Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1848-12-29
The Needlewomen.


10 regard to Needlewomen, that paper says
Our object at present is to review things
IN general, FOR the purpose Of giving the
reader comprehensive view Of the various
classes inlD which society in the metropolis
is driven. IL will be sufficient, therefore,
for our purpose, to present in few words
the average prices paid for the various I
kinds Of needlework, at the principal and
prosperous establishments
Common cotton shirts, aud flannel under |
shirts, six cents each. A good seamsiress
can run up two Of these shirts per day |
aud even a very swift hand, by working
from sunrise to midnight, can make three |
-belng IS cents per week for the common
workers. and : IL l.2c for the very swift !
est; Of course allowing nothing for holi.
days, sickness. accidents, being out Of work,
&c. &c. Good cotton shirts, with linen
bosoms, neatly stitched, are made for %
cts. apiece. a good seamsiress will make
one day, thus earning : so per week by
constant labor. Fine linen shirts, with
plated bosoms. which cannot he made BY
the very best hands short Of fifteen 10 eigh-
teen hours steady work, are paid so cents
each. An ordinary hand cannot make
garment Of this kind in two days. Trow.
sers. oyeralls, drawers, understands. &c &c.
pay a shilling piece TO The seaustress.
who can make only one, and perhaps two a
day. Cloth pantaloons. vests. &c. pay
only IL to so cen,s-verv seldom the latter
price-and o woman makes, on an average,
about one a day. Thus, not 10 prolong
ihese details, it may be stated, in a word,
| that the seamsiress who Is fortunate enough
TO get steady work, earns from as cents 10
50 week. Besides these, it is necessary
10 state that the dressmakers, or at any rate
the great majority Of item, get absolutely
nothing for their work. The way II is
managed is this The proprietors Of the
large dfess-making establishments receive
great number Of apprentices. who remain
six months for nothing. boarding them
selves in the mean time. for the privilege Of
learning the trade. They can already sew
swiftly and well, or they are not accepted
To them are given out the dresses, and
they are kept constantly at work mot learn
ing anything new until the very day before
their apprenticeship expires. Then few
hours are spent in giving them some gem
eral directions about cutting a dress, and
they are discharged-there being no room
: for jOurnsveonen on rnges in an es-
,, Establishment where all work is done by up.
prsnfices for nothing As fast as their
: 'educaiion" is completed, they are replaced
by other apprentices and so it goes on
. the dashing ProPrietress Of the establish
, ment growing rich aud aristocratic, and the
,, poor girls turned out upon the world TO dlt
r o' s'aI'alo" a"o uesPar' Ut sen themselves
MANY.
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