The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-10-16
MRS coxDox, M1rrEN c1rrrAEIsr.
NJ big Industry . New England woman
Started on ESQ.

Upsat South Penobscot, Me-. lives the mitten
capitalist Of the United States. Mrs. A. O.
Condor 10 the name OF this wealthy woman
and she distributes every year from $4,000 TO
5000 dozen pairs OF mittens. She is q living
Illustration that IL pays to knit mittens, q mod
ern,~ up-to-date proof OF the fact that our grand
mothers knew what they were doing. Mrs.
Condon's story shows what q brave. plucky
New England woman can do when she sets her
mind to It. Mrs. Condor has written this
statement Of her mitten industry from it's be-
ginning up TO the present time:
Il began business In 1894 with a capital Of
$40 in a little room about 10 by IL feet in size.
l first made over worn-out felt hats thrown
away by the men, cleaned. shaped and turned
them and then made them over into hats for
women and girls. Then. as / lived in the coun-
try where there was no industry. but very
many willing hands. I resolved TO procure. II
possible some work for those idle hands to do.
Il went to Boston and saw some yarn manu-
lecturers and from them got twenty-five
pounds OF yarn on credit. this yarn to be made
into mittens. The manufacturers furnished
the yarn, and ! put II. out. at the homes OF the
starting the work and was Obliged TO return
part Of the yarn to the manufacturers at the
to have It all knit up into mittens.
This was not very encouraging Tor . years
work. but l persevered and at the beginning
Of the second year one family insisted on hav-
ing some yarn to knit into mittens. SO ! tried
Il over again and after IL once got we'll started
/ could not supply the demand for yarn. Tons
OF yarn were sent to me and my business grew
until L paid the steamboat, company, the
largest freight bills OF any one who did business
on the Boston aud Bangor route. From 1O.OO0
TO $4,000 dozen mittens were MANUFACTURED
yearly. and besides. making mittens we made
ladies' and misses hoods and cans, to1ues. &c.
Il had 1900 rames on my books OF people
who were'at work for me-. and many more than
that were really working. as on my books there
would be only one name from each house, al
though perhaps two, three or four members
OF tho household were knitting. ,oftentimes as
MANY as there were members in the FAMILY.
In the long winter evenings men and boys
wound the yarn and in some cases even the
After 1873 the knitting Of. mittens by hand
gradually decreased and machines came In TO
take the place OF the knitters. In $50 1 began
to buy machines and kent adding to my stock.
until now have eighty,two machines. We
make from $4,000 to IL. 900 dozens In one year
on the machines. One Of nv girls has made
104 pairs OF mittens in one day. small single
mittens, and eiRhtY-hve pairs OF boys double
lined mittens. Nearly all the machines are
run at the homes of the knitters. for in that
way they make more money.
Girls on an average make about TOUR dozen
OF cheap mittens or two dozen OF linedsmittens
In q day. We make q great many fine fancy
backed mittens of all sizes and OF these the
girls make from one to two dozen q day. The
price OF knitting used to be % cents q pair,
Then it dropped TO 6 and 1t Is about that now"