The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-05-15

great factories producing these mach
mes are directed and controlled, and
fully 80 per cent. of the sewing machine
Ytrade of the world is managed and
handled here. The production amounts
to more than 100000 machines annual
ly, and nearly 100000 persons in one
way or another make their living out
of sewing machines, either as factory
operatives, agents, clerks. canvassers,
collectors, or in some other capacity
connected with the making and mar
keting of machines.
The American sewing machine. like
the American watch and the American
reaper and mower, is the standard of
excellence for the civilized world, and
the export trade in sewing machines
penetratcs to the uttermost ends of
the earth. Everywhere throughout
Christendom the American sewing ma
chine holds the market against all
competitors. 1t is not a question of
price, but of merit, quality and repu-
tation. The only country that is maxi
ing any Roadway in the struggle for
the sewing machine trade is Germany.
There they have gone into it seriously.
and are turning out machines that
show a great improvement over their
product of a few years ago.
PATENTS.
1t is now twenty years since the eX-
piration of the last important patent
on fundamental principle of the sew
ing machine; but the inventive genius
of the age has not been idle all this
time, and patents covering devices of
greater or less utility have been grant
ed In large numbers. From Feb. p,
1912, to Sept. 10, 1895, there were issued
by the United tSates 7,4G9 patents for
sewing machines and accessories. Many
OF these patents cover several minor
features of the sewing machine. So
that the aggregate of patented inVen-
tions is much larger than 7,439. Among
the patents issued during the fifty-four
years ending with 1895 were the follow
ing:
Sewing machines making the chain
stitch ..........................' 900
Sewing machines making the lock
stitch ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. G6l
Sewing machines for stitching leather I3l
Machines for sewing on buttons ....... 33
Machines for making buttonholes 80. 4iS
Feeding devices .......................... SIG
Miscellaneous parts of sewing ma
& chlhes '-''oV
r Attachments, ruffiers, hemmers, cord
erS, exc. l,1-f
Cabinet cases and tables ................ 473
Motors, foot, hand, steam, electric ... 20
fy,N The earlier machines had no driving
bower except the common hand crank
This involved the use of the right hand
and only the left hand could be used
for managing and guiding the material
to be seWed Isaac Singer conceived
the idea of using a treadle similar to
that employed on the old spinning
wheel, and also discovered that with
upper shaft for increasing the momen-
tum he could run his machine by foot
power. Soon after came the iron stand
with the rocking treadle for both feet.
Mr.. Singer missed a great chance here.
He did not realize the supreme value
of these discoveries, and so neglected
to take out patents. Two years later,
when his devices had become public
property, he saw the lost opportunity.
one of the latest devices for driving a
sewing machine is a revolving treadle
. with the bicycle movement, but none
of the new wrinkles have proved so
satisfactory as the old-fashioned rock
ing treadle.
r, The proportion of hand to foot power
sewing machines used in Europe and
in Asiatic countries is far greater than
in the United States. The operation Of
IL SEWING machine DN mana power IN
this country is exceptional and is usu-
ally confined to those i'll some manner
d, crippled or physically unable to apply
foot power. In Europe and Asia much
of the sewing machine work is done
p by peripdtetic operatives who travel
from house to house and carry along
their own machines, and as they find
the iron stands and wooden cabinets
an impairment they prefer the hand
power machine that can be rested on q
table, bench or box.
... REVOLUTIONS WROUGHT.
In no branch of manufactures has q
greater revolution been wrought by the
sewing machine than in boots and
shoes. BY its aid the quality style,
and value of footwear have been great
ly enhanced, while prices have stead
lily declined, until there is no nation on
earth today whose people are so well
and so cheaply shOd as are the people
of the United States Changes in shoe
making methods and processes have
been most radical. Formerly the fit
ting Of the uppers was accomplished by
sending them out in small quantities
to be sewed and stitched by hand in
the homes of the operatives. When
sewing machines were introduced the
scattered home industry was concen-
O. tratec in factories, and steam power
9 was employed for driving the ma
chimes. In 1861 the first machine for
sewing on soles was put into successful
81 operation, and a royalty of cents on
each pair Of shoes was eXacted by the
owners of the patent They must have
had a liberal income from this source
as in one day of ten hours 800 pairs
g of shoes could be sewed on one ma
chine, and by the aid of machines $50,
900, 900 pairs of shoes had been made
up to the year 1871 in the United
d. States, and probably an equal Of great
,er number in Europe. The machine
now in general use does it's work in a
- manner closely resembling hand sew
~, ing, and is sold on a royalty plan based
on the rate of production. This ma
chine Is considered one of the marvels
of an age of mechanism. 1t is said
that after examining the operation OF
the sewing and welting machine of to-
day Thomas A. Edison declared ii tC
rank equal with the Blanchard lathe
In ingenuity and importance. Certain
II is that a shoe which can be bought
at retail for SO is in all respects equa
and in many respects superior TO the
s. shoe of fifteen or twenty years ago
ai Another effect OF machinery has beer
10 greatly increase the finish and beau
ty of ready made shoes.
,- Buttonhole machines have also hac
81 q large sale on the royalty plan, ano
have been very remuneratlve to Tho
owners of the patents. During the
early years OF the sewing machine tho
custom tailors showed great prejudice