The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1904-06-28

At the front OF the loom. The warp
hread are those that run length
wise through the carpet. and each OF
them. before I began "a weave. must
be passed through certain little guild
Ing eyelets and compartments that are
called heddles and redes. To pass
each thread through its respective
reed and heddle correctly Is the hard
est part OF my work
-aThe shuttlex contain the shorter
threads b n run crosswise through
the carpet. i am using three shut
ties. one OF white. one OF red and one
Of green. Each shuttle go back
and forth a certain number OF times.
then come u and give place TO an
other shuttle. The white runs six
times. the red four and the green 1--WE.
I keep my shutties In that box behind
me. How do I tell their colors? oh.
by their location In the box The
white is In the box's right conpart-
ment. the green In the middle and the
red In the left
Every little while you'll notice
that I run my hand across all the
threads of the warp and o I do
when I find a fracture I must gather
up the two ends and knot them to-
| gether neatly. This Is a difficult
thing for a blind man to do.
ITO learn TO wea requires three
months. To learn Q be a fast weaver
II requires n year. NCdNGE VI NtEAkG
| speed turns out a yard and q half OF
/ carpet an hopd- His rate OF pay Is
| 10 cents an hour. Thus he earns
$3.50 a day. or So a week"
| In a DON farther on were the chair
amer Their chairs were screwed
tight upon stands and leaning over
these stands they plated the straw
In neat patterns across the seats with
great speed. The work was simple:
they said IL could be learned in a day.
Speed h Desideratum-
But to get speed, that Is the thing"
a blind man added. 1t X a long
time to get speed enough TO cane W.
chairs a lay. The pay Is so cents n
chair. I average 81 q week"
The main business OF the factory Is
broommaking. Guided only a little
by one or two men with sight. the
blind employees sort out broom corn.
according to Its length n quality:
they dye II green; they cut IL upon
machines: they fasten and clamp and
sew II on wooden handles: they trim
and pack in bundles the completed
brooms. To see them at their work
Is a marvel, they are 90 quick and sure
Of hand. and in the great room where
they stand In long rows. each at his
machine. they have so singular an air
OF happiness, h big. clean place. full
OF b. wholesome odor OF California
broomcorn, resounding always with
laughter, with gay voices and with
singing that is very true and musical.
Six Of the men at the factory are
like Helen Keller. deaf. dumb and
blind. Nevertheless, they work well.
though they are a little slow. The
overseer to talk to one OF them gives
him his hand. and while the man
holds the hand delicately In both OF
his own, the overseer spells I'm the
deaf-mute alphabet the words that he
wishes to say.
A number of the men are good mu-
sicians. They nave comets. violins.
mandolins. The janitor of the facto-
ry, John Boone. tells of one OF them
, an almost incredible anecdote.
Il will take a new piece OF music"
says the janitor.- and I'll read IL TO
this blind man from beginning to end.
C, A. d. B.-sharp. E-sharp. F. G.. c.
and so on. When / am through he
will put his fiddle to his chin and play
the piece without mistake"