Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1901-10-25
THE SHIRT FACTORY.
BUSINESS ENTERPRISE WORTHY
OF PUBLIC PATRONAGE.
1t At Present Employs Forty Females And
Gould Accommodate Fifty More-A
Well Lighted And Ventilated
Room With Pleasant Sur
roundings How The
Work Is Done

4 W OlA 10 OUuCs
| AS business enterprise, the Shirt Fac.
tory has not been the success that was
| hoped for, because OF the failure to Sc
cure the proper number of hands to CON-
/ plete the required amount OF work to be
/ turned out each week. AS a factor in
the busy mart oil trade. the Shirt Factory
| is great success. Everything about it
has an air of business, from the hum OF
machinery and the noise OF the gasoline
| engine, to the click OF the machines and
| the interested manner OF the gIls intent
| upon their work.
| The Shirt Factory has just entered
| upon its third ear, and It gives promise
OF being a permanent fixture. That it
has come here to stay is more from good
luck than good management in the past,
| for heretofore il has not been under the
proper management. hence its failure to
meet requirements. The factory is loca-
ted on Second street, a few doors from
West street and opposite the old line
| depot. The building is 4oxoo feet, and
is a one-story frame structure. 1t is
| we'll lighted and ventilated. 1t is COM
| tortably heated in winter, and during the
| warm season there are electric fans which
| are kept in operation in various parts OF
the building-making the air cool and
pleasant.
| The factory has its own dynamo, and
| furnishes its own electric light. Above
each machine is light which is turned
on when necessity requires. The ma
| chimes, which are operated by girls, are
run by gasoline engine OF ten-horse
| power. Two hundred gallons of gaso-
1 sThara 20
/ machines, AL the Wheeler < Wilson.
Only 20 hands are now employed, and
the factory is badly in need of 50 more.
With the present force the factory turns
out 400 dozen shirts per week, but it
there were enough hands to keep all the
machines in operation, 700 dozen would
be the result OF a weeks work, and fewer
working hours per day. The deficiency
/ in the working capacity OF the Shirt Fac
| tory greatly hampers the work. Then.
too, the girls do not work steadily.
Some will work for day and remain
at home two. Only IS OF the 40 now
employed have not missed any time since
| the factory re-opened this year. This
| irTegularitY greatly retards the progress
| of the work. Every inducement has been
/ offered for an increased number OF hands,
but il seems almost impossible to obtain
| them. Why this should be the case is a
my stery, especially since the room is
/ large, airy and comfortable, as clean as
any place can be, and the work is neat
and the surroundings pleasant. Certainly
no working girl should object to accept
| ing employ ment at the Shirt Factory,
| where she Is comfortably seated during
working hours and not exposed to the
| gaze OF the public as she would be in
other places OF employment.
| Work done at the factory is sent to
| Benedict Bros of Baltimore, under whose
management the factory is conducted.
This firm has their main house in Balti-
more and l branch houses in other cities.
The cutting is all done by the main fac
| tory and the shirts to be made are sent
here in huge bundles, each part being
tied in separate bundle. A much better
class of work is being done this year
than formerly, and nothing but shirts are
now being turned out at the factory when
last year overalls and coats were made in
connection with shirts. The work is OF
better material also, pique, madras and
| printed goods being used. The style is
also different. There are plated bosom
| and plain bosom shirts. and the raglan
style of shirt.
A shirt, like the human body it covers,
is fearfully and wonderfully made. Each
shirt hand has her own particular work
to do. One seams, another fells, another
puts on yokes, another reiniorces back
and puts on yoke, another puts in sleeve.
| another stitches. One makes the cuffs,
another the neck band. One sews on
buttons, another makes buttonholes. To
| watch each one do her own work, and
do it well, is an interesting object lesson.
| All this work Is done by machinery, even
TO sewing on the buttons. A good work
man can sew on from 200 to 900 buttons
| per hour by machine, and they are sewed
on much stronger than by hand The
bultonhole making is equally interesting
work, and one who works well can turn
out 50 shirts per day-making button
| holes IN each shirt.
| Work is paid by the piece, and the
/ pay is much better here than in Balti-
more, the Annapolis factory paying from
4 to 10 cents more on each piece of
work. Girls are employ ed from II years
OF age and older. They receive 81 50
the first week and s4 90 per week after
| the second month. Some OF the girls
employed are now earning from S5.75 to
| 81 90 per week. The amount earned
depends entirely upon The worker, as
she is paid per dozzn. Mr.. b. Baker
is superintendent of the Shirt Factory.
ard is endeavcring to run it along bust
ness lines to the best interest OF employer
and employee. He has had many diff
cullies to overcome. chief among them
mistakes in past management, and the
insufficient number OF hands. The factory
is worthy of the support OF people OF this
community, and should receive the en-
couragement It merits.