The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-04-25

I wv ETTTIIT6 Ut THU HRE lNb NOT WUUH TWTV ~ IHT5
Time, ma patents covering devices OF greater or
less utility have been granted In large numbers.
were issued by the United States 7,4S9 patent!
Tor sewing machines and accessories. Many OF
the sewing machine. So that the aggregate OF
patented, Inventions Is much larger than 1883.
among The patents Issued during the ftty,four
Sewing machines making the chain stitch ....... 4as
Sewing machines making the lock stitch .,...... COL
Machines for sewing on buttons. ............... ~
Machines for making buttonholes MINIMUM. AS
Miscellaneous parts OF sewing machines .,.....e.e5
Adjustments, rnfiiers, hemmcrs, corders, Sc....l,osa
Motors. foot, hand, steam, electric. ...,,,.",.... 10
Tho earlier machines had no driving power
except the common hand crank. This involved
the use of the right hand, and only the left hand
could be used for managing md guiding the ma
idea of using n treadle similar to that employed
on the old spinning wheel, and also discovered
upper shaft. for increasing the momentum no
could run his machine by foot power. Soon
trcadlo for both feet. Mr.. Singer missed a great
chance here. He did not realize the supreme
take out patents. Two years later, when his de-
vices had become pu6itc property; he saw the lost
INK sewing machine is a revolving treadle with
the bicycle movement, but none OF tho new
wrinkles have proved so satisfactory as the old
The proportion Of hand to foot power sewing
tries is far greater than in the United States.
The operation of n sewing machine by hand
power IN this country is exceptional and Is usu;
Europe and Asia much of the sewing. machine
travel from house to house and carry along their
own machines, and MS they find the iron stands
on a table, bench or box.
revolution been wrought by the sewing ma
chine than in boots and shoes. by It's aid tho
greatly enhanced, while prices have steadily
declined, until there is no nation on earth To-
shod as are the people of the, United States.
Changes in shocma King methods and processes
the uppcrs was accomplished by sending them
out in small quantities TO be sewed and stitched
ssr aSad m nm chi hsmS sc Gf the intr STSSrS'divesiih the w ssst.
tered home industry was concentrated in
f foT'0F dsivtn and th s,e" machines PG@sr Y fn 1 s8I'o{ fSa
first machine for sewing on soles was put into
successful operation, and a royalty Of 2 cents
on each pair OF shoes was cXacted by the owners
OF the patent, They must have had a liberal in
come from this source. as in one day, of ten
machine, and by the aid Of machines $50, 900, 600
pairs of shoes. had been made up to the year
equal or greater number in Europe. The ma.
chine now in genera, use does its work in a
sold on a royalty plan based on the rate of pro:
duction. This machine is considered one Of
is said that after examining the operation OF the
sewing and welting machine of to-day Thomas
blanchard lathe in ingenuity and Importance.
Certain it is that n shoe which can be bought at
retail for 80 Is In all respects equal and in many
respects superior to the So shoe OF fifteen or
twenty years ago. Another effect OF machinery
has been TO greatly increase the finish and beauty
Buttonhole machines have also had a large
s rsnu Ga shH go io tSop l oRne sna Of a't tSe OI pats xSEy
During the early, years OF the sewing machine
) against lis usP- hut this DrciudlCe has wholly
, disappeared, and the machine is now in general
use for making d the finest est f carr ,an vsa The iS en ,%c
! factory production Of clothing has been coinci-
) dent with and largely the result OF the invention
5 the sewing machine TO factory operations in the
performance OF all stitching processes, INCLUDING
ions. staying. seams, &c. From lsso TO $500
, number OF establishments in the United States
devoted to the manufacture Of mems clothing,
and during the same decade the number of es-
tablishments devoted to womens clothing in
creased from 562 to 20. sll. The last mentioned
ignre includes custom dressmaking establish
whereas the smaller figure for 1880 does not in.
clude the custom dressmaking establishments.
The concentration of the manufacture OF cloth
ing into factory operation, alone made possible
by the sewing machine, has effected some i'm
jeans, denims. ~shirtings, &c, These goods arc
clothing, are made. and no longer pass through
man. the wholesaler. the joEbber and the retailer.
each of whom formerly enjoyed his slice of profit
apparel II Of all kinds has been cheapened In con-
sequence of the use of the sewing machine could
be expressed only by figures running far into the
hundreds of millions.
1t is also an interesting fact that while the
large manufacturing industries dependent upon
, the sewing machine much more than doubled
their output from 1880 to 1890, the population OF
fore follows that the quantity OF sewing done
in the home has been greatly reduced and tho
: greatly iessened. 4 man well informed in the
sewing machine trade on a large scale said TO
lit is in the use OF sewing machines in fac
tories that tho greatest revolution has been OF,
fected. You will DOUBTLESS be surprised when |
! tell you that the sewing machine in the home.
} taking the. rich, the well to do; the families of
the w%ell.paid wage earnsrs, and the poorest Of
twenty hours in the whole year. 1t is no
l longer used at home for making garments;
; fhf ff in excess prS OF the ' eost OF Of the r't CLOTH II
that it is no object for the housewife, he
her circumstances ever SO straitened, to employ
her time in making clothes for the member OF
her family. Women at home use their sewing
and while none OF them would consent TO be
without 4 machine. the use Of it is surprisingly
9 ferred upon women by the sewing machine. for
I 1t has left them leisure for other employmenls
/, In the census reports relating to the principal
! manufacturing industries that use the sewing
. value Of their products in 1890 had Increased
3 about rs per cent. as compared with the value of
their products in 1880. These industries EN-.
ployed 661 900 hands in 1890; they had about
. S437, 200. 900 invested in machinery, tools, and
3 implements of all kinds. and the total value of
n their product was 81, l6l, l86,65D. The manu-.
, features in which sewing MACHINES are, essential
{ are awnings. tents, sails, bags, bodybuilding,
! Loots and shoes, clothing for men and women,
I corsets. flags, banners, mems furnishing goods,
7 gloves. mittcns, hats, caps, pOcketbooks, rubber
= and elastic goods. shirts. saddlery. and harness.
q and horse clothing.
d The reports of the sales Of sewing machines
. during 1873 10. the period of the sewing ma
. chine combination which was entered into by
4 the leading manufacturers twcnty-fOur years
= ago. show Il total of 2.3O3. Oil. the average u
I wear being about 57G,0O0 since 1876 here has
been no available information other than that
z indicated in Tho census reports. These figures
Z Indicate that the average number OF machines
\ made annually during, the last twenty years In
4 the United States has been from 100000 to 800.
Q 600. and that the average first cost per machine
has been about $50.