Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1902-01-16
ONLY ONES
IN THE WORLD
Seven-Rights Automatic Four Color Knit
ting Machines,

The Danville Knitting Mills entered
upon a departure Monday which places
our town in the front rank in the stock
| ing manufacturing industry and gives
wage earners here a remarkable advant-
age. Reference is made to the seven
eighth automatic four-color knitting
machines, Just installed, which in con
struction very nearly reach the acme
of perfection, the sole right for whose
use is owned by Thomas West, and
which will result in driving the Eng
lish stocking out Of the American mar
ket
The machine is "A marvel of ingenuity
and aside from the speed is deXterous
aud unerring beyond anything that
could be attempted by the human hand.
| No more fascinating sight can be i'm
agincd than to watch the various light
ning-like movements Of the intricate
machine as without the least manipula-
ton by the human hand it begins and
completes the stocking, weaving in the
four different colors horizontally or
vertically OF both ways ON the same
hose forming a checker work Of colOrs.
| The best that could be accomplished on
automatic knitting machines heretofore
and that was considered quite an
achievement--wa to weavein two differ
ent colors. When cOIOrs above two were
employed they had to be woven in by
hand: that is the machine had to be
stopped at a certain point and manipu-
lated by the operator until the stripe
was run in The advantage of the new
machine IS apparent it requires less
help and increases the product immense
lv
The seven-eighth automatic fOur-color
machine is an invention perfected by
Mr. West himself Not only is the
machine covered by patent, but also
the stocking it knits. Thus while they
are the only machines of the kind in the
world they are controlled solely by Mr..
West. whose intention is to bring them
to this city where they will eventually
displace all the older type Of machines
i'll use.
The sixteen machines started up Mon
day are in charge Of William West,
son of Thomas West, and Miss Katie
Sharp. both Of Plymouth The former
is a mechanical expert, who set up the
machines and Will keep them in order,
while it viii be the duty OF the latter to
instruct the help One hand can oper-
ate four of the new machines. As soon
as the four hands required have learned
to operate the consignment Of machines
installed another batch Of sixteen will
be ordered when the hands already in
structcd will teach others, and so on un-
til the mill is full Of the new and inn
proved machines.
1t does not seem difficult to learn. a
young man who took his first lesson
Monday morning by the evening was
tolerably proficient Thenew machines
Oh llt Nlbl' are ''uNlltIt' d DDOH
They increase the earnings of the hands
materially one person can more easily
operate four of the new machines than
two of the old ones and with anything
like application can earn 81 per day.
The goods manufactured are of the
finest quality. The stockings in every
respect viii come up to the European
hose, with this advantage, that while
the European article has a seam
down the back and the heel sewed
on, the product of Mr.. Vests new ma
chimes are seamless being knit round,
with heel and toe complete. The Euro
pean article which sells at 30 cents per
pair and has heretofore defied American
competition, viii have to give way be-
fore Mr.. West, as his product, so well
protected is a superior hose and can be
sold in this country at p cents per pair