Work at the shoe factory is now going on steadily and regularly and very soon a full line of shoes bearing the trademark of the Hartt Boot & Shoe Co. will be upon the market and will be worn with commendable pride by Frederictonians. Before long travellers will be upon the road selling the Fredericton factory shoes all over the Maritime provinces and probably extending their trade to Quebec and Ontario, thus benefitting not only those with immediately interest in the factory, but bringing the Celestial City more prominently to the front.
The newspaper representative was this morning shown over the factory by the promoter and mechanical superintendent, Mr. Hartt, to whose unbounded enthusiasm and tireless zeal in promoting this newest and largest industry its establishment is largely due. The reporter was favorably impressed with all he saw and left the premises with the conviction that a suitably located and well-equipped factory, modern machinery and skilled labor, abundant capital and good management can compel success then the Hartt Boot and Shoe Company are bound to be successful in their enterprise.
The factory building is of brick, three stories and a basement in height and is so arranged that all work is wrought with the minimum of labor and the maximum of speed. The basement, which is airy and well lighted and has a concrete floor is at present the rubber department. The Hartt Co. being the selling agents for the maritime provinces of the celebrated Maltese Cross brand of rubbers. Here the reporter saw an immense array of rubber footwear of every size, shape and description, and several employees were busily engaged in sorting out the newly arrived goods from large cases and others were packing goods for shipment to fill the orders which are being received every day.
The Main Floor
There is little machinery on the first floor at present, it being used largely as the jobbing department, for while the factory will manufacture only the finest class of boots and shoes, the Company will deal in a complete line of footwear. The sole cutting and fitting machinery are located on this floor, and it takes the wonderfully devised machines but a few minutes to convert a side of sole leather into soles of various sizes and models and all shaped and fitted ready to be sent by the elevator to the floor above and attached to uppers.
Upon the second floor is a vast array of machinery, some of which seems possessed with intelligence, so complicated is the work which it performs. On this floor is done all the work upon the bottoms of the shoes and the machinery used is the very latest improved, some of which is used by this factory for the first time in Canada. At one side of the room a complete set of Goodyear machines is installed in a department by itself, and the celebrated Goodyear welted shoes will be manufactured by the Hartt Co.
The Stitching Room
The stitching room is located upon the third floor and here are the manufactured the uppers of all the shoes, the making of which is the most interesting operation to watch. Some of the shoes which the reporter saw nearly complete were as fine in workmanship and as well modeled as they had come out of a long-established factory.
Every provision is made for the convenience and health of the operatives, all of whom, experts as superintendents of the several departments, are young men and women from the city. When the factory is in full operation it will afford employment for about two hundred and fifty operatives and about one hundred will be employed by the coming winter.
The machinery is driven by a powerful steam engine and double set of boilers located in a separate wing and cut off from the factory by fireproof doors. As the factory is heated by steam and lit by electricity generated upon the premises, the danger from fire is practically nil.
A fine suite of business offices is located on the first floor opposite the main entrance [article cut short in archival photo...]
