Kane County IL Archives News.....Just Reminiscing August 15, 1974
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Dianna Williams gammadi1@newwavecomm.net May 2, 2011, 11:44 pm

Copley Newspapers August 15, 1974
JUST REMINISCING
Copley Newspapers
Thurs,  Aug 15,  1974

   It was very gratifying to hear from so many of the friends I had years ago. 
One called me from Elgin to say she was very pleased to hear I was going to 
write again. We had not heard from each other for at least fifty years. I was 
delighted to talk to her. The other morning our son asked if I knew a certain 
person by the name of Grace. (I will use first names only.) I said I surely 
did and that it had been a long time since I had seen or heard from her.  She 
has a very friendly personality and it was a delight to hear from, her.  We 
had worked together 40 or more years at the "Pants Factory" and so that is 
what this little story will be about. You asked for it Grace so here it is and 
I hope you enjoy reading it.
  It was back in 1932 that I took a job at this pants factory. Our youngest at 
that time was only a few months old. I wonder if any of the old Dundee folks 
remember the factory?
  It was located on the top floor of the Brey Garage. The entrance is on the 
Second Street side at the far end of the building. It was called “The Woolens-
Cohen Pants Mfg. Co.”
  I remember being a bit queezy going up the flight of stairs when I applied 
for a job. You made a sharp turn to the left and you were "in" the 
office. "Did they need any help?”  	
  I was surprised when I was asked if I could sew on a Singer or Union Special 
Machine.
  It had been 10 or more years since I had done any kind of sewing especially 
on a machihe powered by huge pulleys. But I was brave and said yes I had 
worked in a shoe factory in Elgin about 10 years ago, so I was told to come to 
work when they called me. I politely said "Thank You" and went back home more 
light footed than I had been when I went up there.
  Within a week I was called to work. This was before school began in 
September. I worked from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and brought home a pay check of 
about $14.50 a week.
  It wasn't hard to get used to the machines and I soon learned the 
combination of pant bundles. You just picked up the bundles you worked on, 
they were all numbered, and sewed the pieces together. It wasn't long before I 
became the highest paid girl on the job. You see after a couple of weeks you 
went on piece work.  I made as much as $20 some weeks. Here I met Grace-then 
there was Hattie, who worked on pockets. Here are a few names of others who 
also I had help in remembering: Hannah, Margaret, Marie, Florence, Doris, 
Edna, Irma, Margaret, Amanda, Laura, Louise, and Dorothy. There were many 
others but these are the only names I could remember, thanks to the help of a 
very dear friend. We had  such a grand visit by phone. I am sorry I cannot 
remember the floor lady's name or the boss's. Oh yes, there were Mark and 
Ruddy too.
  Sometimes I would watch the boss as he laid out the materials. Yards and 
yards of it, almost, the length of the building. It was laid out with the 
right sides together, and believe me it took some know how to place the 
various sizes and pieces together. They were marked out with tailors chalk. 
Then cut with the automatic shears. The stack of material was about six to 
eight inches high and many pairs were cut out at one time. You picked up the 
bundles of material according to the type of sewing you did.  I put in the 
crotch pieces and sometimes sewed up the inseams.
  The material for the winter market was made of wool and cottons, mostly in 
blue, brown, grey or salt and pepper shades.
  The summer stocks were of washable cotton. Some striped, dotted, figured and 
extra fancy patterns. They were mostly of white or cream in color.
  I was too busy working at my own bench to get down where the final touches 
were made, and they were pressed, packed and shipped to Chicago.
  I remember one incident in particular. The heat had been turned off on a 
very cold night and when all the girls came in, they had to keep their coats 
on and we held our fingers around the light bulb on our machine to get them 
warm enough to handle the cloth.
  After I had been there a few  months and school had begun, I was granted the 
privilege of coming in any time til 8:30 a.m. so I could help at home to get 
the children off to school. I always came home for dinner since I lived at 387 
Liberty Street and of course all the children came home for lunch too,
  Sometimes on hot summer evenings after school was out my husband would meet 
me at 5:00 p.m. at the shop entrance in our big seven passenger Buick and we 
would all go to Lincoln Park or the beach and eat our supper, look around, the 
kids would play on the beach and then about 8:30 p.m. we would head for home. 
It was such fun. The children always helped with packing the lunch, so I 
really had it easy on those "eat-outs."
  I wonder how many folks remember the Barber Shop just across from the Brey 
Building? Mr. Colborn was the barber at that time, and I believe it was some 
years later that he operated a beauty shop on Mains Street. Seems to me it was 
about where the Morse Insurance Company is now. Beauty Shops will give you 
another story because I think some of you gals would really like to hear about 
sitting for six to seven hours for a $5 permanment.
  You'll be hearing from me again soon. Suggestions are always welcome.

                 Vi Rouley 


Additional Comments:
Dianna Williams is the granddaughter of Vi Rouley.

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