Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1898-11-11
Big Little" Industries.

It's the little things which count, 30
averred the amateur statistician, ana
especially is this true of the manufac-
turers, imports, exports and CONNER
cial pursuits of New York. where the
trade In the Insignificant trifes OF per-
sonal use or articles common to the
economy of the household requires an
expenditure OF millions and millions
Of dollars every year.
For instance, said he, consider the
number Of handkerchiefs annually
sold. A prominent dealer estimates
that the daily consumption of the Unit
ed States is about $4,000 dozens, or ~
$4,000 dozens yearly-2S,5O 10000 single
handkerchiefs. Even this estimate Is
regarded as entirely too low, for 1t Al
lows only between four and five hand-
kerchiefs to each person in the couh-
try. There are at least 100000 lace
handkerchiefs imported every year ana
their value is in the neighborhood OF
S., 000, 900.
When you 60 to buy clothespins Mt
the corner grocery they give you 80 for
cents and you are, perhaps. inclined
to wonder how they can afford to sell
SO many for so little money. But your
nickel goes to swell a total of millions
which are annually spent for these ar
ticles, for wherever the wash Is hung
out to dry the world over it is gen.
orally secured to the line with clothes
pins OF American manufacture. They
are turned out entirely by machinery,
counted by machinery into boxes con-
tanning 720 each, and the boxes ere
nailed up by machinery. From the
time the prepared bltHks Of wood enter
the machines until as perfected
clothespins they are packed in cases,
not a human hand touches them. Two
grades are made, firsts and SECONDS
First grade pins cost but 35 cents
box.
Between 100000 and 100000 ci-
gar boxes are annually used In the
United States. OF this number about
nine-tenths are made in New York.
and the trade rivals the great cloth
ing industry in point Of capital invest
ed and the number Of people employed.
Mirrors are seldom lost and never in
tentionally broken; therefore, 1t is In
applicable that the annual sales should
amount to 100000; but 1t is true,
nevertheless. There are more than e.
900 persons employed in the manufac-
ture of looking glasses. or that num-
Der which is composed almost entire
ly of men, fully one-half are In the
state or city OF New York. The Indus
try is controlled by metropolitan capt.
tai.
New York yearly exports to Europe,
Africa, South America, and Australia
tons OF wooden meat skewers, and,
while tt y are made principally in the
west, the bulk of the trade is con-
trolled in that city. Skewers are al
most exclusively made Of hickory, and,
like most manufactures Of wood, they
are turned out by factories located in
close proximity to the forests whence
the wood Of which they are made is
taken. Skewers are made in several
lengths, AZ, s, 81, 6, and inches. and
up to gigantic fellows 16 inches long.
They are made entirely by machinery,
like the clothespin, and sold very
cheap. Completed skewers are put up
in punches, which vary in the number
contained, according to their size. Bill
lions of them are annually used, and
in New York city no less than 50.000,-
600 are consumed every year.