World War I and Major League Baseball-- Military and War Plant Workers

From Baseball Reference.

World War I shut down the minor leagues of baseball one by one and caused Major League Baseball to shorten its 1918 season, ending it at Labor Day, Monday, September 2nd.

Notable players who missed playing time because of military service in World War I included Hall of Famers Grover Cleveland Alexander, Red Faber, Jud Wilson and Harry Heilmann.  A number of players also worked in wartime-related industries as War Plant Workers, particularly in steel mills and shipyards, and also missed playing time as a result.

War Plant Workers worked in industries supporting the war effort and were thus ineligible for the draft.

--Cooter

Longleaf Legacy-- Part 1: North Carolina's Longleaf Pines

From the March 2015 Our State magazine by Andrew Kenney.

When the first European explorers arrived on North Carolina's shores, they found towering longleaf pine trees standing at more than 100 feet tall and promising a plentiful resource in the wooden ship seafaring age.

Two captains told Sir Walter Raleigh in 1584 that these trees "could supply the English Navy with enough tar and pitch to make our Queen the ruler of the seas."  This was a big reason he went ahead with what would become his famous "Lost Colony."

 They were referring to pine tar, the viscous fluid that leaks from heated pine, used to secure masts and sails.  They also were talking about pitch, the boiled tar which could be heated and painted on the bottom of boats for waterproofing.

Along with the wood of these trees, it helped foster a backwoods industry and turned North Carolina into the home of the Tar Heels.

And, that nickname stuck, just as it did on the shoes and feet of poor workers who "stepped" in it.

Tar Me Up, Scottie.  --Cooter

Looking Back to 1941: A New Barbed Wire in DeKalb

From the September 28, 2016, MidWeek "Looking Back."

1941, 75 Years Ago.

"Henry A. Nelson, president of Central States Industrial Engineering of DeKalb, has been granted a patent on an improved type of barbed wire.

"The barbed wire which Mr. Nelson has perfected has what is described as a reverse twist of the two strands of wire being the center, between two barbs."

They don't call DeKalb the Barbed City for nothing.

It's a Sticking Situation.  --Cooter

Looking Back to 1916: A New Factory Opening in DeKalb

From the September 7, 2016, MidWeek (DeKalb County, Illinois) "Looking Back."

1916, 100 Years Ago.

"One of DeKalb's promising industries has been lying idle for some time is soon to be again placed in operation according to a well authenticated report.

"The plant is that of the defunct DeKalb Cereal Company which was put up for the purpose of making the great cereal food, Bix Six."

--Cooter

Looking Back to 1916: Wire Company Making Big Bucks

From the May 11, 2016, MidWeek (DeKalb County, Illinois) "Looking Back."

1916, 100 Years Ago.

"Another of Sycamore's manufacturing industries is making a highly gratifying increase in business, and at a meeting held this week, the Nehring Insulated Wire & Cable Company voted to change the name to the Illinois Wire & Cable Company and to increase capital stock from $50,000 to $125,000."

No doubt, much of this increase was due to the United States preparing to enter the war.

--Cooter

Looking Back to 1916: War in Europe Helping American Industry

From the March 2, 2016, MidWeek "Looking Back."

1916, 100 Years Ago.

"Nearly every community in Northern Illinois in which manufacturing is carried on of almost any kind is enjoying a period of prosperity and the factories are running with increased forces and skilled workers are in great demand.

"The 'boom' in manufacturing is directly due to the demand for supplies that comes from the war zone, where the production is curtailed and the consumption is increased."

--Cooter

Ten Doomed Industries in 2013-- Part 2

6.  Record Stores (because of downloading and big box stores)--  down 24.9%

7.  Video Rental--  down 35.9%

8.  Local Photo Shops--  down 69%

9.  Mobile Homes--  down 73.7%

10.  Wired Telecommunications Carriers--  down 54.9%

--Cooter

Ten Doomed Industries in 2013-- Part 1

From Yahoo! Finance.

These are ones whose revenue has really declined in the last decade.

1.  Video Postproduction Services--  24.9% decrease

2.  Newspaper Publishing--  down 35.9%

3.  Apparel Manufacturing in the U.S.--  Down 77.1%

4.  Textile Mills, down 50.2%

5.  Formal Wear and Costume Rental--  down 50.2%

Me?  --DaCoot

Follow Up on Jennie Truncale, a Rosie the Riveter

Back on Nov. 8, 2013, I wrote about this woman turning 105 in my World War II blog, Tattooed On Your Soul, and that she worked at the Scuvill Manufacturing Company in Waterbury, Ct., during the war. I'd never heard of this company so some more research was in order.

From the Women, Enterprise & Society Collection at Harvard University.

This company produced brass objects like buttons, screws and tools in Waterbury, Ct., from 1802-1956. Its payroll records from 1862-1916 indicate that about half of the workers were women.

From Wikipedia.

Waterbury is known by the nickname "Brass City," and is 77 miles northeast of New York City. During World War II, some 10,000 worked at Scuvill Manufacturing which was sold to Century Brass in 1956.

Just a Follow Up. --Cooter

Made In the U.S.A.-- Part 2

Some other interesting facts from the article: Two things helping U.S. industry: The average hourly wage of Chinese factory workers in 2000 was fifty cents. In 2015 it will be $4.50. In 2009, the cost to ship a 40-foot container from China to the U.S. West Coast was $1,184. Now, it is $2,302. THEN AND NOW THEN: workers built the product MANUALLY on assembly line. Earned average HOURLY WAGE of $2.57 in 1960; TODAY it is $24.11. TOP INDUSTRIES included Cars, appliances and textiles. NOW: Workers manage an automated factory line. Some 53% have at least some college edu and nearly 1 in 10 has a graduate or professional degree. TOP THREE INDUSTRIES: food, chemicalls and complex machinery. Interesting Facts. --Cooter cation