The economical and successful management of cotton mills

I. Spinning and

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NEW YORK. 39 Corilandt St. BOSTON, 170 Summer St. PHILADELPHIA. The Bourse

HENRY D. MARTIN.

THE

ECONOMICAL AND SUCCESSFUL MANAGEMENT OF COTTON MILLS

By

HENRY D. MARTIN

AUTHOR. INVENTOR, COTTON MILL MANAGER MEMBER OF THE NEW ENGLAND COTTON MANUFACTURERS'

ASSOCIATION

Copyright 1905 Illustrated

PUBLISHED

BY

H. 1). MARTIN

MIDDLETOWN, CONNECTICUT

.Wh'i

X^V

^O

Two Copies Received

1^ Copyright Entry CLASS OC XXc. No, ' COPY 6,

TO MY MANY FRIENDS

THROUGHOUT THE COTTON MANUFACTURING WORLD

WHO TAKE AN ACTIVE INTEREST IN THE

ECONOMICAL PROBLEMS OF

THE TRADE,

THIS BOOK IS RESPECTFULLY DEDICATED

IN ADMIRA TION OF THEIR RECORD

Preface

Having been urged to publish my writings into volume form, the author is pleased to offer them to the trade in permanent style, with the hope that all who read this book may realize more fully the advantages of studying the economical problems of the business. The keen competition with which the trade is confronted, demands strictest attention to the subject of this book. There have been many excellent volumes published on cotton manufacturing in general, giving rules and tables, so that the author of this work has found it unnecessary to enlarge upon this field of the business. Therefore this work is confined mainly to the economical problems of the trade as applied to management in cotton mills.

The advertisements under each cover of this work, have been most carefully selected, and like the subject matter, they bespeak of the highest economy, and are in keeping with the volume.

The author begs to acknowledge indebtedness to his benefactors who are well known successful cotton manufacturers. Credit is also due and is extended to the trade papers for their liberal patronage, courtesy and permissions, including Fibre and Fabric, The Textile World, Record, Boston Journal of Commerce, Power, Trade Press List, The Book-Keeper, The American Wool and Cotton Reporter, and The American Cotton Manufacturer.

Introduction

The thoughtful manufacturer hardly needs an introduction to this book. He knows the value of searching the files and tracing out the points of economy which he most needs to study. A glance at the contents reveals a list of chapters on a variety of subjects touching economical management.

This work is intended for a handbook, giving practical talks on practical subjects, showing methods and rules whereby an executive, in any capacity, may post himself more clearly in regard to his business, and learn more perfectly the duties of his various lieutenants, thus bringing about a higher degree of economy and rendering their services altogether vastly more valuable to their principals.

Although this work is prepared from a cotton manufacturer's standpoint, several of its chapters, such as How to Save Power, Management of Help, etc., are applicable to any textile industry whether Cotton, Linen, Silk or Wool.

Contents

PAGE.

1. The Practical Man in a Cotton Mill 7

His Characteristics ' 7

Section II. Manufacturing 151

24. The Burroughs Adding and Listing Machine 183

25. Mirthful Yarns 194

26. Comparative Cost of Manufacturing 198

New and Old Machinery 198

27. How TO Prevent Labor Strikes 200

28. Testing Strength of Yarns 204

How to Ascertain the Breaking Strength of Threads.. 204

The Proper Method of Keeping Numbers in a Cotton Mill 207

30. The In\tentor's Business — His Characteristics 216

Record of Forms 216

I.

THE PRACTICAL MAN IN A COTTON MILL*

HIS CHARACTORISTICS.

The practical man in a cotton mill, as a rule, has risen from the ranks, and by Yirtue of his careful training knows his business well enough to render valuable service to his company in the capacity in which he is employed. Whether he is a textile school graduate and is a carder, spinner, weaver, finisher, master mechanic, or an all-round mill man, if he knows how to do things well enough in his respective department, or in all departments in general, to manufacture the goods required economically, maintain production, quality, and properly govern the help under his care, he is fully Avorthy of being classed as a practical man of his business or branch of the art. As the success of a mill depends entirely upon the practical men working within same, there is always an active demand for bright, energetic, practical men to shoulder the responsibility of its various departments and to keep operations under their proper basis. Then, naturally, it follows that these men com-

*Published in "Fibre and Fabric."

mand heavy salaries, and as a rule are well paid for their services. That the practical man should be extra well paid is no more than justice. He has given years of closest application to his work. In following up his daily routine as bobbin boy, third hand, second hand and finally assuming charge of a department, he has made great sacrifices. With him it has been ''line upon line,*' and ^'precept upon precept." Often he has been called upon to put in his dinner time to fix a belt or tighten a pulley, and work nights to make up some shift that would keep the department running. However, in time there is an opening, and this brave, uncomplaining young man rises a step, until step by step he reaches a place where money, higher honors and independence as well as hard work join hands. Xow we come to an interesting situation. The young men look up and see the practical man reaping his well earned reward, and each long for his turn to reach a similar goal. This spurs the ambitious young man to ask himself, how can I make myself more useful and increase my value? How can I become a thoroughly practical man, so that in time my labor can be a valuable asset to any company who emplo^^s me? It is the purpose of this article to answer this question and help the aspiring young men upward. At the same time the practical man may find some helpful hints for himself and be also cheered and amused by the wa}' as he peruses the following chapters with the rising young men. In undertaking to assist the young man who longs to become practical, the best advice that can be given to him is to observe how the ideal practical man works and imitate him.

"When in Rome do as the Eomans do." Our aspiring young man should study his business as well as the practical man and improve upon the practical man's methods if possible, and the practical side will grow with the man. The practical man is our best teacher and a worthy example to follow. We will study his characteristics, qualifications, how he takes orders, how he gives orders, how he engages his help, how he manages his help and how lie does many other things. In the first place, the practical man knows his business. He knows how to work and is not afraid of hard work. He has been tried and not found wanting. He is not a perfect man, but his qualities have been tempered by large experience. He is in his business to succeed. The word ^^failure" cannot be found in his vocabulary. He never becomes stranded over any situation. No matter Avhat comes up he is ever ready to grasp the situation and protect his company's interests and exercise justice toward all concerned. He has an admirable way out of every difficulty. He realizes his position ; knows the value of all the litte things and insists upon having every mischief straightened out. He has a determination to overthrow every defect that would defeat the making of good work. He remembers the lessons of his youth and recollects that ^'For the want of the nail the shoe was lost, and for the want of the shoe the horse was lost,'' also that it w^as the leak in the dam that caused the great flood. He has a fertile brain, and is a good thinker and reasoner. He uses his head with his hands, has foresight, improves the methods; plans, lays out his work; keeps everybody busy, and takes deep seated pride in following up details to a finish. He knows where the weak spots are, and keeps his finger on these sore spots until the difficulties are removed. He is a good manager of help, keeps them interested in their Avork. He has them well organized, and has a system and place for everything. He does not overburden himself. His principle is that it is better to keep 10 persons busy than to try to do the work of 10 persons himself. Being a practical man, he is not obliged to carry a "magic wand" to "bluff'' his help. He has good judgment and is a good judge of human nature. He is courteous, has a large heart of sympathy and is ever ready to explain the whys and wherefores of the thousand and one things that may come up. These are some of the characteristics and qualifications that make him a successful and much sought for man in his business. Having mentioned many of the virtues of the ideal practical man, it may now prove of much interest to narrate how this kind of a man applies himself to some of the various duties of which he may be called upon to perform as carder, spinner, weaver, finisher, mechanic or superintendent.

IN THE PICKER ROOM.

In the carding department, the practical carder is not afraid of the picker room and will always give this place a generous call in making his rounds. He considers that this section of his charge is as important to the processes as the boiler room is to the steam plant. One cannot be neglected more than the other. He is a good' judge of cotton. He has not only consulted the textbooks and studied its cultivation, growth and texture, but he has a trained hand a trained eye, and knows its characteristics by the feel and appearance of it. He is very particular about his mixings, and makes the most from the cotton given him to be run through. He also understands picker room machinery, and knows how to adjust their parts according to the stock that must be used; the air currents; in which direction the fans should revolve; speed of fans and beaters; draught of machines and weight of laps : these do not puzzle him, for he knows his trade and can't be fooled. He is not afraid of picker-room dust getting on his clothes, or to take some within his system. Neither is he afraid of getting black oil on his hands, or on the end of his nose, while feeling and ^^nosing" around. He will, when necessary, roll up his sleeves and show the young section man how to make a good job. The young man, who would rise, will welcome with open heart this opportunity to learn from the ''boss." He will listen attentively and do as he is told. The broad-viewed practical man is not afraid to teach others for fear that his job might be taken from him by too many job seekers who have learned it all. He knows that the world was made large enough, and that there is plenty of room for all to live and grow. He diffuses knowledge without worrying about his position. It is only the narrow-minded man who suffers from this disease.

The learner will observe that the practical carder takes good care of the picker room. Cleanliness is his first order, and he has a place for everything. He keeps the machines clean and properly oiled. In regard to setting the beaters and grid bars this has to be entirely governed by the nature of the stock used. Short stock requires closer setting than long stock. By watching stock that comes out, and waste thrown under machines, the adjust ments can be made to accomplish results wanted by the management of the plant. The practical carder runs his fans in the same direction of the beaters, and no faster than is necessary to lay the stock on the screens without wasting stock. He also insists upon having good, reliable help here, and makes as few changes as possible. He gets his old hands accustomed to making good mixings, thus insuring smooth running work in subsequent processes. What is meant by a good mixing of cotton is a fair average of the line of cotton to be put through well broken open by hand or by machinery, and from three days' to one week's supply ahead has been considered satisfactory by most mills. These mixings work best when they have stood one day or more before using. This gives a chance for the stock to become well aired and restores the equilibrium; i. e., the excessive moisture, if any, will become more or less evaporated, and if too dry and brittle it obtains a better working tenure. The carder then who is a practical man makes a great deal of his picker room and keeps it as he does the apple of his eye. He has every lap weighed that comes off from finishers, and all that vary over one pound from the standard he re-works. Thus it is seen that he begins to keep his numbers in the picker room giving all the work every advantage before commencing to card the stock.

IN THE CARDING ROOM.

That the carding department requires a thoroughly practical man at its head, goes without saying. He does not wait to be told that something is wrong. He is alert, never neglects his rounds and notices each card daily. He loves his cards as a shepherd loves his sheep, and sees that they are cared for accordingly. With him each tooth or point in the clothing is a tool which has a function to perform, and he knows that each point must be sharp to properly perform that function of plowing between the delicate fibres and delivering them straight to the cans. He has studied the juxtaposition in which their surfaces must be adjusted, and not only insists that they should be set right, but sees to it personally that they are being set right, and working according to the uniform plan of one who knows his business. If he has not been brought up in the card room from the ranks, or taken a textile school course, he has, at the least, served enough years at his trade to learn the business. No matter how much he has read, or studied from theory, he has also learned by actual experience at the cards himself under various conditions, so that he knows how to set cards to work the stock which he must put through. He has already proved his ability by his good works in the past, and his record is not occult. He enjoys the confidence of the management, and does not work in constant fear of being discharged. Pursuing deeper into our subject the learner desires some practical points about the care of the carding engine. The card should rest on a floor that is well supported to avoid vibration, and all air vents to card closed. The card should be level, and must be accurately adjusted to gauge and the parts securely tightened into place, after it has been carefully ground by a competent card grinder. A poor card grinder does irreparable injury, and the practical man will not trust his cards with any but a reliable grinder. The grinder should be a good fixer, and one who expects some day to become an overseer of carding upon the merits of his good works. He should realize, as does his superiors, that the road to success can only be paved by strict honesty and closest application to duty.

The setting of a card is done according to the stock used. The card should be well oiled and kept stripped and clean. The great terror of the impractical man in the card room is the presence of electricity. Many mornings during the cold weather he has a hard time to get all his cards started promptly, thus losing a great deal of production. The practical carder overcomes this by having his room kept warm enough during the night to prevent air, stock and machinery from becoming chilled. He insists upon finding his department comfortably warm in the morning. When the wheel starts he has the air moisteners started. He has learned that the way to overcome electricity in his room is to warm the air. If he is running colored work, he will require vapor pots distributed about the machines on which colored work is run, so that he can counteract electricity by turning either live or exhaust steam into the room. While he is waiting for these conveniences he sprinkles water on the floor and drives electricity out of the place. And the magic fluid picks up its tools and goes to bother the "other fellow'' who is not practical. But the practical man secures all that can be reasonably expected from his cards, viz., smooth, clean, evenly carded stock that will bear the closest inspection of his critics.

The trained carder is not only what has already been claimed, but is also a good keeper of numbers. He keeps a daily record of the weight of his laps. Those that w^eigh on the standard lighter than standard and heavier than standard are put into three separate lots, and he is careful to so distribute the lighter and heavier ones among his cards as to preclude the possibility of getting the work either too light or too heavy. If he has railway heads he will weigh. the sliver four times per day. If no railway heads, he will weigh his finished drawing sliver as often and keep record of same. He is a good judge of how the weather and odd lots of stock may affect the numbers, and makes all due allowances. He is also very choice about securing the most competent drawing frame hands, and makes it an object to keep them. In many mills the picker room and drawing frames are used as a nursery, and are always open to receive "jacks of all trades." The practical man is too sensible to injure the interests of his company by such needless operations. He gives the drawing frame hands time each Saturday to thoroughly scour their machines, sees that they are oiled every day and has the clearers picked as often as is necessary to prevent droppings from being drawn between the rolls, making lumps in the sliver, or plugging the trumpets. On slubbers, intermediates and speeders, he is particular to have piecing made so that subsequent processes are not injured and clearers are kept clean. He is very careful to have proper twist in the roving, the kind that the spinner can draw, and yet not break back in the creel. He is very thoughtful about the tensions on all these machines and regulates them so that there is no possibility of stretching the roving. When he changes the hank roving on a machine he does not allow one kind of roving to lapse into that of another number. He makes a clean change, dofiting his machines at a point that is just between the two kinds, so that there is no mixing of roving. This is simple to learn, and yet the impractical man does not appreciate this lesson and the merits of this point go unheeded. For example, we will suppose that the carder has an order to change some speeders from 4 hank making 32s yarn, to 3 hank to spin 24s 3^arn. If he doffs the speeder before the draught gears are changed there will be about a yard of the 4 hank roving left from the bite of rolls to the bobbins. When the new roving reaches the spinner, he changes his frames, and when this roving is being run off, the last yard or so on each bobbin, which is 4 hank instead of 3 hank, makes 8 yards of 32s, which should be 24s, and worse than that, it is soft twisted yarn, is useless and makes a mess. A radical change is the only right change to make, and the practical man appreciates this requirement.

IN THE SPINNING ROOM.

Passing to the practical spinner, he is made of the same kind of cloth as the carder. He is fully interested in his business and well adapted to manage rapidly moving forces. Time and space forbid taking up the vast details of this department as a whole. It will suffice to generalize. "A word to the wise is sufficient."

The practical spinner knows how to adjust all the parts of a spinning frame so as to adapt it to stock used and make it do its best work. A spinning frame appears very simple, but it is quite a complicated machine to operate, and unless a spinner is expert he cannot obtain best results. The experienced man is tactful, resourceful and never complains of being overburdened with multifarious duties. He has a wealth of patience, is a born trainer of the young, indefatigable worker and has tireless energy to keep his help interested and up to highest standard of efficiency. He can spin, doff, spool and give the lead to the best hands he has whenever his ire is stirred. He is business-like, fair and square. He is the whole court, jury and judge whose cases are never appealed and his greatest admirers are his help. In regard to the work itself, after his machines are properly hung and adjusted, he insists that his spinners make smooth piecings, and that the spoolers make small but firm knots. He has a place for everything, keeps his machines well oiled and clean, and, best of all, he keeps every spindle running and the belts on the tight pulley. His production is all right. He settles his own troubles, and the superintendent never has occasion to Avorry about his spinning department and ^^call him down." He knows this man is working for the best interests of the company and he helps him up, mentally, monetarily and to a better position whenever he can, same as he would anyone who merits advancement. The practical spinner sizes a great deal more yarn than the uninitiated cares to. Instead of taking 2, 3 and 4 bobbins as a basis for making up his size record and reports, he weighs at least 8 bobbins from as many bobbins of roving which have been previously weighed by the carder. This is called the regular size. Then to avoid further doubts, he also takes a random size to prove the general trend of the work. He keeps a careful record of these sizings and sends a duplicate report to the carder, and a third to the superintendent's office. As the spinner has to deal most altogether with very young help he can, by his prudent management, shape and mould their future usefulness to a considerable extent. The young men especially will pride themselves upon imitating the traits of an overseer whether he is good or bad. The spinner who deserves the name of being a good, practical man, will not use profane language ; he will be clean in his habits, appearance, and endeavor to uplift the young people under his charge in every way that he can by his own high grade character.

IN THE WEAVING ROOM.

In an article of this space it is impossible to give the reader and the art so much scope as is necessary to cover the ground well. So far as the practical man himself is concerned, he will have all of the high grade qualities and sterling character that is claimed for our yarn makers, and will have so mastered the art of weaving that he will be equal to his business requirements. In other words, he will have served time as a common weaver, fixer and second-hand before he can fully understand the trade as it is practiced. The man of his trade can step up to a loom and give points to a troubled weaver or fixer that give evidence of his having superior knowledge of the art. His words and manipulation of the threads and machine carry weight and influence that draw weavers to their looms with increasing confidence that more and better work can be done by themselves. He is not timid, and the tongue of an unruly weaver or the bang of a loom gives him no fears, for he can hush both with honor to himself and injure neither man nor machine. He is not quick tempered. His acumen carries him through the thick of the battle from morning till eve without murmuring. A loom can be compared to a block of marble. In the marble the sculptor sees a beautiful statue, but with only his skill and hard labor can he chisel and draw out the image of his ideal. The loom is a very simple machine, but the skilled Aveaver sees its wonderful possibilities, and by his applied energies he can make it bear fruit that will tempt the marts of the world.

The practical man accomplishes this by having the right kind of help. By this is meant that he not only finds and draws good help, but he makes good lielp from the material that he finds on the spot. He Ivuows that by continued changing of hands he demoralizes his department. He makes good hands of poor help by teaching them and bringing out the good that is in them. He not only adjusts his looms properly, but looks out for proper moistening, temperatures and ventilating. Many weavers become run down, care worn and careless because the weave room has not been ventilated since the double windows were put on last fall. Without a circulation of fresh air, proper warmth and humidity a weave room cannot secure its full and best grade of production. Weavers work hard. They must be fed witli something else besides gloom. Give them plenty of light, too, and keep the Vails and ceiling clean and well whitened. The practical man provides all these comforts, gives them plenty of fresh water to drink and a clean place to put their clothes and plenty of time to go home and get a nice, square, warm meal at home. The dinner pail never can take the place of a warm dinner, and it does not turn off so much cloth. We must now leave the technical and designing part of the art for some future article in which some other writer can treat it to much better advantage by itself. The practical weaver gets off a very large production of cloth. This is of mutual advantage to the company and his help. His percentage of seconds runs very low, and this makes all sides the more prosperous.

There is another great reason for good-running work that this well-managed weave room can rely upon. It is the proper preparation of the yarn which goes on in the carding and the spinning department by the practical men at their heads. And it is from such men as these that the superintendent is chosen. Thus it pays the young man to become a practical man. The superintendent, being a thoroughly practical man, can fully appreciate his position and courts the services of the trained men. He will not only have a trained carder, spinner and weaver, but will also have a practical finisher; one who can put up goods in attractive packages for the market and who can finish goods with a "feel" that is so irresistible to a woman's touch that she will repeatedly call for more of the same kind of goods. He will not part with his men at any cost, and the highest reasonable salaries cannot fully repay their services. He will also have one of the leading men of his trade as chief engineer and master mechanic, one who takes pride in keeping up repairs in such a manner as to keep the mills running with the smallest per cent of shutdowns on account of breaks and careless attention to steam plant, water power, etc. He cooperates w^ith the heads of all other departments in lending every assistance that comes under his domain to keep the belts on the tight pulleys. He shares in the credits given to each department for increase in production. His chance of rising still higher by virtue of his profession or trade it as great as those of the manufacturing heads. Two of the largest positions in New England to-day are held by men who were once engineers or master mechanics of the cloth, and are now general superintendents or managers of over a dozen large mills apiece. The same chances can be bespoken for the finishers. Some of leading managers' positions held at present are by those who are expert or practical finishers. Be practical, young men, and 3'our chances are legion I