The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-07-02
FEATHER MAKERS ACTIVE.
4 DELICATE TRADE EMPLOYING
1BOUT 1000 TOMEN WORKERS
The Revival OF tho Fashion OF Wearing
Ostrich Plumes Has Brought Prosperity
to Many Women-Tho Various steps in
Making the Eanthera RendX for Mals.

Ostrich Plumes Has Brought Prosperity
to Many Women-Tho Various steps in
Making the Feathers Ready for Hats.
! From July to November is the feather max
ing season in New YORK. which means tho
fcather-making season for the whole country.
Tor in no other city can the dealers secure
either the hands or the ideas for profitable
1 feather making. Chicago has tried two or
/ three times to make feathers and failed
| ST. Louis has tried. and ono or two other cities
which saw 10 reason why they should not
I make feathers successfully when they could
, make many other things. The business baf-
/ fed them all, and New York is confesscdy tho
! only town possessed Of native born girls and
women gifted with the feathcr-makng faculty.
! From 800 To LOCO women. moro or less young
aud more or less adcnt engage in the business
each recurring season. The designers and
! skilled experts are much sought after and n
dealer newly started in the business finds difli
| Guilty in securing this class OF hands. Feather
/ making offers such fair chances for good pay,
steady work in the season, and sure advance
mcnt when proficient. that it attracts wei!-tu-do
| workers. and the visitor to irst.rate feather
| factory where only best grade and medium
| goods are made is struck with the comfortable
air Of the employees.
| The skilled. Trustworthy women in the
| trade make SO aud $50 Il week, ana can make
| even more il they chuos" = take work home
! said broadway feather MAKER, Even tho
| beginners. those who twist paper round the
| wires and work nj the simplest steps in the
| process, get : 30 20 81 a week while leaning.
| II takes sprichtly wihc-awaSe girl fully two
| years TO learn tn" business, longer TO become
| m expert. but once she has acquired the
| knark she is sure Of good wages and all tho
| work she wants for tho rr-t Of her lie. Ip in
our worGroom are white haired elderly women.
Grandmothcls who have spent their entire
lives in the feather trade aud are. some Of
| them, Keeping on With work now not So
much from necessity but because they
Ike IL and have got ~ the hahit ct
her mind or passes Ii" time. The work il the
best feather factories is light. the workru"ms
IA" be-. aTe 10 and 2IY ths hours
$50 \. NJ to , IN the afternoon. As IN all
| con lrrcd before correct average can be
Judged. and many cheap goods amt common
leather '@c?rcs are r1rri FITS LIZ On N I'm
I rOyccS work fourteen hours da! Tor the most
meagrc pay. These places are horrid. because
the feathers in the dy"ing process give out
wretch"d odor, and al hough men manage that
part the women workers breathe It all in and
"Eirst-ra facturle, all have the Il ycinG md
; coIorinG done IL separate building, and the
from the steamers when they go 70 hold the
feathers over them for opening the Iues; THIS
it /, one Of the most delicate Processes in the
business. andrither to get II feather too damp
or not to steam it open enough would ruin it.
|, The steamers are heated with gas. so as to
emit as little heat as possible.
} Ask cd ~ to the NATIONALITY OF IA" successful
feather workers word comes that the Irish
American EIri 3utstrlps all competitors Tor
! girl. but the girl who's, mother or grandmother
! | emigtatcd To- this country and founded family
street; almost, and ask who are ths best head
a ana e t EaMG rTIRR a WIN mdr Re-
AulnrCHul nrDNpt -
selves more straight forward and loyal than
Of tHS %4rr %a5"p hnna Wn@
lot 50 Een,i,fm e9rSs9 Az II the ostrich
GSy @Gpy Sm y%n 10y c 9sr Ing ffhG cr
= ,rtain her service, A. a rulc, the other girls
Went 30 this ihYE seen "a raihsr to Ike The
r The feather trade has always been good
v66s l. the season Of 1880 the sElci women
a made SO and $5oq week easy. ostrich feat'. :
supply the demand Numbers OF head workers
: made and saved money enough to retire ON
- OF the Ustl ch 'rHthc" furorr. Fashion swervei
y round and wings aud nomp,ns, stif' high
t soft. curing uumc-. only last season ostrict
4 feathers brGan t" look W again. This veal
there isstill NOR" demand for them. o. rOurs,
= we always hay" done legitimate business, il
= ostrich lIumes and tirs, and W" kent irregular
IL
life of the trade was snuiicd out in 1870.
5 Their" Is this r"rul.nr'ty about the feath"
r, Of The fancy Gather branch OF il are expcr
u flower makers as well. and take up the Hover
q The ostrich feather workers cant make flow
rrs. Theirs Is an entirely separate business
d.TGHS t GTGTr % nTr i SnS
n Of the women noted in the trade before haN'
dsHapPgar% Tney heyH s S there W WAR cs
: | for their services. and II boom IN ostrici
a feathers, came now there would be hustlipi
: | among the manufacturers to secure the RICH
I. help. Th"y can't be taught in 4 week or IN
" season, and those who have stayc! on, righ
TX -" %nsta3Sh ns 'eI Wbv maks
le aprIcots grow II left TO ripGn on the branch
e made or rather mad" over. from stem To finish
X ai.p.is this ca-v-as-anything d"!usion,
= Here ar. our rack. black ostrich pumes, "
q say, the dealer, fling me- os"n tn" door Of snir
and what appears to be lunches "t lank feath'.
as inster, that had been gu, IN the rnin are see
~ muny hams in u country smokrhouse. "Yo
! wouldn't cross the street to nick them ur nov
rs dealer They are lust from tn" drying roor
~ aud have got t" b" pared and ru, IN layer
's s"wnd. strmmcd. curlcd. steamed aud lai
- "y"r heforr they are ready +" go ~ The hoxr'
81 After thar Mm". ElgrT Gee OF Mme High fGur'
',i ,'r the avenue. would charge YOU rs Tor on
Al l'Iuu the 0ir"n roof If III" hig factory thrr
II, are rows and rows Ot tn" dang ing duSt"r- Il
10 | feather rngic~ suspended Oh strings T" Dir!
ni | ami when a shower came ur III" other attr'
Mt loon the factory hands made dash Tor thj
80 h!Eh pH-turago. -uch as a iaimer makes wine
- III" hay lies cut ~ the nu.d aud thcr" ar" raj
hC | clouds in tNc heavens. Ostrich feather
-. | won't dry By artificial heat said the d"aIe
- They must have sunshine a-pcny or the
iy are sticky aud no good. Last summer. whe
IT. it raucd every day for weck Ks W" had to Sh'
's down work. No matter what orders waite
to | there was nothing tor IL but wait Il
,lc tho sun came ont. Another ohStinat
Mt thing about ostrich feathers is that, III
its | feather stem won t take the dyn alOn
NJ with the lues. No process Yet know
~ CGyiatcs this popularity. and the conring hi
"a, Inc, NM no Strnl hy hand after IL Is pare
sh au.i prepared. II women would wear oS,ric
feathers in natural c"lprs. the soft gray, brow
| which, 20 my mind. Is very pretty, It wOu
w. save much bother. bur thrv never have wOr
IL and apparently never viii w"a1 hem TINT wa
rtS So every plume AMI tin must b" "OiOrcG bciOI
a. il IL nut through the other processes