The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-08-17

perior methods OF curing deershns. Now.
these soft tanned hides were particularly
fine for the rude shaped mittens or the
frontiersman. and thus sprang up the IN
dustTy which was eventually 70 give GloF-
e~rsVille its name.
While at first the making Of mittens was
wOmen's work. the invention or cutting oles
which. laid upOn a pile OF skins would cut
a half oozen patterns at a time. required
the brawny arms OF the hardy male. Slowly
from the first wagon load shipped 10 Boston
in lSl3 this industry grew. but only the
coarser grades OF gloves. made from the
heavier skins, were manufactured. and sull
the men were by far in the majority. until
the fateful Mckinley tariff bill passed Con-
grcss. Deity inserted among It's provisions
was one that was destined 10 condemn
many "A bUXom maid to solitary splnster-
hood. There was nothing In the clause IL
self that smacked OF the woman hater.
There Was no item affixing a duty on I'M
ported bachelors Of % per cent. of the valu-
alton they placed uDOn
Of course. would have proved q pronlp.tlNe
tax. Indeed. there was nothing that appar-
entity affected either sex. married or single,
at all. II was simply q dry, bUsiness-llke
item declaring a heavy impOst on the inner
grades Of ladies imported gloves.
The immediate result OF the passage OF
this law was an era OF unparalleled pros
perity for the little town. For. now that
the inner grades could De Manufactured at
a handsome prcft. owing 10 the protective
tariff. the field COR GloversVilie's industry
had widened. But. behold how OF necessity
every silver lining mas Its cloud. male m
Gcrs We're far 100 ough and clumsy 10 sew
the delicate skins into the slender shapes
required for feminine hands.
MEN SUPPLANTED BY GIRLS.
So from the manufacturer a cry arose
for girls, more girls-and still more girls.
The. work was light and easy. the wages
high; from all the villages roundabout the
country lassies responded to the call until
the population of the town rose by leaps
and bounds to 10000.
The disgruntled men. finding their occu-
patton gone, moved for the most part west
ward, where the heavy glove trade has been
gradually drifting. At first this masculine
emigration was noted with naught save a
natural feeling OF triumph by the suppressed
ing female. But, alasi as time crept on.
many a former belle found her partners at
the dances growing few and far between.
until so desperate Is the situation become
that Martha Watson bids fair TO prove the
hardy pioneer OF a new invasion OF love
lorn maids, disconsolate in the quest OF the
That this history of the causes producing
the surplus of females in GlOVersville is no
idle speculation is easily proved by stats
ties.
The last census revealed a falling of in
the female population of every hamlet In
the county where Gloversvine is located
WHICH has Deel almost exactly DdldlCtu bA
q corresponding Increase IN the city OF
GloVersville itself.
If there still remain any lingering doubt
that the situation has been exaggerated, q
stroll through any one of the l5 glove fac
tories in the place will prove convincing.
Down both sides of the large, well-lighteC
rooms a hundred or so machines work bust
ly away at their task of sewing together
the dozen or more pieces that go to make
up a modern glove. There are all sorts ant
conditions of stitchers-big. clumsy ma.
| QhinHG that Taff1a nnfEf1u rhporruh the a. ~
driving glove leather like so many pom
poms; quiet, ladylike machines that purl
softly as they glide swiftly over the intri
cate seams on ladies ~handwear; queer
voiced and queer-loOking machines tina
sew with l~ghtning-like rapidity long row
OF over and over stitches that finish tn
bottom of the wrists-but all alike fed b,
the slender, deft, white fingers of hundreds
Of busy girls.
In other departments are still more prett,
maidens, pasting the thin silk lining L
square pieces of kid before the pattern i
stamped out, ewing on the buttons, o.
aftXlng the patent clasps, as the case ma.
be. Blu all are alike attractive and almos
all downright goOd-lOOking.
There are men working in the factories
to be sure, but they are d~ull-appearing
unimaginative citizens, Of w~ell-adyance'
middle age, round of girth and bald o
head, who stand each before his stampini
block cutting out the patterns from tn
endless variety of skins that have com
from all over the world, with a certain
stolid elaboration that marks them as me
whose Eighty days Of gay young bachelor
hood have been left behind many, man.
years ago.
1t is only occasionally among these work
men that you find. still wearing. even dun
ing his working hours, that look of worrie
= indecision, the still unfettered male. The
do not take the thriftiest element, for eve
= as they toll their chances may be seen I
wander down that long line of whirrin
stitchers, where sit all so equally attractiv
the ten unlucky females that are his shar
to choose from.