Cover Page

Preface

Introduction

Ironing Out the Wrinkles

Photofile

Bibliography

Notes

Appendix A

National Park Service Uniforms Ironing Out the Wrinkles 1920-1932	Number 3
Ironing Out the Wrinkles (continued)

While the director's office was attempting to locate uniform suppliers in the East, Goodwin and Lewis were pursuing the same goal in the West. The Hastings Clothing Company, the establishment currently making uniforms for Yosemite, was the only firm Lewis could find in the San Francisco area interested in bidding on the outfits. Its price was $60. Yosemite's rangers were willing to pay the higher price because they felt that the Hastings uniforms were far superior in quality to those from Sigmund Eisner. The rangers at Yellowstone may have felt the same way because they purchased their uniforms from the same company.

Nine mounted rangers in Yosemite Valley, 1920. Yosemite National Park. Left to right: Forrest S. Townsley, Ansel F. Hall, William H. "Billy" Nelson, Henry A. Skelton, Andrew J. "Jack" Gaylar, John H. Wegner, Charles E. Adair, Charles B. Rich, James V. Lloyd John W. Henneberger Collection (HFC/92-0006)

Goodwin located two companies in the Denver area willing to supply the uniforms. The Railway Uniform Manufacturing Company bid $53.30 and the May Company $37.50. Collating all the bids, Goodwin found that the lowest, $27.40, was from the Utica Uniform Company of Utica, New York. This was for a limited time based on a special option on available material. Because the Service did not respond for twenty days and then asked for a ten-day extension, Utica canceled its bid and stated that it would have to go back to the market for new material prices before requoting. This left the Service with five uniform suppliers whose prices ranged from $37.50 (May Company) to $62.75 (Smith-Gray Corporation). The rangers were free to purchase from any of them. [6]

Group of temporary rangers, c. 1920, Yellowstone National Park. Group includes Horace M. Albright (center, in A-typical coat), Jim McBride on his right, with Roy Frazier behind them. The two motorcycle riders are Emmitt and Hollis Matthew. John W. Henneberger Collection (HFC/93-363)

A lack of funds in the 1920 budget forced Lewis to wait until the 1921 appropriation became available before he could order the new brassards (sleeve patches). He solicited prices from a number of companies but found that the only one willing to bid was the B. Pasqual Company of San Francisco, which had made the original samples. Its price was $616 for the required 477 assorted patches. Acting Director Cammerer instructed Lewis to accept the bid. [7]

On a related subject, Lewis thought that chief and assistant electricians should be classed as officers. When this was brought to the director's attention, paragraph 2 of the 1920 regulations was amended to include them on July 1, 1920.

Continue

Last Modified: Thurs, Dec 14 2000 9:30:00 pm PDT
http://www.cr.nps.gov/history/online_books/workman3/vol3c2.htm