Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 41, Number 80, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 June 1909 — What a Good Factory Means to a Town. [ARTICLE]

What a Good Factory Means to a Town.

Brook Reporter. Brook is becoming essentially a factory town. In company with the two Ben’s, Lyons and Leopold, we took a look through the Brook Overall Coi. factory, Monday afternoon, If any of our neighboring towns want to know, where this factory is located, Just remember that it is at BROOK, and if the “I told you so’s” that predicted all kinds of calamity for the factory in the start and with a wise shake of their head said that it was “that much’ money spent for nothing,” would spend a half hour in the factory they, would be as much surprised as when they read their family bible. The factory is a regular beehive of industry. Forty-two sewing machines clicking and humming away, reminds one that the little town of Brook has an industry that no town in the state of twice the size can boast. Nor is this all, another consignment of machines is on the road, and they will be ready for more girls in the next ten days, and despite the fact that nearly fifty .girls are at work, more are wanted. In fact, by] this time next year it is expected to have from a hundred to a hundred and twenty-five girls in the factory. Always the first question asked is, “What does a factory of this kind mean to a town.” We will tell you what it means to Brook. In the first place, the pay roll already averages about S3OO a week in wages, and at the present rate would mean $16,004 a year for wages alone, not counting on the fact that this will probably be more than doubled before the year rolls around. The next question is, “What are the wages and what can the girls earn?” That almost entirely depends on ability and a willingness to work. There are at present some fifteen or. sixteen girls that have been in the factory comparatively from the start, say on an average of three or four months. Through the courtesy of Mr. I ewin, who was down from Chicago, we were shown the pay roll list. These girls that had been in the factory long enough to pass ihe apprenticeship stage were averaging from $7.25 to $9.98, an average for the entire number of about $8 per week apiece, of $1.60 per day, for the five days of work, as it will be remembered that the factory does not run on Saturday, and there is only five work days. The $9.98 check was to Miss Lou Kilfner, and was within two cents of an average of $2 per day for the week, and for the past month her check has averaged nearly the same, and there as a half dozen more that are close to the same mark. This earning capacity depends in a great measure to their willingness to “get up and move.”