required, comes in preparing the "tranks" or slips, from which the
separate gloves are cut. The trank must be so cut as to have just
enough leather to make a glove of a certain size and number. The
operation would be easy enough if the material were hard and stiff,
and if the elasticity were uniform, but this is rarely the case.

To accomplish this operation the trank must be firmly stretched in one
direction, and while so stretched a "redell" stamps the proper
dimensions in the other direction, to which the leather is trimmed.
Upon the nicety with which this operation is performed depends the
question of whether the finished glove will stretch evenly or too much
or too little in one direction or the other. After this the trank or
outline of the glove must be cut out. In olden times of glove
manufacture an outline was traced upon the leather and the pattern was
cut with shears. Modern invention has produced dies and presses which
are universally used. The steel die has the outline of a double glove,
including the opening for the thumb piece. The die rests upon the bed
of the press. Several tranks are laid upon it, the lever is drawn, and
in a moment the blanks are cut out clean and smooth. The gussets,
facings, etc., are cut from the waste leather in the thumb opening at
the same operation. Similar dies are used in the cutting of the thumb
pieces and fourchettes or strips forming the sides of the fingers.

The pieces now go to the great sewing rooms of the factory, where are
long rows of busy sewing girls. If the manufacturer of years ago
could revisit the scenes of his earthly toil, and wander through the
sewing rooms of a modern factory, he would doubtless be greatly amazed
at the sight presented there. In his day such a thing was unknown. The
glove was then held in position by a hand clamp, while the sewing girl
pushed the needle in and out, making an overseam. All this is done now