The Ocala evening star., 1915-05-05
ocALA KNITTING MILL
Is IN OPERATION

A Star reporter visited the Ocala
Knitting Mill yesterday and was sur
prised to see how near ready that
institution is to commence work on
full time. Manager Booth has been
installing the machines and testing
them out thoroughly and has seen
that each one will perform its work
perfectly. There are only two or
three small machines yet to be in
stalled, when the factory will be
ready to turn out its full capacity of
so dozen finished garments, folded,
pressed and ready to send out to the
the trade.
Mr. Booth has been making for sew
aral days little songenirs for the col
ored Odd Fellows who are visiting in
the city. The souvenirs consist Of a
piece of the knitted goods, hemmed,
faced, scanned with button holes
worked in, lace edging Of two kinds,
etc., that a specimen of everything
the machines will do can be- shown.
Attached to each is one Of the shirt
band labels of the factory: Metropol-
itan Mills, Made in Ocala, Fla, u. s.
A, with the size and ans American
eagle in the center. .zs 81
The factory now has the following
machinery ri installed and running:
Four big knitting machines, each one
knitting the. full circular body Of an
undershirt, but can be- adjusted to
knit either shirts, drawers or union
suits, and the arms and legs for
either. The goods, after being knit
in endless circular bolts, is then cut
to the proper length by the cutters
and filters and the different machines
take it from that and carry on the
process to the finished garment.
First, however, if feeced or KNAPP
ped garments are desired the long
bolts of knitted fabric are run through
the fleeing or knapping machine and
that finish put on.
One skilled operator can not only
superintend and keep the four big
knitting machines going to capacity,
but he can superintend the other
work Of the factory, as the knitting
machines are automatic and require
only watclrful eye and am occasional
adjustment, renewal Of the huge
spools of thread. etc.
From the knitting machines the
goods go to the fleeing machine,
then to the cutters and then to the
scanning machine, where the seams,
il there are to be any, are sewed.
From that it progresses to the but
tonhole facing machine, then to the
machine which sews on the buttons
Then there is another, called the
Smelling 'front.'" which performs an
other part, and the lacing machine
comes in for the women's garments
and puts on the fancy work in the
necks. The buttonhole cutting ma.
chine then handles them, and there is
still another. of the machines before
the button and buttonhole work II
done, called the button sew facing
machine.
A Each of these smaller machines i;
wonder and to see it perform itI
work is very interesting, while the
operation of the big knitting ma
chimes, with their thousands o.
needles and shuttles and bobbins, OF
whatever they are, flying and work
ing in and out and up and down Il
exceedingly fascinating.
The entire plant Is operated by Z
big electric motor with the latest ap
pliances, connected to shafts from
which belts and pulleys connect all o.
the machinery.
When in full operation the factor,
will employ about 25 people, will u.s.
q large amount Of raw material ant
pay out considerable sums Of none,
for labor.
So far, George Giles and the Metro
: politan Realty e. :. Investment Com
. pany have put up all Of the none,
for the ocala knitting factory ant