment, H. S. Strachan, as well as
| many of the recent innovations which
conduce to comfort on passenger ard
sleeping coaches, and it may here be
said that it was under his direction
now so popular-was constructed.
The feathers are left in the room until
| once more deposited in the pillows,
and this work is performed by an ex-
pert at the business, who knows all
about feathers, and just how to handle
them to the best advantage. This en-
ploye also takes care of the renovator,
| and thus the cost of working it is prac-
! tically nothing.
Until within a few years every
| feather handled by the Southern Pacific
| Company was renovated at San Fran
cisco at a cost of seven cents a pound,
! besides an extra cost of four cents for
sewing up each sack. If Ia, 900 pounds
| be renovated each year one may read
| lily see that the machine is strictly a
| money saver. 1t was at the Sugges-
| tion of Foreman Stracban that it was
introduced, and to say that it has
proven a success is drawing it mild.
| Over the dyeroom, carpets, when not
| too much worn, are washed and their
cclors frightened by a chemical pro-
| cess, or those too badly worn are re-
placed with new ones These carpets are
of the rarest designs and most beautiful
| blending Of colorS. Those most in use
| (Wilton) are of the finest quality and
compare favorably with the most ex-
pensive imported articles. They are
manufactured in the United States, as
| is everything else except the finer quail
| tiles of plush and some of the finely
brocaded curtains. The main parts of
| the car requires from fifty-eight to
sixty yards of carpeting, but it Is a
/ afea5 1a faot I,nIf ,aata
| i'll the service has a separate ground d
| floor design by which the carpet must
be fitted, and no two of them are exact
| ~ alike, although the carbuilder would
be willing to hold up his hand and
| swear they did not vary a hairs
| breadth. He would be sincere in his
| statement, too, but if the gas or steam
| filter varies the hole for a pipe a frac-
| ton of an inch (and he usually does),
or If the cabinet-makers vary the posi-
| ton of the seats an inch (Which they
always do), the entire carpet is thrown
| out of plumb, and In the Southern Pa
cfic shops everything must be accu-
| rsacy itself. So a ground floor plan of
each and every coach plying the lines
Of the Southern Pacific system is filed
away in the upholstery department for
the use of the carpet filter. The work
of cutting and fitting is done on the first
floor, and from here carpets are fur
nished for the cars of the entire system
| Everything in the upholstery rooms
| has its place, and when an article is
| completed it is carefully stored away,
with the number Of the car to which it
| belongs attached to it, and when that
~,
| painters It Is fitted out with the great
est dispatch, and Is ready for service in
a few hours.
| The hair used by the upho1sterers is
brought to the United States from
| South America in raw state, and is
| here manufactured. The finer or longer
| hair, measuring over ten inches. is
| woven into hair cloth, which is often
made thirty-six inches wide. The hair
| under ten inches in length is manufact-
| ured into long curIed or spun ropes,
after being purified, and the shorter the
hair the lower the grade.
| When one enters sleeper he is not
| sensible of the many conveniences
| which have been provided for his COM
| fort, except in an aggregate sense. He
| will not segregate the arm and foot
rests, the sides and head-rests, the
| thick Brussels carpets and the heavy.
| quaint curtains and draperies which
are destined to keep out or let in light
| and to deaden the rattle of the machin-
cry. He will only understand that he
| is comfortable and that nothing is lack
| ing, from the silver plated cuspidor and
book-rest to the downy bed and easy
| cushions. He will lack for nothing, yet
If asked to describe the fittings of the
car in detail will blunder a few times
and wind up by telling you that it is a
very comfortable affair. 1t is enough
| for him that he has such comfort, and
he really knows nothing of the labor
and material, the care and worry, or
the thought and expense undergone to
provide that same comfort.
The part the upholsterers contribute
| toward this comfort is an important
one, and they deserve credit for turning
| off only first-cla:ss work. They are
busy, careful, Industrious men, and
when making a journey in one OF the
palace coaches one cannot do better
than to give thought to the men who
have contributed 50 much to his COM
| fort and ease. Their names follow:
H. S. Strachan, Foreman.
r. Blaner w. Mcclellan,
| H. Alexander, G. w. Marsh
D. F. Birmingham, c. Manning.
G. Boething, A. Muhleck,
X. 2. Dreyer, j. INITIAL,
Z. Dwyer, 0. Nillsen,
A. Eilinghouse, G.. w. Platt.
T. III. Flanagan, A. Sanders.
G. w. Farrar, J. Strachan
l.. Gutenberger, A. Schraeder,