The Penn's Grove record., 1917-01-12
POINT NOTORIOUS
Boom and Prosperity AS Seen
By Others

." 'hO PoO'hbO1 6Ntifhk tHb idSt
week Forrest Crissey writes some very
interesting %"stuff'' about Carne, Point,
its thousands OF toilers and the vast out
put Of explosives at the different plants.
The writer's observations give nothing
in the way of general information con-
corning the great DUPONT industry thai
has not appeared al frequent intervals in
the Penns Grove Record, but some of the
matter is given from a different angle or
point OF view, which gives it interest.
"Tlis country" SAYS the noted writer,
"has never seen a time in the past when
the salary check was less chesty or the
pay envelope more pulled up with pride
OF life" and also asks s'whether 'twer.
hetter to stick t. White shirts and Il posi-
ton on abandon these genteel signs OF
class and make q grab Tor tile overalls
and a job" Labor's Judgment and the
wage eaIueI's acknowledgment to the
War Bride is reduced to a single crisp
sentence Of good old American slang.
EASY money, kid
Praise is bestowed upon the workmen's
village cont ected with the great industry
where there are a thousand neat little
houses, most Of them containing q rooms
aud all equipped with a bath and electric
lights. The cleanliness and order OF
things in general suggests a military ell
.caimpment. The houses rent for six dol
lars q month and electricity costs -four
cents a kilowatt, or about 70 cents y
month per family.
"As We walked along the streets OF this
wonderful village, which sprang up al
most in a night, from house after house
sprang strains of music, operate aud rag
time, and asked how many pianos. pi-
ano players and monographs there are in
the village. The reply WAS l55 pianos,
n player pianos and l76 talking ma
CHI es. But that isn't all; there are 70
and 81 motorcycles, all OWN
Ell by the men Of this village and its inn
mediate vicinity"
The haIf-abandoned farms in the neigh
bOrlOod are explained. Said one farmer
when the war boom struck this section
L sOon found where l got off. Scouts from
the powder works were securing the coun-
try all about here for men at big wages.
Even if it had been possible for me to pay
five n day, or Whereabouts, in the big rush
| could not have secured a hired hand
Why Because you cannot hold farm
work strictly to an eight hour basis. The
men know this and prefer to GO into the
works, where they are through at the tap
the bell, unless they prefer 80 work a
double shift and double up on their earn
There was Just one thing for me to do
III the face OF this situation, and l did il
got a job at the powder works"
$50 far as the company is concerned,
it's policy is to refrain from interfering in
any way with the personal affairs of its
employees. 1t is their landlord, t, BE-
snie; but it's representatives enter their
homes only upon request, or when it is
absolutely necessary in order to look after
the property. OF course when there is
sickness OF childbirth in a home, and the
presence of a nurse is desired, the COM
pany is glad to send one"
A collector for an instalment house.
however, was familiar with the home
life Of these people and gave some inter-
esiing facts. He declared that it was
to overstate the meagprness OF
the equipment most of the families
brought with them. OF course there
were EXCEPTIONS; but, owing to the fact
a period OF decided labor depression
Immediately preceded the outbreak of
the war, the condition of most wage
workers was then at the lowest ebb.
In this connection, too, it should be
that the great pOwderwoIks was
one OF the first to get under way in meet
ing the military demands Of the warning
nations. Consequently the thousai de OF
who poured into Carney's Point
at the beginning OF the boom came with
a taste of wal prosperity and, as a
rule, were lean and hungry. and Travelled
with little more household equipment
than could be carried in a box and
one or two shawls. Many of them were
uot only destitute but in debt, and their
transportation was furnished them. Now,
most'of the l.ouses are comfortably fur
and the families well clothed.
Weekend sprees are not as numerous as
one would naturally suppose, yet there
are too many at that. hut they are most
frequent among the foaters and unat-
tached fl ,aters. Extravaganza has of
followed in the wake of this I'M
p%receiented prosperity, but on the whole
community is about as happy and
as can be found anywhere.