Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1917-09-26


Fabric Mi
are instructed if arriving in Bedding
during working hours to come direct
to Main Mill Offices in Mill No, 2,
across the street from the station. Or
if coming after working hours, to go
to Hotel Bedding, which is only short
block from the station. and owned by
the Bedding Bros, where they will be
cared for over night, if the hour is too
late to secure quarters at the girls
home.
If the girls general appearance is
satisfactory and the application IA
orally passed, she is then questioned
as to the branch of work she is ap-
parently best adapted to take up
and her education is begun. The girl
is then assigned to teacher who is
not only a skilled operator but who is
selected for this work because of his,
or her, ability to teach the girl and
encourage as well as instruct her.
The object of this instruction being
not only to develop an operator cap
able of producing work of the utmost
perfection in the art of weaving or
spinning, but to train the girl TO think
for herself, and to conduct and order
her work to the best advantage. The
mill discipline is only that which is
wholesome-with a tendency to re-
strict girls freedom of thought and
actions as little as possible. They
are given many considerations from
the time they enter the mill until
they leave it. AS soon as a girl be-
comes a skilled operator she is placed
on honor and encouraged to supervise
any little details in connection with
their own work-in fact she is made
boss of her own job. GOOD hands,
eyes and nerves are requisites to make
a skilled perator-training the hand
to deftness is part of the education
received from the instructor. Through
years of observation it was learned
that the eye can be trained to the
utmost perfection as well as the hand.
Favorable working conditions and
ideal living soon give these girls a
nerve poise that would lead one to
envy their sureness and dexterity.
The mills are arranged to provide the
worker an abundance of fresh air
which is supplied by perfect and
scientific ventilating system which
provides not only plenty of fresh air
but just the proper and the correct
degree of humidity for comfort and
proper working conditions.
The spinning, warping and weaving
rooms have lofty ceilings and are
flooded with sunlight, kept as clean as
a new pin. The floors are of hard
maple and scrubbed twice weekly.
Every operator takes decided pride in
keeping her section of the mill in per-
feet order. 1t should be borne in
mind that this careful cleanliness and
the pride of the operators in main
tanning such condition is that the pro-
duct handled in both raw and finished
state is exceedingly valuable. Care
lessness or inattention on the part of
any single operator might result in
serious loss at some stage of manu-
facture.
The Dormitory Homes For the Girls
From a careful inspection Of the
quarters for the girls, the baths, the
kitchens, the bright dining room with
its snowy white napery, the big COM
Portable living rooms, the traveller
would say, that conditions at these
dormitories are such as prevail in the
best managed schools for girls.
The Belrockton, the first of the DOR
mitory buildings the traveller visited
resembles a large family apartment
dwelling, such as is occupied by the
fairly we'll to do families of our city.
The matron, Miss Zeimen, in charge
and to whom / carried letter of in
PRODUCTION, found to be woman of
unusual mental attachments and force
of character and who thoroughly
knows her girls. She vew gladly and
with most commendable pride showed
me through every part of this splen-
did building. Each two girls are given
a large and well lighted steam heated
room, completely furnished, including
towels and bed linen with table board
for $3.50 per week. The girls are per-
mitted to use the large modern dormi-
tory laundry free Of charge, but are
expected to have their own electric
iron for which power is furnished
free. The only item of furnishing
the girls are expected to supply are
the pictures on the walls when wanted
and these are rrrrlly supplied by
friends at home The regulations for
department are simple but wholesome
and are to all intents those enforced
by all well ordered schools or colleges.