The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1901-08-16
A SOCIAL EXPERIMENT.
Mr.. Tilt VIII Live as a Workingman
in Model Town.

in Model Town.
"A special dispatch to the Boston
herald from Chicago saws From the
lsatheTn seat of a cobbIer's bench tc
the head of one of the greatest shoe
factories in the world. J. p. Tilt has
been a shrewd observer of the en-
pioyee and the employer During his
career ne has viewed the labor ques-
uoh from every point of vantage. and
now proposes to crystalline all his
knowledge Of the wants Of the Iaboring
iILah ana Skllled artisan into an ideal
laDor community in Endicott. n. Y.
nat ne may secure his ideal Mr.
INT is going to close his beautiful
nome IN this city, and, with his wife
ana b-year-Oid daughter, occupy one
OF the cottages in the new village of
Endlcott- There, on the banks of the
ouSQuehanna river, he viii live in q
modest dwelling. no better or more
picturesque than those which shelter
his factory hands.
nit IS aVerSe to nOtOriety, and cares
little to discuss his project. He Dosi-
lively declines to sit before 2 camera
20 MN the movement in which he is a
central figure is only the application of
common business sense to the business
or making shoes. He absolves himself
from all philanthrOpic measures. and
declares ne IS actuated in securing
IDEAL surroundings for his Iaborers
SIMPLY by the knowledge that il will
pay.
The man who is going to substitute
cottage Tor palace that he NAV beDe6+
his workmen and his business is q ffs H.
and democratic. Slight in stature of
medium height, with kindly blue ewes
ana irOn-gray hair and moustache. he
IS typical OF the successful American
merchant or manufacturer. vet he wa
porn outside the dominion of the stars
10
toronto, Ontario, one day in 1913 Sc
curing a common school educatf ton. he
learned the trade Of making shoes
de was thorough, and he dropped not
avn or WaXend when the whistle
sounded.
Mr. Tilt was % years old when he
came 10 the United States and finally
settled in Chicago. He had lust $50
ana his tools He rented a little room
IN building on the site of the present
chamber or commerce Underneath
was a saloon. where the toughest char
acIers congreSated. Twice the young
Gahadlan shoemaker was robbed, and
ne quit the room a year later $50
worse off than nothing.
Nothing daunted. Mr.. Tilt set I'D a
nttle shop on State street. made
SHOES and prOspered. Soon he hired a
couple of men to assist him. Business
increased and he had to move twice
-t-oiC anu get more nelp. In 1852 he
became connected with large firm,
and remained there five years. and
tnen Withdrew to go into business for
himself At first he had fftv men
and in the first year did a business of
$9V,vOO. Within the twelve months he
mad the present factory at Huron
street built. The factory EMPLOYS zoo
men today; its total output is worth
81 ,250, 600 w III
Mr.. Tilt is busy just now with the
u l'., OF Endioott. The site is nine
miles from Binghamton, \. Y and
SIX miles from the town of Lester
shlre, the original shoe town in that
part Of New York.
Endicott is TO be started on oct
i; II viii grow after that. but on
thaI date il is expected to start the
machinery in the factory and begin
the tanning Of hides. All the work
VIII be done there. from tanninp of
SKINS for sole and upper leather to the
making Of the paper boxes which hold
tne hnlshed shoes. When the factory
- IN IGI operation 1000 persons viii
oe employed in the shoe factory and
9VO others in the auxiliary plants.