The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1850-11-13

mystery" of the calling. IL she be lodseS and
boarded in the house, as Is Frequently the case,
premium Is paid with her II she re%aia with her
her meals, no premium Is given, while her labor IL
considered merely equivalent to her tuition. and
she consequently receives no paymen. for what
che does. The term of apprenticeship is from two
TO five years, and the premium from El0 to ESQ:
sometimes, however, hut rarely, it is even higher
Ia addition to these varieties OF workwomen bur
connected more particularly with the dressmakers.
are the day workers. class OF assistants hired
their names expresses, by the day, in contra
distinction TO those who are engaged by the month
ryear.
To all these regulations, there are exceptions in
some establishments, but the arrangements and the
disposition OF the work, which have described.
are the general rule.
The principal dressmaking and millinery estab-
lishments are at the West.end, in the two Gros-
venor streets, Bond street, ST, James's street, OK
ford street, Picadily, and some of the streets Of
Tlcadilly, and of Hanover and Grosye.or squares
The very hrst rate houses. with the exception of
two or bee, are all kept by French women These
are principally in the neighborhood of Hanover
square. Some Of the English houses, however.
rank as high as the French. But English women.
am informed, are never made first hands in these
large and first rate houses the customers prefer
the French And even the second and third rate
houses get French first hands if they can. The
French, / am further informed, are paid extrava-
CANT yearly sums "Mdme. -" said one of
my Dformants, " has young lady to superntend
the whole establishment, and she has a salary of
EGO year. In these great establishments, may
repeat, the first hands, numbering from eight
to eleven, are all French-while the second hands
number not more than six, half of whom may be
French, and the other half English; and there may
be about five or six more third hands or assistants,
living in the house, and all English, and as many
apprentices and improvers as can be got In the
season, from fifty to sixty and even more, day
workers are employed. The regular hands who live
ton of months holiday in the autumn but the
day workers are all sent away after the summer
season, when there is no more work for them
nj the winter season returns. In the generality OF
the best houses, the rooms large and airy, and
the young people well treated. Each first
hand has room TO herself and the others sleep
in large apartment, in which are about half
dozen beds, and IN these sleep twelve young people
They rise about seven, and all, with the excep.
ton of the mistress or the young person who may
be the superintendent, breakfast together, a first
hand presiding. The superintendent takes her
meals with the propretress of the establishment.
Some, but only some, have meat suppers others
have bread and cheese. " This meal takes place."
said mlhner to me, at ten, after which (if it is
not in the season) the young ladies do not sit down
to work again, and they can generally go out and
take a walk until midnight, if they choose, but at
which time they are expected to be home. If, how
ever, they do not return till the morning, ques-
tons are asked, in some establishments, provided
they are in the workroom at the proper time"
The ages of the second and third hands are from
eighteen 70 twenty Eve among the English; few,
however, are older still among the French thirty
is the usual age. Twas told that the young women
at the first houses can usually number up some
eight or nine who have died at the establishment.
One of the first houses HAS acquired the reputation
for not over. working their young people, as they
always make shem leave off at five IN the evening;
But then, am informed, they compel them to be-
gin at six.
ain Madame IS hour-," said !ady familiar
with the place, and with many others of equal
fshion, the youag people ag~ all obgedto be very
decorous, as Madcme is very strict herself They
work, however, extremely hard there; the rooms
ery close and confined twelve persons sleeping
in room only twcaty feet square. In all the large
houses everything d sacrificed TO work in tho
blishm-nts think nothing Of the morals OF these
under their care. GA Sunday those who have
friends IN London go 70 pass the day with them,
a, ana d ,hGSe VINO sy az % 'ir r DC no WON
never ihns Of going TO church, but lounge about
the whole time. Some will allow them to re-
main in Bed all day, which many 10, and read
cheap publications. of low character lady
asked ther,in one house lately why they did not
go to church or say their prayers. They said they
had not tmrto psay IN the morning, and they were
was in the country was taught to say my prayers
and to go regularly 10 church; and when came
here at FIRST did 20, but coon got into the ways
generally ipnorant Of any kind Of literature except
the penny publications They can most OF them
write legbly, but rlsst is ALL 2" was alone" said
q lady 10 me, "one Sunday with young person
about 2f She was reading che of the penny 70.
mances. said TO her, I" II yos will not read any
thing more suitable for Sunday than a novel,
~Sy S9n ySa g gsSd sn1 :,
and it has cost you - pence. And for "a pence
you could have got one of SIR Walter SCOTS
wsrks." y And this Yves her answer" Whit, is no
a great writer y lreps,ed, continued my inform
AMI, "that he was" "Dear me ~ she said, .s and
selling his books fer 2s dare say, poor thing, ne
is starving LII some eaIret, as I'm told all great
writers do" " On another day. said the lady TO
me, "an advertising cart bearing placard, an
noaReing in large le.rere Shakspeeres house 10 be
seld, passed The window of work-room The
young ladies' actually asked one another who he
was said he was great poet. One wanted 10
know # he was the avthor 81 Don Juan Asother
wondered why he was going to let his house
whether he was getting poor or gong to take a
larger one. And this vas IN one of the very high
eat and most fashionable hccses In London "
IDow subjOin the account given by a lady con-
corning The internal economy OF some of the first
rate fnilliDers' establishments at the West. end. 4
give II as Il was furnished to me in wrtng;-
"a irstraie house Ct business, conducted bv a
dressBsker and milner Of the highest fashion, ~
always very large house, more like a manson
for "A nCbit men thsn a mllner'S establishment. In
some there - nothing 20 indicate that they are
places of business, excepsa plate the door, with
me neines OF the projectors engraved thereon;
while others have two or three splendid plate.
glass wind0ws-each window consisriog OF one
ygne-wuh a brass bar outside, across which
lace vest or an embroidered collar or handkcr-
cbei Is hung, 10 show the business carried on
within. These large houses not only mIners
aud dressmskers, but they supply every kind OF
ladies' wearing apparel, with the excepuoa OF
shoes. A lady goes TO order perhaps her wedding
fTOussssp, or u train fer the Queens drawing
room, or her morning and evening dresses. She
alighis nom her carriage. The hall door IL
o,ened by the footmen Of the establishment,
and she is usbered through a splendid hall, and up
broad stone staircase, covered with an elegant
brussels carpet, 10 the irst landing place, wnere
che u met by the mistress Of the establi shment,
who bows her into what Is called the premier
magasin,' or first show room Thtn comes n
French lady, dressed IN silk dress, with short
slrsamers of ribbon that fall over her shoulders
down to her feet. She walks before tho lady to "A
coulter, and places a chair for her. Ttsse French
aides are styled mag isnieres,' or showroom.
women There are, generally, five or six Of these
showroom women kept In a first rsas establish.
ment. The first showroom is about one hundred
az L.. l..x La Ia Ia