Gainesville daily sun. (Gainesville, Fla.) 190?-1938, 1907-07-31
MIXERS Of FEATHERS
Their Trade Is One That Takes
Many Years to Master.
SORTING OUT THE GRADES.
The Work Of the Blower. . Machine
That 10 at Once Both Simple and
Wonderful The Combinations the
Expsrt Must Know How to Mix.

Expert Must Know How to NIX.
Feather mixing Is one az the hnr'i"s
trades TO learn. tut when mastered u
ais" one ~ the lest paying m"ti'Is o'
earning a LIVING. The worker VII" IN
tends to make this trade his life work
must start when he Is young. Tor II
takes on an average thirteen years f"i
Q man TO work up from pillow hller Il
feather mixer.
Feathers that have been plucked
from hens. ducks. turkeys and geese
are tbe only kinds OF feathers that are
used. says the Chicago Tribune. One
kind OF feathers ut time Is placed In
the drum to be beaten and to be ster.
iIized by hot air process. The drum
II q large machine not unlike the wash
ing machines used IN laundries. In
the center II each machine Ia an axle
with eight heaters attached. The beat
ers make over 40 revolutions a min
ute. beating the dust out Of the feath'
ers and cleaning them thoroughly. A
thin screen on the front and back Of
the machine lets the dust out
This part OF the feather work Il the
most unhealthy. for the windows In
the drum room Are not allowed TO be
opened. and the dust that comes from
the feather II inhaled BY the worker.
Many Of the drum men contract con-
sumption In aoyear q more doing this
work and are compelled to give up
and seek other employment The work
y not 20 unhealthy % Il was IN for.
mer years. for the msa now are allow.
ed to leave the room while the ma.
chine b in operation.
After the feathers have been beaten
and sterilixed In the drum they are
placed ID the blowing machine to he
sorted and to he deotiorixed by the
cold blast. A. In The drum. the kinds
Of feathers are PUT in the blower sep
arately. The blower r. the most sim
pie AMI yet the most wonderful MA
chine that IL used In the feather bust
Ness. The machine ID built with a
large funnel sha ped mouth on top and
always b. placed Mt one end Of large
room.
The feathers nrc placed In the fun
mel. through which they fail down int"
the center Of the machine. The cold
air blowing from the fan deo'iorizcs
them. and they leave the machine IN
a steady stream. flying all over the
room. The worker finds himself in
what looks like a miniature storm. for
the feathers fly around as high As the
ceiling. An onlookcr we'll might won.
der where the sorting comes in Of the
maze 81 feathers.
1t Is here that the wonderful part Of
the machine lies. for the air pressure
n 80 arranged that 'hc heaviest feath.
Frs. which are ais" the cheapest will
fall precisely In a hin about Ave feet
away from the blower. The next
heaviest will fall In n hin fifteen feet
away from the machine. and the rest
Of the seven different grades az feath.
ers will fall accurately in bins that
have ieen provided for them. The
down. which Is the most expensive.
6ies around IN the air the longest Int
when 1t COMES down II falls into hin
that Is placed over seventy. five feet
away from the blower. Thus the sew.
IN different grades OF feathers hav"
fsen sorted. each kind In. a Tin and
without havin. been touched since
leaving the blower.
The drum and blower man. after rnt.
ting in Ave years at this kind Of work
aud also learning the different grades
VI feathers. takes another step upward
In the business and becomes an ~,
sistant to the mixer. Ills work con.
sists Of weighing feathers and learning
the different combinations that are
used in atufiing pillows IN few
Years he probably will know how 10
mix some OF the combinations. hut usu.
AMy II takes five years OF experience
before an assistant can become q
mixer
The combination used In the cheap.
~ pillows = hen :nri turkey feathers
Duck and turkey combination is used
a little better grade 81 pillows. and
he best Culiih!nat! ion az all Is duck and
,oose feathers. The most expensive
illing is made OF d"wny feathers from
.ee~e These combinations have df.
'erent prices. and the mi Icr must kn"w
he.e prices and when he can expert.
nsnt with the various kinds OF fca'h.
~ TO try TO get cheaper comh!ua.
ion that will last as long as the dearpr
lind.