The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-03-14
MODEL FACTORY
 TOWN IN ALABAMA PelI City Manufacturing Con-
 pany a Reformer EMPLOYES ARE CONTEN TED They Have Water Plant, Electric Lights, scohoI Theatre, Bach
 eIors' Hotel and All Con-
 veniences of City.
tMPLOYES ARE CONTEN TED
BY PAUL COOK.

Although great advancement has been made In recent years in providing for the employees of large manufacturing indus tries and there are now "modeI' factory towns to be found in many cotton mill districts of the country, yet much re- mains to be done. Even now there are factory employees, especially those who work In cotton mills. who live in squalor. Often their condition needs attention from health authorities and the most sordid misery prevails. However, such cases are gradually getting to be the ex- eeption rather thon the rule. and the model factory town is not unknown in the south.
 At Pell City, just an hours run on the east-bound Southern train from Bir- mngham, is to be found a striking ex- ample of what a corporation can do to make life pleasanter for It's employees. The Pell City Manufacturing company. a corporation with large capital and op- eratng 3oOOO spindles, has its plant for making the grade of cotton goods used in overalls, located here. This mill employs about 500 operatives at wages ranging from $4 or $5 day to 40 cents, according to the age, responsibility, and skill of the employees. Only boys receive the lower wages, and the scale is considera- ply higher than in many cotton factories, on account of the grade of goods manu- factured. The mill operatives and their families number 1900 people.
 Policy of Company.
 It is the policy of the company to make life as pleasant as possible for it's en- ployes. This plan has proved remarkably successful. A town of about 140 neat and roomy cottages, covering an area of 200 acres, has been built, with regularly laid off streets, electric lights and water plant. All the houses and the streets are light ed by electricity, and at night the town looks very much like a large city. There are fire plugs provided and all the con- veniences of a city are at hand. On Fac tory hill there Is nice school building now being completed, on the second floor of which is a pretty little theatre, larger than the playhouses in many Alabama towns of double the population, where the factory people may spend their even ings very pleasantly at amateur or pro- fessional performances. A large boarding house or hotel has also beer erected for the occupancy of bachelors. A swim ming pool will be furnished this summer and ball team is supported. brass band has also been organized with the financial assistance of the company. Uni forms will be purchased, director secur- ed and everything done to make the or- ganization first-class. All these ddvan- tages are provided by the Pell City Man ufacturng company, which is continually adding to the comfort of It's employees.
 The houses are rented at the rate of $1 a room per month, with water and elee- tric lights furnished. It is stated that the money derived from rents barely pays for erection and maintenance.
 President Pratt a Reformer.
 The stockholders of the Pell City Manu- featuring company have entrusted the care of its employees to George w. Pratt, who is president and general manager of the company. Tn addition to his abil- ity as a manufacturer and business man., MT. Pratt takes a keen delight in improy- ing the condition of his operatives. This work has become quite hobby with him and he has succeeded admirably, for his employees and their families are appar- ently the most contented people. Their homes are in striking contrast to those usually occupied by the working classes. Clean, bright and in many cases hand somely furnished, these cottages remind one of the homes of salaried men in cit les glance into spacious railways re- veals pictures, carpets, furniture and all the other evidences of comfort.
 MT. Pratt plays the part of father