Mill Times: Cartoon Story

Obert under the where the Lodi Rodrik more my name and you prey on Huntington I'm going to America to start my own mill a thread making mill you were my brother is already in America a mechanic like myself hope to go into business with him could such an English spinning mill be built in this rough land there are many who would have the skill but if anyone could do it that would be me now I need only find some person of means to invest in my vision Welsh a track we've still got many more appointments today please God one will show some interest you'll never make money out of that in America mr. Huntington good day to you now if suppose I'd best be writing my brother a bank job after all well they say America is a land of opportunity for a man with a vision and I'm sure I am that and this breast wheel design mr. Grisham is ideally suited to the rivers hereabouts hmm and and this spot on the Blackstone River would be perfect perhaps now I know little of these thread making mills I am certain a mill such as this will be profitable in no time I'd like a man with vision evidently so does my daughter Elizabeth it seems that you've gained both our interest you will dine with us tonight I would be honored sir Charlotte shadrach good news very good news we have an investor hmm I hope you'll not be disappointed I'm certain we'll succeed and I now call upon my son-in-law whose vision inspired me in this noble enterprise to inaugurate Huntington Mill friends and neighbors on this day our community is entering a new era such as has never been seen before in this land Huntington Mill will bring new jobs new opportunity a new prosperity for all you dear father pram has accomplished a great deal with your support the local people are quite taken with the new mill even Mary Methuen who was one of the best hand spinners in the area has come she now runs the boarding house for the men who work in the mill each spinning frame produces as much yarn in a day as 50 hand spinners Priam is already taking orders from Boston all in the community are doing better because of our mill before they dam the river for the mill we had all of fish we needed now the salmon are blocked from swimming upstream to spawn I say we just chop up the dam and be done with it one year ago today we opened our doors shadrach and you've yet to turn the profit ah but we're close I'm still building our business our time will come did you see this what's this embargo all about no British goods to be sold here this embargo was your idea I suppose no but with people not able to buy English yarn now they're after buy ours another drink the hopes are we drum just to warm the adults Daniel come back now you're getting cold a few more minutes mama so determined just like his father what's that what a real shaft is just connect ice ah machines don't last forever you know we've all these new alders to fill by the time you get the thing going again will we still have customers and what will these repairs cost dare I ask shouldn't be cheap but they are safe I know it looks grave but this actually could be good for us really as optimism could be the difference you know the idea why don't we regard this as an opportunity to increase the size and capacity of the mill we could improve the dam and install a bigger wheel to run even more machines I don't know thought of that and I've stored the shaft and half myself before now Josiah I believe we'd make back the investment many times over you're talking about rebuilding the entire mill investing in new machines it will take years to recover our funds spinning is merely the beginning there are lose now they will actually weave cloth we can be the first in the area to hand them there's no end to progress if we only prepare ourselves to meet it you the mill established by my father and grandfather is much larger now for some time I have helped in running business shadrach has now brought in his nephew Zachary to help him with the machinery the new mechanical looms can be temperamental oh I hope it holds together as his Shadrach when they don't function as they should Zach is doing a fine job in the mill so as Mary Matthew ins young niece Sarah I do believe Zach has taken a fancy to her she came last year after her parents died he started as a bobbin girl and progressed quickly into one of our best Weaver's she even finds time to help Mary at the boarding house in fact everything in our little community has been going splendidly but now I run up against it now ladies Oh Shadrach you are always gloomy but today there's a real reason for gloom and so I give you Northgate mill yes shadrach we're not alone anymore ah the new mills dam has created backwater the wheel cannot turn freely and none of our machines can operate properly it's intolerable and they've twice the workers we have they've no right people have a right to work Daniel and a right to steal away our business and what might I do for you esteemed gentlemen we'd like to speak with the owners regrettably they live out of town who are they they're prefer to remain discreet prudent business you know last week your dam backed up the water and made it impossible to turn our wheel at speed you're depriving us of our just water rights a matter of opinion I'm sure a matter of fact with respect sir what is a matter of fact if memory serves is that you dam the river long before my employers did sir well that was a different situation but germane I should think good day to you gentlemen we shall achieve our desired outcomes will the course but if they don't do anything we could be ruined you've worked too hard for that father it should be remember that when you built your mill some of the farmers complained about your dam and what it was doing to their fishing but with our mill brought jobs to this community Northgate mill brings even more you will pay full restitution to the Northgate owners to rebuild their dam but wait a moment this isn't fair after all the work we've done and you two have done enough damage as it is and I expect both parties to meet and work out an arrangement to use the river for everyone's benefit I expect to see a report to that effect in 30 days Court is adjourned mr. Zachary more yes sir I've heard you're mechanically minded and get the most out of your workers those are valuable skills young man valuable skills indeed in an industry such as our I'm so pleased you elected to join us here at Northgate you will be an overseer with many responsibilities and opportunities just sign here mr. Moore it was a difficult decision moving over to Northgate mill with uncle Shadrach and old mr. Huntington passed on to their reward and Daniel unwilling to take on the cost of expanding feel I have no choice you'll be very happy here I'm sure I know you Daniel thinks I deserted him this mill represents the future far more than his someday perhaps I could even own my own mill that would be splendid mr. Moore please call me Zachary or even just Zach if you prefer what about you miss mithoon Sarah and of what do you dream I've never found dreaming a particularly productive activity go on tell him Sarah if you must know I'd love to own a small shop someday perhaps sell hats who I shouldn't have told you come over to Northgate Sarah I've told them about you they pay good cash wages you can begin saving for your shop I'd be old before I'd saved enough some of the weavers put away as much as $50 a year but they must work so much harder and faster I hear tell how most country girls who don't know the ways of industry with your experience you'd be fine a top earner in no time I'll consider your offer mr. Moore I hope you will did you hear that cash wages and Albert I could operate a loom just like you and you could get to know mr. Moore even better stop these opportunities don't come along every day I'm sorry Mary but I won't make an exception if Sara no longer works in my mill she no longer lives in my boarding house now Sara you don't have to worry about me North it's a good opportunity and it's not like you're moving far away there are nice families you can live with there and we still see each other on Sundays I don't mean no buts you have to make your own place in this world just as I came from the farm to the mill when I was about your age the market is blotted and prices continue to fall we are being forced to sell our cloth for less therefore we must find ways to be more productive and lower costs everyone is working diligently perhaps costs could be cut by having each goat and three machines instead of two that may be hard and some of the girls well since each weaver will be producing more cloth at least they can make more money under peace rate I've already considered that point since each weaver will be producing more cloth we can lower the peace rate and they can still earn the same as before if they can keep up it must be nice having a bull who's such a friend to us workers he's not my boat I hear they're rewarding him for getting more work out of us I'm sure that is it true isn't like the rest of them he is then then we'll have to fight for ourselves and don't forget to tell them about what nearly happened when you're Bob and girls apron got caught she could have been killed Sara it's just not safe we the undersigned considering ourselves wronged and our privileges invaded by our unjust and unreasonable lowering of our wages do hereby mutually and cheerfully engage not to enter the factory after monday next next for the purpose of work until such time as our grievances are adrift eternal alone someone must have put them out of this you are known to have your eye on Sara McEwan it must have been you it was not but they do make a case for themselves we speeded up the machines and Lord the wages surely you would grumble to what should we do then Zachary you tell me cut profits to our investors if we do that they will close the mill entirely that our lower wages are none at all these are tough times quick get help that could have been any of us I'm leaving I'll find work somewhere else me too no none of us should have to leave and if one or two of us do they can easily replace us but not if we all stand together they actually walked out these girls must be taught a lesson we cannot have them dictating terms next they'll want Saturday's off who was their leader I believe a young woman by the name of Sarah must you in well get rid of her bio leave gentlemen perhaps a subtler plan might be effective with the upturn in the market the Northgate mill owners have authorized the following they will shorten the work day by one half hour and are prepared to pay an extra penny on peace rate well at least they've done something I know how unfailing you've been treated but I hope you feel this is a step in the right direction if the workers wish to consider this a victory that is a fortuitous turn of affairs a happy worker is a productive worker but now even I think it would be prudent to deliver a timely message begin training the new girls from the carding room to work the looms and are nearly as experienced but more desperate for employment I should think and they can be taught away the looms far easier than the others could be taught not to be troublesome we must regard our workers as part of them sheet if one part of braids the rest can be done what is that Sarah I've been said you are to leave the premises immediately gather your belongings from the boarding house and be gone by tomorrow morning here's the money Sara I heard what happened I'm sure you did it's not the way you think where will you go my aunt is frail she needs help with the boardinghouse mr. daniel has kindly permitted me to return daniel's mill has no future and neither does a boardinghouse you can't be thinking I can be thinking anything I please in this free country mr. Moore it is the one thing I do that cannot be regulated sirrah you must believe I knew nothing about this and why should I believe you this time after all because when I found out I quit I've saved some money and I want to go west now here there's a great opportunity out there for a man who's not afraid to be industrious Lord knows you're not that Zachary Moore good luck to you it could be a hard life at first until I get my feet planted but it could be a great adventure and it's an adventure I dearly like to share I'm sorry my aunt needs me I won't give up a new Sarah promise you that Sarah this came for you Sarah all the way from California my dear Sarah perhaps you've heard about the gold strikes in the new state of California my mechanical skills have paid off handsomely the design of mining machinery I'm in San Francisco now where I definitely detect the need for a fine hat shop I dearly love to invest and be your partner in that enterprise and make you my partner in all other things as well I know I'm not very good at putting things in towards Sarah but if you could see a future in California as my wife you would make me the happiest man in this fortunate land of ours

Channel: SlimaksClass

Views: 34,387

Rating: 4.1082802 out of 5

Keywords: Milltime, Cartoon

Id: LrBQWkcxm1c

Length: 24min 4sec (1444 seconds)

Published: Tue Jan 24 2012