The Waxahachie daily light. [volume] (Waxahachie, Tex.) 1894-current, 1908-04-28

these machines, but that it requires
time to become an expert. He illus
trated the work in a cotton mill by
saying that one can learn to pick
cotton in the fields in a day, but that
it takes time to become an expert. In
a few days one person may learn to
pick 100 pounds. and in compare
lively short time he will be picking
from $50 to 200 pounds per day
nile others will never be able to
achieve success as a cotton picker
SO 1t is in a cotton mill, and so il Is
IL every department of life.
This mill has fOrty-twO cottages
and twenty eight acres of land. The
cottages rent for SO, $4 and IS per
month; the houses renting for the
highest prices are always occupied
for they are larger and more com
Portable than the others There is an
abundance of artesian water free to
the operatives, Sanitation is looked
after by the mill There is a hall on
the mill campus erected by the mill
company. assisted by private dona-
tiOns, used for educational and reiig-
iOus purposes, There is a school
where all the children can attend
free, the entire expense of the school
being borne BY the company, as it is
not connected with the free school
system in the city The manager as
sured me that the possibilities of the
cotton industry in Texas are unlimit-
ed. The only question, he said. was
lack of labor, bat admitted that the
railroads are complaining of the
sar.e thing. He said, The higher the
o ig
business
There are 104 stockholders in this
mill, which evinces a very wholesome
state of affairs. About 80 per cent
of the labor comes from the tenant
farming class. The superintendent is
an Englishman, having entered the
cotton mills of Lancashire when
he was s years old. For many years
he was in the cotton mill business in
Canada, hence his experiences as d
manufacturer of cotton goods has ex-
tended through many years in the
most prosperous manufacturing dis
tricts in the world, which ought to
give weight to his opinions There
fore, | was glad to hear him say that
climatic conditions are more favor
able here than at the north He is
an enthusiastic advocate of educa-
ton, believing strongly in compul-
sorry attendance, but does not think
there should be any restrictions on
child labor above the age of - At
that age, he thinks, under proper
conditions, such as we would have
under compulsory education, the av-
erage child would be in possession of
a good common school education.
| He does not believe that the work
in a mill is detrimental to health. In
| England, prior to 1870, children
commence to work in the cotton
mills at 7 years of age. Upon enter
| ing the mill the child was examined
| by physician and if any defects ex-
! listed which would endanger the life
of the child in the mill, he was not
admitted. All children admitted as
| laborers in the mill were compelled
! to go to school the same length OF
time that they worked at the mill
until they reached the age of 12
years. One set would go to school fol-
a month in the forenoon, returning
| to work in the afternoon, and ther
alternate. About 1870 the age was
F, changed from s years to / 0 that 6
child could go to work in the mil
with the same provision that he ha6
to go to school half the time. At the
age of 49, if the child failed to stant
a certain examination, another veal
in school is required: after that there
is no restriction. About per cen
of the older operatives in this mil
can not read and write. All the chill
dren, however, can read and write
In England all children are COMPEL
ed to enter school at years of age
ana by the time they have spen
three years in school they have ac
quired good beginning toward
common school education.