The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-06-11

| get along. oh many times" shs continued, Ihavs
cried when thought Of their condition, poor things
never thought my children or myself would be
ever 50 reduced for at time We were in very good
circumstances. have worked, sir, till twelve O'Clock
at night, from an early hour Of cold winters morn
Ing. TO try and support them and clothe them COM
fofs~bly but could not do it, / did great deal Of
the work by the light Of the candle, till could
| scarcely see to stitch"
"Are there any others in this house who are -
| poor as you?'
"No, sir; all the women have their husbands,
and live more comfortably than ! do. Some
months ago there were two shirt sewers who
lodged with me, and who paid me three shillings
week each for sleeping with me in the win
ter and for whatever Ore they used, which was
very little. They did not make more than nine or
ten shillings week, and they worked hard to make
that They were both very good sewers, and did
their work nice and neat. have seen them sit and
sew till they would be hardly able to rise. They
were paid nine shillings dozen for the shirts which
they made, but these had yokes and full bosoms.
After stitching Tor some time at Them the price was
reduced from nine shilings to six shillings because
the person for whom they were made said he could
net afford to pay more. Before taking out this work
they were obliged to pay deposit of dollar and
half. One Of them was woman about forty-fve
years of age, and the other about thirty. They were
both very quick sewers, and if they got good price
for their work they could have lived very comferta
bly,, but after paying me three shillings week they
had not more than five or six shillings for them
selves, and with that they bought tea and bread.
1t was very seldom they could buy meat, and they
had always to eat their bread dry for they were not
able to buy butter.
How much did it cost them every day for food
alone?'
"Wen, sir, as near as / can Judge, it took about
ninepence every day; but some weeks they would
not have enough to support themselves, and then
they were compelled to borrow sixpence or shil-
ling to get loaf Of bread, and work hard the next
week so that they would be able to pay it again.
where are those women now?' we asked.
Zone Of them lives close by here, and is still sew
ing for living; but, on account of the reduced
prices she finds it harder to get along now than ever
she did before
Our conversation ended here, and we left the house
with the most melancholy feelings. Here was poor
woman endeavoring to maintain herself and five
children on little more than two dollars week, and
the assistance she received from few kindhearted
friends like Miss 8. Often she was without the
of procuring bread for her children and when
lying sick from excessive work. they would have
starved if they had not been taken care of by the
poor people living in the house. Yet the establish
ment from which she obtained work was what is
commonly called benevolent institution, and in
its annual reports makes great display of the good
it has accomplished, and the number Of poor who
have been provided through its fundamentally with
the means of comfortable subsistence. Its mana
gers and directors, Of whom there is long list ap-
pended to the report, doubtless ignorant Of the
suffering Of many Of the poor creatures who receive
ga comfortable subsistence from it.
ANOTHER CASE OF DESTITUTION-THE RE-
SUIT OF THE Low PRICE SYSTEM.
In a rear house in Mulberry street, occupying two
rooms, we found the second shirt sewer whom we
visited. One Of the rooms was occupied both as a
kitchen and sleeping apartment, and the other,
which was about six feet by nine, was used solely as
O bedroom Both Of the rooms were of the worst de-
scrpton, yet the rent Of them four dollars and
a half month The poor woman who occupied them
said that she had herself and two children to support
upon about two dollars week. She was enabled to
pay the rent, however, by taking in three dodgers,
young man. his wife and child, who paid them about
four dollars month. One Of her daughters, young
woman, nineteen years of age, was at service, and
rendered her some assistance. She worked hard,
that she might be able TO send her children to school,
for she anxious to give them some education, no
matter how little. We inquired how long she had
worked en- shirts.
" Seven years. she replied "and in all that time
l never could make more than dollar week. /
get four cents shirt, without putting in the bosoms
or the collars, which are done by the women in the
store for which l work. Some days, by working
from seven in the morning till twelve at night /
have made FIVE shirts. The man who employs me is
very good TO me, and when am in want Of dollar
always advances it to me. By putting on the collar
and the bosom would get one cent more but could
not make SO much at that, so had to give it up and
keep to the bodies One time l took some wrist
bands and collars, and got ninepence a dozen for
doing them, but | couldn't make SC lnucn at them
either as | did at the shirt bodies. When my daugh-
ter was at home she worked on caps, and made from
twelve to fourteen shiiRgs week. but | thought
she would be more comfortable at service, SO let
her co."
We looked at the furniture, which was on par
with the appearance Of the house and which we
would suppose would not be valued at more than five
dollars There were four chairs, ricketty table a
looking glass, cups, saucers, plates pot and
a kettle, which, with few other kitchen utensils,
were the only articles Of furniture which APP
peared to be in the kitchen. The bedroom we did
not examine, but from its general appearance we
should think it was destitute OF furniture.
We were told that only part of this was her own,
the remainder belonged to her dodgers The person
for whom this shirt sewer worked had, she informed
us, between three and four hundred persons en-
ployed in his establishment, only few of whom he
furnished with work to take home. Sometimes"
she said, d" | get washing and scrubbing to do and
then make more than could at the Shirts
Desiring to know how she lived on two dollars
week, we asked what kind Of food she bought.
Sometimes" she replied, " am able to get a
little toe and some days we have to do with bread
and molasses. On Sundays we generally get piece