The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1902-01-09
sETTING A.GOOD EXAMPLE.
South Carolina Cotton Mills Are
Taking Care of the Children.
l.. l.. parham in A tlanta Journal.

| l.. l.. Parham in Atlanta Journal.
That the Southern cotton mills are
doing something for the moral uplift-
ing of their operatives cannot be dc
MED successfully. The Clifton and
Glendale mills employ about 1900,
paying them annually $500 900. j The
management has expended large sums
Of money for the education of the
young. Able teachers arc employed,
often at the expense of the mills, and
the schools arc open nine months in the
year. Churches have been erected
they see fit. Five stores arc operated
near the mills where the operatives
may buy their goods actually III COM
petition with cash stores, and they get
them on credit the same us it they
paid cash. The motto of the pr0pric.
tors is " The greatest good to the great
est number" The operatives are en-
couragcd to save their earnings and in
every other way made to feel that
they have something to live for.
The Gaffney Manufacturing COM
pany is anolhcr illustration of what
mill men arc doing for their opera
tivcs. At GaifncY the tenement
houses are neat and well constructed,
some of them of brick, and scrupu-
lousy clean. The company stores are
put there for the convenience of the
operatives, no checks used whatever,
and the operatives are not compelled
to buy Of them. a free school is op-
Grated nine months in the year for the
children and the cXpcns paid by the
mil owners.
The Courtcnay Manufacturing com
pany at Newry has also erected neat
cottages, all lathcd and plastcrcd,
painted inside and out of uniform
color. Everything is being done for
the comfort Of the operators. The
mills are lighted with electric lights,
steam heated and in summer fresh air
is forced all through every floor, thus
insurng an agreeable temperature
throughout the year. A free school is
maintained nine months in The year at
the company's expense.
Finally, the Pclzcr Manufacturing
company is also doing a great work for
The operators in their immense mills.
They have a 800 900 school building,
tho teachers furnished free; beautiful
churches Of all denominations, and a
library building with 5000 volumes in
1t, and Large number Of papers and
periodicals, furnished free by the com.
pany. Compulsory education obtains
at these mills. The head Of every
family working in those mills signs All
agreement before getting employment
the first clause of which says that all
children, members Of any family be-
tween the ages Of five and twelve, shall
enter the schools maintained by the
company, and shall attend every school
day during the year unless prevented
by sickness, etc. AS an additional in
ducemcnt children who attend school
every day, receive reward of 10 cents
at the end Of each month Lectures
with stercoptican pictures are also pro
vidcd, and arc Of the highest order Of
illustrative entertainment. There IS
no company store, and operatives buy
where they please. No liquors arc
sold in Prlzcr, and the people have
cmphaLically voted against dispcnsa-
ries.
Piedmont IS still another illustra-
ton, and there are many others scat,
tered throughout the State. Let tho
reader remember that the story of the
awful neglect and bad treatment oI
children by mill operatives is con jurcr
up by scntlmentalists and labor agita
tors to work upon the sympathy Of TIT
crcdulous public. There are no doub
some abuses, but mill owners arc fas
coming to realize that good treatmcn
of their labor help pays, both in none,
and the consciousness Of helping to up
lift the poor who leave the farms Il
the negroes and go to town whcr
schools and churches, free libraries
parks and pleasure grounds conducc tt
their pleasure and their cducationa
advancement.