New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1908-10-07
TEDDY,JR,, ON The JOB
Presidents Son a Wool sorter
at SIS a Week.
IS THE GOODS, SAY WORKERS

Starts In on Lowest and Hardest Job
In Carpet Mill at Thompsonville,
Conn.-Manager Says He Will Get
the Big Stick if He Doesn't Behave.
When Theodore Roosevelt, Jr., be-
came wage Garner the other day he
toiled ten hours and half in the
works Of a carpet company situat
ed at Thompsonville, Conn.,, with
1900 others. For five hours and a
half he wore overalls and jumpers and
bent his back over piles Of dirty, smelly
wool
"Wool sorter' Is the name of his
job-the lowest, hardest and most dis
agreeable about the Warks, also the
most poorly paid. Young Teddy earn
ed by his whole day of labor exactly
SO 1-3 cents. BE Is on the payroll Of
the corporation at the fabulous salary
Of IS week.
"Tired? Yes, am" he admitted as
he passed out of the gates at night
when the whistle blew at 6:15. cit
caught me in the back" That's what
all new wool sorters say
The presidents son reached Thomp-
sonville in the evening and went for
dinner to the home Of Alvin r. Hig-
gins, general manager Of the company.
After dinner and chat with Mr.. Hig-
gins he went to the small dwelling ad-
joining the latter's home, where he is
to live with married couple who will
act as housekeepers. He turned In
early to bed, for he had to be up be-
times the next morning. The starting
whistle blows at Z o'clock
The house where young Roosevelt
will live is owned by Mr.. Higgins and
until Teddy junior's'' arrival was
known as 1.-The little white house,
Now it has achieved the new title of
1.-The little White House"
Promptly at 6:45 o'clock in the morn
ing, when the streets were filed with
mill workers starting YEARLY for their
toll, Teddy joined the throng. He got
into the office Of the carpet works at
five minutes before 7. Mr.. Higgins
and other officers made him acquaint-
ed with the clerks and department
heads. At 8 o'clock he met the steno-
graphic staf-twelye typewriter girls,
some pretty, some otherwise, but all
eager to meet the young man. He
bowed and smiled difidently when pre-
scented to them.
During the morning young Roosevelt
Was shown the Office system and was
taken through the works. At noon he
was allowed forty-1ve minutes for q
hurried luncheon at the Higgins home
He was attired In dark gray, ready
made working suit" which he had
purchased to begin bis career in. At
12:45 he returned to the works with q
package under his arm, which con-
tanned his overall suit. He put this on
when the whistle blew and got on the
Job of sorting the wool-just as it
comes to the mill, without any cleans
ing or deodorizing. There he stuck,
without intermission, until CHS.
Neither he nor Mr.. Higgins would
discuss the first days work. 81 have
my eye on him." the manager said,
with a chuckle, "and If he doesn't be-
have I'll use the big stick on him. All
I have to say Is that he has splendid
appetite"
It may be stated that the verdict Of
the working population of Thompson
vile is that young Roosevelt Is ''the
goods and in no sense an 1nterloper.
Among the various departments
through which the presidents son will
pass, provided he likes the work and
decides to stay and become a full
dedged carpet maker, will be the filling
room, shading room, designing depart
ment and dye house.
He will also undoubtedly study other
Ines. of mill work, including the vari-