~, ...._. _..._.,.. . ..
ISIL‘K *iND’iisrRr. ' ' ..
.'_-. "I ‘.
"ti-"35: , , . .
' Ely-roan msrnmnrns ran max.
._ :. OUTPUT or PATERSQN’S rap
«1; w cmous MILLS.» ,,§‘g,_
grants or‘ THE DEVELOPMENT or ran nmus-
. 'rnr m m ”UNITED "STATES—O’l'm'
CHARACTERISTICS or . rim Pnos- I-
.rnnous NEW-JERSEY MANU-
FACTUBING TOWN.
L.
1'.“ '
liNew-York is the principal point for entry and 3
Fillet of the vast product of that lino of ln-t
dustryi—the silk 'mills‘ of Paterson; _' , ’ ’
lThe town of Paterson nestles coslly among the
foothillsof the Ramapo range; and-itsaCcessi-
may and convenient situation within a. few
miles of’ the metropolis, have been factors in the
develo'pme'nt- offits industrial resources.
,[S-Paterson has made rapid strides during the
last few years, and its importance as a silk cen-
tre gives it a. unique place among American
manufacturing towns. The first man to de-
yote himself to an attempt to introduce the
silk :industry into Paterson was Christopher
Colt, jr., a brother of Samuel Colt, theinventor
of the revolver. In fact, it was in the fourth .
story of the revolver factory that the first silk
manufacture of Paterson was housed. The
active. operations of this silk mill lasted only-
three months, and it eventually passed into the
hands of G. W. Murray, of New-York, who
had been interested in the matter through the
solicitations of John Ryle, of Macclesfield, Eng-
land.» Mr. Ryle was put in charge of the mill
under ~three years' contract, and the founda-
tion, of successful Silk manufacture was laid.
Paterson was then a village of seven thousand
inhabitants. ‘
_ In . 1846 Mr. Ryle bought out Mr. Murray‘s
interest in the business, and $4er the first time
beganthe weaving of broad goods. ‘
. L-FOr twelve years this mill had no rival-in Pat-
erson, but gradually " others were“ established,
, Q'd! the industry soonnassumed tremendous im-_
‘ portanc'e. . In 1857-‘58-the Ryle _mills had grown
' to-,-such- an extent' that-five hundred. operatives
. were required, and the manufacturesof this es—
'- 'tabliShmenrt alone 'consumed 7‘ two; thousand
..pounds: of-;‘raw_.-si1k (per, ..Week, something un-
precedented in the history ofua silk mill in
'America up to that time.,-.Under the tariff _of
1861 Paterson became the. centre of .a great sxlk
. industry, in which many prominent. concerns
,ehg'ageduand large amOunts of capitalwere in-
' vested. . The competition became so exceedingly
' active. and. the manufacture included "a .Wide
.variety of goods, some of which had never been
made in this country before. At this time, also,
the weaving of broad goods and fancy silks was
fairly Well'established. ‘ " . ‘ " ' “L
. ‘: Paterson had been from the first favored with
abundant water-power, and water in large quan-
tities and .of fair purity is absolutely necessary
in the processof silk manufacture, especially
for cleansing the silk by repeated washings to
bring out its naturallustre.’ The most impor-
'- taut factor, probably, in the development of. the
industry wascheap labor.. Paterson had a large
population of men who worked in the machine
shops and 'o‘_' heavy work, and whosewives and
‘ daughters needed employment. The silk mill
appealed to this class. The girls and young
flwomen of Paterson werefready to take employ-‘
ment at the silk mills as ‘soon as they were es-
4ablished. Under the tariff of 1861 thevmanu-
facturers began to crowd in. and as competition
raised the price of labor it made employment
in the silk mill all the more desirable. Experi-
ence in the processes of manufacture brought
greater success, and the. development was rapid.
Great buildings began to spring up, and from'
that time on .thew'progress was rapidand con-
stant; Noteworthy changes in the whole Char-
acter-of the silk induStry have-taken place since
Paterson became its centre. :Among these are
theiprofitable manufacture 'of broad goods, after
repeated trials, the earliest efforts in this di-
rection not having been, successful. ' .
The, increase in; the numbernof firms engaged
In weaving silk: is partly Owing to thedemands
of fashion and‘partly to the fact that the con-
cerns- that once confined themselves to, the
thr0wer’s business nearly all realized many
years ago that they must undertake weaving
or retire from silk manufacture. ._
i- The importance of New—York as a distribut-
ing centre for the silk industry of Paterson can-
not be overestimated. The fact that this great
primary market is within easy reach of the mills,
and the enterprise and energy of the great com-
mission and jobbing houses of this, city, have
all combined to aid the manufacturers in the
development of their business. Most of the
firms engaged in the industry are represented
by New—York commission houses, or have offices
in this city, where the trade of the country is
handled and looked after successfully.
- Paterson has often been termed the "Lyons
of America," and its great silk industry Justifies
the name. .
I; _ ——————e———— .
a. A MODEL MANUFACTURING TOWN.
RATERSON, WITH ITS SILK MILLS, LOCOMOTIVE
WORKS AND OTHER INDUSTRIES.
("Among those cities which are near enough to
New—York to be benefited directly by the com-
mercial greatness of this centre of industry
none show more gratifying conditions than Pat-
erson. This . manufacturing town, with its
abundant water supply, admirable geographical
situation and enterprising business men; has
made rapid strides, and bids fair to continue at
an even more remarkable pace. ~
. The people of Paterson are wide-awake; they
are close enough to the metropolis to imbibe
that energetic restlessness which is always ap—
parent here, and the result has ’been a constant
development of the natural resources of the
city. The business men of Paterson say that
times are good; that they are going to be; better
shortly, and that everything points to a record.
breaking year for their city. . . _
A walk through the business centre of the
~town proves that this is no idle boast. The hum
of looms is heard on every side, and the great
silk mills are busily turning out goods which
are rapidly driving many foreign lines from the
American market. . -. .
Within the last year three new silk mills have
gone up, and large additions have been built to
some of the older plants. One of the new mills
gives employment to over eight hundred hands.
,. In the two large locomotive factories prosper-
tty is also apparent. These'works give employ-
ment, when running fully, to between four thou-
sand and five thousand men. Improvements of
. ,3 ea' substantial character 1.... 81‘... been. made: in;
the Edison Electric Company'splant, one'of the
largest in the countryslf?The'.fdompany supplies
the llghtingfor. the city and power for the street
railways, and for all of the various works in
which electricity is used. The 'city has two
street. railway» companies, one of which has re-
cently gone into the handset a receiver, for
the purpose, itis said; of bringing about a con:
' solidation of the two companies. w ,.
" Thethree National banks and the two savings
banks are in'a prosperbus' and flourishing" con-
dition. One of the former has-recently moved
into ‘a handsomé‘new building. The cityalso
has two safe deposit and trust companies. TWO
telephone companies operate lines in Paterson,
and in the last year have made'considerable ex-
tensions to their service. ‘ . ~ -
The high credit cf'the city is evidenced by the
fact thattheZIast sale of bonds was made on a
3.44 interest basis. -Dllting the last year asphalt
1' streets have been, laid for several mi_les,,.and
“Broadway; the principal thoroughfare, is being
pa'ved' withwitrified. brick.“ Similar. improve-r
ments on other streets will .be made during
1899. The new Court'House and pestofiice, both
handsome edifices, are under way,’ and will prob-
ably be finished during the year. While-build:
ing operations in general have not been particu-
larly active in the last year, numerous fine resi~
dences have gone up. The Health Department
issued 290 permits for new buildings. . . .
The population of Paterson on December 1
'was' estimated to be 113,520, showing an in-
crease of more than fifteen thousand sincev1895.
._._.___._
INDUSTRIES 0F NEWARK.
ITS NEARNESS ro- NEW-YORK GIVES IT
PROMINENCE IN MANUFACTUR-
ING CIRCLES.
Among the cities which are more or less de-
pendent for their commercial prosperity upon
xtheir accessibility to N ew-York is Newark. The
city lies upon an elevated plain uponuzthe right
bank of‘the Passalc River, its main thorough-
fare, Broad-st, running north and south through
the heart of the city. The street is lined with
Splendid business structures, which are also to
be found on Market-st., the principal east and
west thoroughfare. This street also boasts an
imposing stone courthouse. - Among- the impor:
tant: public buildings, may .- be ..mentioned,.the
City Hall, .corner of Broad and William sts.; the
Custom House and Postoflice, : corner of.- :Broad
and. Academy . .sts; ;r. the 'rLibrary Building, , with
thirty thousand-wolumes, and the- Newark Acad-
.emy. The-cityofi Newark. is. a home for insur-
ance companies, and the. offices of some of these
concerns are .most elaborate and costly. The
building of. the Mutual -:-Ben.efit Life Insurance
.Compa‘ny is said to be the finest inf..the State.
The banks of Newark are institutions of: high
standing and financial importance, and enjoy an
exceptional reputation. - _ x . .
Among. the ..industries which are especially
noteworthy are those devoted to the" m'anufacte
uer. of.leather, paper, boots and shoes, carriages,
jewelry, varnish.and indiarubber, 'goods._ There
are also large~ fiour mills and celluloid manu»~
factories. The varnish works of a prominent
New-Yorkwfirmpwhi‘ch are located in Newark,
.are..the largestin the country. The product of
this factory ,is used onall of the principalrail-
roads of the country and is shipped to all parts
of the world. "Newark. is the largest and Imost
important manufacturing centre ofNew-Jersey,
a =.fact which,.,_no, doubt, is largely. due to its
proximity “to the metropolis. A large share of
its business, is transacted through local agents
in this city, and much of its product finds an
outlet through this channel.
-—..—
TRADE IN UNDERWEAR.
- Domestic and imported underwear finds in
New-York the principal distributing point. This
city is, infact, a great emporium for this article
of wear. Into this -market come hundreds of‘
buyers from all‘the important .cities of‘ the
United States. It is safe to say thathundreds of
millions of dollars are invested in the manu-
facturing plants,-'and the volume of business
each year amounts to $75,000.000 and upward,
one-third of which is paid out in wages. The
most important ’m’ills for the making of under-
wear are situated in the Mohawk Valley. ‘ New-
York and Brooklyn have a given number,_ but
so far as- manufacture is concerned are not
prominent except in regard to the selling and
distributing. Therefore it may be said that the
industry is a State affair, rather than a local
one, giving employment to at least twenty-five
thousand hands. This does not include the large
number engaged in handling the importations.
As a rule, silk and woollen underwear are im-
ported, while the cotton and mixed articles are
made in this country. Some of the cotton grades
are exported to South America and Africa. In
fact, this department of the business has now an
added interest. in view of the results of the late
war and the policy of business expansion which
appears to have taken hold of the entire coun-
try. A small quantity of the domestic product
has been sold each year in Canada and Mexico.
As for silk underwear, while there have been
large quantities imported, it will be found that
some of the silk houses located in Paterson,
N. J.. are able to turn out a first-rate article, or
at least the materials for it.
Among the numerous features which are con-
stantly springing up in the trade is that of
hygienic underwear. This is said to have had its
origin in Europe. Since the original make of
this kind of goods was placed on the market
there have been many others who have gone
into this specialty, and the sales have been on
quite a large scale. Germany several years ago
undertook the manufacture of heavy balbriggan,
which met with great favor in the American
market. The American manufacturer started
an active competition, and in this field has now
gained a large share of the trade. Business all
through the West this Year has been unusually
good, and this has resulted in big buying orders
for underwear. _ ‘
_—_
GLOVES.
At a rough estimate there are 15,000,000 pairs
of gloves imported into this country each year,
most of which are entered at this port. This
large quantity, combined with the immense out-
put from domestic factories, represents millions
of dollars of invested capital. The imported
glove comes principally from England, Ger-
many, France, Belgium and_,Austria. The most
important centre of glove manufacture in the
United States is Gloversville, N. Y. There is
no end of different plants in this bustling city.
The product from the American workshops is
distributed from New-York as a centre, many
of the factories having their selling offices here.
There is one concern in New-York .which
makes the finest grades of gloves. competing
I with the best 3 English makes and getting ~ the,
same price in the retail'stores. It, has its own‘
tannery, and-Eemploys skilled labour-.01 thetwo
kin‘ds‘of gloves, buttonand :lace. the' latter ”has
grown :inpopularity, until many persons will
_wear none other; The device of llacing _-is .sim-
'ple, and has the great advantage of making the
wrist of the glove fit absolutely perfect—not too
tight or too loose. .The.sales 'of this style have.
been constantly increasing, and to-day the man-
ufacture of the special-grade is one of the most
important departments of the industry. ‘-
The process involved inmaking'gloves is de-
cidedly interesting. From start to finish the
finished. product passes through. at least twenty
different hands where a different kind'of work
is,done in each case. The skins, for the gloves
are mostly imported. They are gathered in Bus».
sia. Germany and other European countries.
.Wandermg-Jews go from hamlet to hamlet.
picking up the hides of the family goats which
have died or been killed. The tanning and pre-
paring of‘the skins are exacting labors, and the
dyeing which ,follows requires special training
and experie‘nce. When the leather-is all ready
it goes into, the .factoryand passes through the
hands of the cutters and sorters and stitchers,
and so on» until the gloves have been done up in
dainty style ,andgpacked. in boxes for the retail
trade- It is said that the business at the present
time is in excellent condition, with the future
.full of promise.
TROY AND NEW-YORK.
IMPORTANT BUSINESS RELATIONS BETWEEN
run two AS REGARDS commas
AND 'CUFFS. ‘
Concentration seems to be‘the rule. in all
lines of business, and this is especially true of
manufactures. Thus, the silk- business is cen-
tred :in Paterson, jewelry in Newark, and by
the same law of aggregation. Troy for many
years has been the headquarters for collars
and cuffs. There are at present more than
fifty firms there engaged in the manufacture
of these important accessories to dress, and
some of the‘firms‘, are extremely'wealthy and
prosperous. \' Thebusiness is one in which large
amounts ‘of capital'are investedz, ,‘ ,. »'
Notwithstandingrthe' seeming simplicity of
the articles in question, their actual production
callsfor an astonishing complexity of operap
tions in orderto meet theagrowing fastidious-
ness of» customers. Style andworkmanship are
essentials .»that-. must be considered along with
the question of cost, and to make the goods
come; within reach of the average buyer and
at the same time to maintain the quality is
no small problem. . . .
Thelmodern collar and cuff factory' as it ex-
ists in Troy to-day is a' veritable hive of energy
and industry. Skilled hands are reinforced by
everything in the way of machinery that hu-
man ingenuity has been able to devise. In the
large sewing-rooms thousands of machines,
driven by steam and electricity, click inces-
santly; the. laundry is supervised by skilled
chemists, and separate depots are maintained
from which the goods are sent out over the
entire country. _ '
- If the daily product of such a factory as that
of Cluett, Peabody & Co., were by any chance
to be whirled abroad, it wOuld whiten the air
with a linen snowstorm of tens of thousands of
flakes in collars and cuffs before which a Mo-
Cartney might fiee in dismay.
Not the least important feature of the manu-
facture.,is thedevelopment of its style. The
idea first suggests itself to thelmanufacturer
or one of his workmen. Perhaps it is to be
merely an improvement on current styles, pos-
sibly a straight collar with small points turned
down, or rounded in front, or with a narrower
angle than has been in use. Well, this idea is
embodied in tangible form in a pattern, and
now comes the important question of cIOth re-,
quired and what will be wasted. .Afte-r this has
been definitely ascertained, wooden patterns
in various sizes are made, one of which gives
the form of the band and another of the col-
lar. Next comes the cutting, which is done
through many thicknesses of .cloth ..by keen,
Short-bladed knives. , ' ' ” ' '
. After the pieces havetbeen cut. out they are
put together in little parcels. each containing
_the,_-.material for a dozen collars, and the family
thus formed remains together through all the
various vicissitudes of its youth in the fac-
tories, until, having, as it were, grown to ,ma-
turity, it is dispersed abroad into the' great
world, each member to shift for itself, or,to be
shifted as suits the purpose of the individual
customer. In the manufacture, the collars, hav-
ing been (1) cut, are (2) run, (3), turned (4).
stitched, (5) bands turned over, (6) bands turned,
(7) bands stitched, (8) buttonholes cut, (9) but-
tonholes worked.
When the sewing is finished the goods go to
the laundry, where they pass through a dozen
or more processes, the final one being the iron-
ing. Then follow a careful inspection, stamp-
ing and boxing, and the goods are ready for the
market. Among the well-known-firms who en-
gage extensively in this line of manufacture in
Troy are the International Shirt and Collar
Company, Cluett, Peabody & Co.,-Earl 8r. Wil-
son, United Shirt and Collar Company, Corlis,
Coon & Co., Hall, Hartwell & rCo., Fellows &
Co., Curtis & Co., Vanzan‘dt, Jacobs & Co., Will-
iam Barker & Co., and Emigh, Lobdell & Co.
There are also as many as fifty concerns who
make a specialty or who manufacture to a
smaller extent. »
The last year has seen the introduction of
new'lmplements for cutting, folding, etc., which
have made marked changes in those depart-
ments of the business, and increased the facili-
ties of production. The output of. collars and
cuffs in Troy aggregates something like $50,-
000,000 a year. These figures may seem large,
but it is to be bdrne in mind that there is proba-
bly no article of more general use. Collars and
cuffs, too, no matter how good the material or
the workmanship, have a way of wearing out
and requiring constant renewal. There are sev-
eral concerns in Troy which do an annual busi-
ness of a -million dollars, and others whosa in-
dividual sales amount to twice that sum. *
Notwithstanding the introduction of improved
machinery, the industry gives employment to a
large army of people. A conservative estimate
places the amount— of money. that is paid-in
salaries every week in this one line in Troy at
The output of the larger factories is some
thing enormous, varying from 2,000 to 5,000
dozens a day. .
The principal firms operate their own box fac-
tories, and are fully equipped for packing, ship-
ping, etc. The largest share of their business
is transacted through New-York, where they
maintain ofiices. warehouses and showrooms.
The concerns that do not have offices hereoper-
ate through the commission merchants, so the
industry is practically controlled through the
channels of the metropolis. ' .
'Althg_ugh a review of Troy’s industries natu-
rally begins: witheoilars and cuffs," it'fmanu?
fa urea extensively in other lines, notably steel.
no and cal-sag»; . . _, . .
.._, be great Watervliet Arsenal, which was the
:scene of intense 'activity‘ during the brief en-
counter with Spain, is in West Troy. It is here
that the heavy rified cannon of the most .aD‘
proved design are made. . .
—"_"_"_"—.—'
CORSET INDUSTRY.
In corsets, as in other articles of‘women's'”
'Weafins appareh; fashion is inclined toy‘vard
fickleness. With the changing ‘of styles each
year comes a change in the character of the '
corset. First it is short, than long, lacéd~ tight
and the); loose. There are corsets for the rich'
and corsets for the poor, corsets for summer-I.
wear and “others " for winter use. corsets de-
signed for the. athletic Woman. and .so on
through. a long list. It has been said some
where that falrwbmankind creates the demand .;
for the major; portion of the world's factories.
and the more the. subject- is Studied the more it
would appear that thisstatement is true. , ' . ‘
The manufacture of corsets is distinctly an
American industry, and from small beginnings _, .I
it has grown to tremendous proportions. The
European dealers have, long since given up try-
ing to compete with the domestic-article. and. >
the field is controlled throughout by Americans.
Of course, there are a few of the finer grades .
which still come from Paris, because there are
still a few foolish persons of the feminine
gender who labor under the delusion that any
article with a foreign brand upon it is worth“
more and is more to be desired than anything
made'iin this country. . - . “ .
. Dress reformers and health sects have waged
no end of warfare against the corset, but to no
avail. It is' more popular‘and more universally
worn to-day than ever before in the history of
the .country. -Even the athletic tendency of the
times 'has not been effective in bringing it into ' '
disfavor. There may have been brought about ~
modifications of the most criticised features of
the corset, but that is all. No woman can' ex-
pect a good figure, or a perfect-fitting garment _ .
without the use of a corset.
Prices range in value from 25 cents to.$20
and upward, as high as the extravagance and
purse ,‘of the buyer will permit. The industry *
in ‘New-Yorkzisan important 'one. ;- There is”
$10,000,000 invested .-in, manufacturing plants
throughout the c0untry;' and the larger part of _ ,
the output is controlled in this city.
_ CLOTHING . MANUFACTURE. - "
Such has been the growth and development of
the clothing manufacturing interests of the
country, and more particularlyof this city, that
it is small wonder that Americans have the-
reputation for being the best-dressed people on
the face of the globe. New-York is the centre of
the industry. The productofethisvdty'is sold
m every State in the Union. This applies to all
grades, the best as well as the cheapest. 'l‘ho' '-
leading manufacturers of other cities nearby
make New-York“ the selling and distributing
point, and this adds to the immense volume of
trade annually. transacted.
been a time when clothing was as cheapas it
is at» the present time. Of late years the price
has been steadily declining, until a point has
been reached where careful and'clever manage-
ment is essential to profit-making. There have
been several causes which have combined to
bring about this condition of affairs. One of
them is the cheapness and. excellent quality of
the cloths which are being turned out by the
woollen mills'of the country. The domestic
cloth has beenable to give the imported article
the stiffest kind of competition, and in certain -
fields has completely driven the foreigner out
of the market. Next there has been a system--..
atizmg of manufacturing process. Machines
have been introducedfwhich do the work for- -. -.
merly accomplished by manual labor. . ’ .
There is a certain section of Broadway._.just
above the drygoods' district which is lined on. ,
both sides with the offices of the leading manu—,:
facturers ofclothing in the. city. The-annuaL~
sales foot up’ into the millions, and employment
is given to tens of thousands of persons within .-
the limit of the municipality. It has been» estie . '
mated that the value of the output of clothing.
for the United States for the present year will
be close to $130,000,000. The annual clothing
trade in this city amounts .to. $80,000,000, on an:
invested capital of over $20,000,000 The, num4
ber of people finding employment in the'facq
tories of New-York City. is about 150,000. The ‘
trade in the last year or so has passed through
many vicissitudes, and there have been many, -,
failures, but the feeling at the present time is
buoyant and the evidence of returning prosper-
ity is seen on every hand. -
——————.‘—_—.—— _ £5 3 . '
FELTS. " ' I”
The members of the felt goods trades when. ..
asked to furnish some information regarding. '»
the industry were reticent about doing so._
arguing that any publicity given to the busi-.. ..
ness would have the efiect of inducing others
to go into it.
“There is competition enough already," they'
said. -
The process of felting is one by means of
which the fibres of wool or other material are .'
so interlaced, without weaving, as to make a
texture. This result was originally obtained by
an operation called “bowing.” In this process .
the proper quantity of the material being
mixed, according to the variety of felt to be
produced, it is violently agitated, tossed in the
air and caused to mix thoroughly. This pro-
duces a thin layer, which is then covered with
a cloth, and the fibres are interlaced in every
conceivable direction. Another layer is then
added by the same process, and so on until
a felt of the required thickness is produced.
The use of felt in bat manufacture is, of course.
an industry of extreme importance here, where
the factories are called upon to furnish annu-. v:
ally the greater supply of headgear for the en-
tire country. The introduction of ingenious ma-
chinery in the manufacture of .:felt- hats has
simplified and cheapened the prbcess, and has
helped to develop the industry to enormous...‘
proportions. In 1846 a patent was taken. out -
for an improvement on a machine for felting, by " ‘
which the process was applied directly to the
making of bat “bodies,” the term applied to the =1
,
rough bodies of hats. ~ l
A perforated metallic form, shaped like I;
cone, is made to revolve, and by means of s
current of air forced through it gathers and
felts the fibres and wool. While the use of felt ‘j -
in hats is an important one, its usefulness is
by no means confined thereto. Felt cloth is
used extensively as a dress-goods material. and
it is an important feature in the make-up of
billiard tables and other articles of furniture;“
There are a number of firms in this city who
manufacture, import and distribute felt, ancl
they do. a large business, in all arts of till
count11. " ' f " ““N
There has ‘ never ,..
A.‘
Norwalk Chronicler