Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1903-06-18
REGARDED AS DETRIMENT.
GsKty Years Ago Seamstresses Were
Opposed to the Use of the Sew
Ing Machine.


ut has not been so years since the
sewing machine made its appearance
in Washington" said an old timer to a
Star reporter, land there are quite
number of not very old people who
remember the occasion. During the
great mechanics fair, which was held
in 1s46, opening May 81, of that year,
in a specially constructed frame build
ing in judiciary square, it was one Of
the star exhibits. 1t was said at the
time that one of the main objects Of
the fair was to influence legislation in
congress on the tariff to show what
the American workingman could do,
and how little we were dependent on
other countries for the necessaries of
life.
II remember that the sewing ma
chine was the greatest attraction of
the fair and interested the crowds
about it, and there was difficulty ex.
perienced in getting near it. AS may
be supposed the machine at that pc
riod had not been brought to the per-
lection it reached by subsequent i'm
provement, but it did its work to the
amazement of the thousands of visi-
tors, and as labor saving machine,
together with McCormick'S reaper,
then first exhibited here, caused much
discussion. Among the seamstresses
the sewing machine was looked upon
as the intrument which would deprive
them of living, and it was predicted
that its adoption would drive hun
dreds to poverty. At that time the
price was high, and many hoped that
so much would be asked for it as TO
prevent its general use.
"The effect of its introduction was
to some extent discussed in the pa
pers Of the day, and ! believe in some
of the manufacturing cities the work
ing people were much excited over the
revolution its adoption was expected
to bring. l read an abstract of an
address by a pastor in one such city.
in which he said to the factory peo-
pie and seamstresses that they had
nothing to fear from its introduction.
He said Notwithstanding so much more
sewing could be done by machine the
tastes ofwomen were such. that should
the cost of making a dress or other
gal nent be cheapened more elaborate
garments would become the style and
there would follow such demand that
instead Of taking work from the sew
ers there would he more. in other
words. while the cost of making plain
dress would be lessened. the additional
trimming. extra plaits. seams, etc,
would make up for any loss.
There was no fear that the labor
saving mower and reaper would have
such an effect upon the masses, d"
continued the narrator, "for all re-
cognized that should It be effective
the cost of daily bread would be low
cred. should mention that the re-
volying pistol, patented by Col. Sam
uel Colt, some ten years before, was
an object of much interest, especially
to military men, and the fact that il
was then on trial in waSfare-the
Texan rangers of Capt. Samuel IT..
Walker, engaged in the Mexican war.
being armed with the pistols-im-
parted an additional interest to the
subject.
There were many other exhibits
at the fair mentioned, and the dis
play was a revelation to the masses.
a great educational object lesson, and
probably the most important eXhib-
its were those named. | should not.
however, omit to notice another. As
is customary, admission tickets were
issued to all exhibitors, and hun
drcds of our younger people were
benefited thereby, these being mostly
girls, who had specimens of sewing.
embroidery, etc. There was a boy
living in the old Second ward, who
got up an elaborate aggregation Of
cogwheels, levers, shafts, etc. so in
tricate in looks as to bewilder any
but the initiated whose sole object
was to obtain an admission ticket.
This he entered, but not for a prize.
and called it wing wang BY wind
ing up the motive power, a clock
spring, it went into operation with
such clatter as to drown the noise
of some of the larger machines. Gu
riousity led to many inquiries as TO
its use, but the only reply obtained
was that it will grind smoke, when
forced in the hopper and cool the
air with its revolving fippers. Use
less though the machine was at the
time it drew the attention of an in
fuential gentleman to the boy, who
made him his protege. and the results
of the boys ingenuity were subse-
quently seen by an improvement in
draw bridges and in the matter of
| 1op+arnc for 1iOht houses