The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1898-12-14
Silk Mill Notes.


now running at our new silk mill. This
sounds like nothing when read in cold
figures, but you ought to see the anima-
tion when all this machinery is in
motion. and above all you ought to hear
the merry noise of the flying shuttle
when chased to and fro by the automat-
ic picking stick.
Tho fever Of learning weaving has
taken even to the boys. Little Tom
Mckee has given up floor sweeping to
learn weaving.
The personnel OF the silk mill has
now reached the number Of 100, or
pretty near 1t.
Since I have been working In silk
mills never saw so much eagerness on
the part OF young girls to learn the
complicated art OF weaving Over IS
per cent. are pretty keen and are now
running two looms with the seriousness
and gravity Of old hands. True, little
practice is still needed but IL is only
question OF few weeks more for them
TO be accomplished weavers. As was
expected, out Of the large number of
girls who presented themselves to be
instructed and learn the trade, about 5
or perhaps 10 per cent. have given up,
but losing those hands is not to be re-
GREETED. They were only the element
which, out of curiosity, want to see
10 a., ha, hA
necessary strong will, which alone se-
cures success in any undertaking. They
were not the brightest of the lot and
made poor showing Of their ability
and Of their aptitude to steady work,
and every one who has left was immedi-
ately replaced by two, and sometimes
| four, more anxious to have Il chance at
the loom. Nowadays, in the time Of
hard competition and daily struggle for
life, it is good that everybody, and
especially girls, should have trade to
insure them living in case OF hard
necessity. How many times have
seen young operatives, after q stay OF
four to five years in mill, leaving same
for some other calling, or better, to fill
the position Of happy housewife, all at
once meet with some unexpected and
undeserved reverses or affliction and
had to return to the mill in order to
keep the wolf from the door, They
were known as skillful operatives, as
steady workers, and they easily secured
their old jobs, and joy and security
came again to the poor afflicted who
sometimes, in moment of hard luck,
had despaired OF the future.
Work at the mills affords the young
operative more freedom and security
than any other calling 1t is, in fact,
in the hands of n skillful girl a real
capital that cannot be taken away from
its owner. II, perchance, there happen.
to be no work In one particular mill
there is always some work to be had in
scme neighhoriug mills.
The learning OF a trade for young
girl nowadays has become as impera
tive as life insurance to the far-seeing
saving man, and it is when she is young
that she should learn. Between tn,
the age of IL and 20 it is PRACTICAL,
easy to almost all. After 25 or 30 it L
oftentimes too late: the learning facul
ties are dull and the fingers have be
come stiff. But as far as I can see
right here in Reynoldsville people seen
to have understood this fact and tn,
young girls are eagerly seeking to TAX,
advantage of the chances afforded then
by the establishment OF the attractiv,
industry Of silk weaving.
BLACK JOHN, Ex-Loom Fixer