The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1908-03-29
WOMAN 4 TAILOR FOR TEN
CHICAGO BOASTS ONE WHO HAS
PROSPERED AT 1T.

Miss Hills Came FROM the COuntrI Uhere
she sewed BY the Day-Now she Has,
city shop where she Sometimes En-
ployg a. Many - Fifty women.
Chicago Is said TO have the OILY tailoring
establishment for men In the country
which is owned and managed by . m
/ Miss Florence N. Hills is the name OF this
woman man's tailor. Sh has been In the
business for the last eight years, and during
the busy seasons employs fifty workers,
mostly women, with q scantS spTlnkling
Of men. Miss Hills, when a reporter saw
her, was talking, sewing, eating her lunoh-
con and having her shoes polished Al
and the same time.
Never have time 10 stop, too muoh 70
do; such q short while 10 live she assured
her visitor. when l die l can't come
back again, you know. Wish / could,
then I'd take time to rest once 10 a while
l keep my appointments. That's the
reason I have succeeded and that IL the
reason / don't have time TO waste. II
broke my appointments, v had things
ready when / ead / would, then / might have
time TO kill, like q lot OF tSilors ! hear com
planning Of dull times. Don't know what
dull times are in my business. The only
difference IL that some seasons l have 70
employ twice as much help as others.
took up the business because ] liked It.
l had always been fond Of sewing. My
grandmother taught me how. She had
come out West when II was a new country
and had been compelled 70 make all the
clothes for her family. She said sbe always
hated 10 make the girls things, but she just
felt In clover when her husband and sons
had 10 be fitted out. l inherited II from
her, for when my father died and ] had
10 20 out TO work II came a. natural TO me
10 make mems clothes as II does for a duck
TO take TO water, We lived In the country
then and | had To 60 around sewing by the
day. At the end Of sir years / had worked
up such a tailoring trade in that community
that I hadn't any time 10 give To making
women and girls clothes. One Of my pa
irons moved TO Chicago and the next spring
wrote me TO come on and do my regular
two weeks work for her husband and sons.
She said she had been all over the city
with her boys and hadn't found a place
where she could get as good looking suits
for the same money that II cost her when
l made them.
Il never had been more than ten miles
ava from our farm in my life, 20 you
may know what a visit 10 Chicago meant
10 me. l was all eyes during those two
weeks, but 1t didn't keep me from doing
good work. I'd never made such stylish
suits before in my life. My sewing was
all right, but II was the first opportunity
l had ever had for getting style. The min
ute | struck the town ! knew II would never
do for me to start in 10 make those suits
until | had looked around. After ! had
visited several Of the mems furnishing
shops with the lady l was TO work for and
seen the clothes on the boys | vas to make
for, | decided I'd take a few lessons in
pressing. went TO a high class shop, and
asking for the manager, told him about
my being from the country and wanting
10 take a few lessons In pressing 90 as 10
help my work when l got back home. He
was very condescending, but he took me
In. 1t was three days clear gain for him.
He worked me like q horse and never even
offered me a chair 10 sit on, much less a
penny In wages.
when | finished the suits for the boys
in that family the father liked them 90
much that he said l might take him in
hand. He had a couple OF suits that he
liked sent home for his wife TO see. or
course looked them over pretty thor
oughly before they we're returned,
duplicated both suits. and they didn't
cost half the money the tailor charged.
II seemed 10 me like cheating and swind-
ling In those days TO charge people 90 much
for your work, but since I've come TO live
in the city and found out about the ex-
penses Of living ! charge along with the
rest. do the best work. have the best
STYLES and charge the best prices.
Three years after that first trip 10 Chi
cago mother and I came on TO stay. Opened
a little shop on a back street with the prom
lss Of FIVE regular customers. sswed
while mother did the housework and acted
a. delivery girl. We were IN the lookout
for slack seasons, but none came. As Soon
az one suit was Cd my hands there was
another 10 take up. Before the end Of the
frat ak months ! wrote for the woman
who had helped me in the country TO join
me here. She lie the forewoman in my
workrooms now, and three OF her nieces
are regularly employed in the business.
Those four we're my frat assistants, and
il they've ever had a discontinued day
since they came I've never known It. When
business men complain Of not being able
to keep their help ] point at those four
and ask the reason.
This reason is plain enough. II rests all
on the shoulders Of the employer, II I