Morgan County Democrat. (McConnelsville, Ohio) 1886-1943, 1924-03-13
Through Shoe Factory
lBv Don Carlos Janesl

I5y DOn NdFjoS JdHC5J
After Birmingham and Bourne
Vile. came a trip north to Colne in
Lancashire to visit a friend of IL
years ago who then lived in Bristol
where are the famous orphan houses
established by George Muller, the
man of faith and prayer. While at
Colne, | preached both at Burnley
and Nelson, nearby towns in this
section where the buildings are OF
sandstone. Proceeding still to the
north, We arrived in Glasgow where
friends of my former trip entertain
ed us. 1t was in Glasgow that |
landed in 1904 on the way to Pal
estine and Egypt Some 80 miles
away is the little, declining mining
village called Slamannan where we
spent "a week end" as they say
over there. An evangelist from
Glasgow was in a meeting and
Joined him in an open air service
on Saturday evening, service
which received small consideration
from the villagers-and addressed
the worshipers at IL O'Clock next
day. | also spoke to the Bible
school in the afternoon and Bro.
McKerlie addressed another open
air meeting before the indoor SER
mon at night. On Saturday even
ing, a good sized group of men and
women came into the hOSpitable
home where we were lodged and af-
ter tea got to singing and carried
it on till bit late, rendering among
other things the anthem, "Hark
the song Of jubilee" A larger COM
pany of them, without music or
words to guide them, sang it at the
meeting house after dismissal OF one
of the meetings and l shall not
soon forget the enthusiasm of these
mining folk of the little Scotch vii
lage and the splendid sentiment of
this hymn of triumph when the
Lord God Omnipotent reigns" from
pole to pole Returning to our
Glasgow friends on Monday, we tar
ried a little before journeying south
to "Wigston Hall nr. Leicester"
\ Wigston Hall is the name Of an
extensive old mansion three stories
high standing in a lovely garden
(the yard and connected park-llke
grounds) with its poultry yards,
vegetable garden, summer house,
green houses, shrubbery, and the
like, and it is the home of thrifty
shoe manufacturer of about my own
age. | was to speak on Sunday and
Monday, but we went enough ahead
Of time to obtain some rest Whlch
was needed. | know not how many
rooms there were in the place, but
besides the culinary department and
the dining room, | know there was
big reception room at the entrance,
the drawing room and what | sup
posed was the library, but the lady
called it "the morning room on tne
first floor Our second-fioor bed
room was a great big chamber with
a good bed, magnificent wardroDe
with full length mirror in the door,
a double washstand (snppiled with
two bowls and pitchers and proVld-
ed with sheet of glass at the back
for a splasher). a dressing table,
fine carpet, lambskin rug, two clos
cts, a tub and shower bath IN ad-
Joining room and both steam and
gas heat. Now wasn't that good
place for fellow who had slept on
all kinds Of things, to spend few
days? Truly it was blessing, for
Mrs. James had a good case or min
iature" smallpox from her vacclna-
tion and needed a quiet and easy
place, but | must not fail to add that
besides the substantial furnishings
of our room already mentioned
there was the precious supplement
Of good welcome and loving atten-
tion from our hosts. Two maids and
two outside hands keep Wigston
Hall and grounds fit for king.
Bro. Birkett, for that was my
hosts name, took me for visit to
his factory and if my readers are
like the writer of these lines, they
would have enjoyed the trip. A
good walk of a mile or thereabouts
brings us to the station and 1t takes
three-quarters of an hour by train
to Desborough where the works are
situated That is time enough to
look over the papers as we go to
work Upon arrival, the managing
director preceded at once to his Of
fee and sorted the mail out into sew
eral piles ready for other hands with
the exception of few pieces placed
in his own drawer and then the trip
through the factory began. Now
how are shoes made anyhow? Did
you ever think how many pieces