The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-05-10

! employ in the neishborhood Of 5000 hands.
The firm Is we'll known in the United
States. It has a house In New York, an
other in Lyons. one in Russia and a fourth
| at Bombay.
Until within a few years ago the chief
| dyes OF the world cams from England.
Then the Germans learned the secret OF
their manufacture and improved upon il.
Then sent out travellers ali over the world.
and adapted their goods Ito the needs OF
different localities. p
They. now practically monopolize the
trade. and you find German dyes every
| where. in Asia. South America. North
America and Australia.
| The Chinese will take none but German
%colors. at least / was told so during my last
visit to that country. and 1t is much the
| same with the East Indians and other peo-
| pies Of the Orient.
| TWENTY ACRES OF LARGE
FACTORY BUILDINGS.
Taking a carriage / drove with Mr.. Bass
Ter. one of the Cassella employees. out to
the factory. -
It consists Of about twenty acres Of
enormous buildings. with high smokestacks
above them.
Everything IL dirty and smoky. and I
| might also say smelly. for as you approach
the establishment the air is laden witt
odors.
The streets between the buildings are
flied with tubs and hossheads, Of curious
compounds. and everywhere you look you
see some new process going on with sooty-
faced. or rather dye-faced. men watching
It.
Here the men are lifting great barrels Of
liquid and pouring 1t into watts half filled
with other liquid. which IS being so stirred
by machinery that 1t seethes and bubbles
like a witch's caldron.
A . kHSA %, of,,n Anpra In Aha rnlnr
changes. 1t becomes a light yellow. a bril-
liant scarlet. or perhaps an ultramarine
blue.
The men know Just how much IL needed.
and also that II there Is too much or too
little the whole caldron Of dye may be
spoiled.
As I went through these works I learned
that dyenaking is an exact science.
Everything Is the outcome OF expert
ments, and the work Is based on chemical
assays and chemical combinations.
There are about eighty chemists employed
in the laboratories.
They test the materials used. ana expert
ment on new combinations. When a man
discovers anything It is at once reported
to the Arm and patented. and According to
ths contract all such discoveries belong to
the firm.
Consul General Guenther tells mo that
new patents are applied for almost every
week. and I understand that these people
have a monopoly Of some branches of the
These chemists 90 TO all parts. Of tho
world to study the dyes Used there.
They analy1e the native dyes and initiate
them. .
Not only the Casseila firm. but all Ger
man firms are very particular as to their
contracts with employees. 3
The laws here are largely In favor OF the
employer. and a clerk has little opportunity
10 go into an establishment to learn the
business and start an opposition business
80 his own.
Every contract provides that the employee
shall not hire himself to firms engaged in
the same business for a certain number Of
years after he has left. and that he shall
not establish a competitive branch,
Such contracts are made with most en-
ployes and business secrets are carefully
protected.
EFFORTS TO BETTER
CONDITION OF woRK1NGMEN.
In this factory I found the same desire TO
better the condition Of the workinsmen that
exists at the Krupp works and At the other
German establishments I have visited.
The Cassellas have built houses for the
best Of their w~orkingmen. ..
They have factory kitchens At which
meals are furnished at Just about cost, and
thew nave shower Dathe where their men
can have a hot or cold douche when the
days work IL over.
I was at the factory at noon. when the
soun was served.
1t was taken from caldrons, Zach holding
hundreds OF gallons. being ladied into bowls
and buckets.
asked as to the price. and was told that
a man could have a bowl Of soup with meat
and vegetables once a day at the rate of
% cents per week. Il
The wages here received for common
workmen range from $t.bo to g per week.
There 10 plenty Of labor and the factory IL
not troubled With strikes.
FRANK q. CARPENTER.
Copyright. I9U. By Frank q. Carpenter.