Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1854-07-28
FOF TIT EHYHV'T'
DIRK FoR TIE WOMEN OF VIRGINIA.

luunL. L lpl VIII 10 It I'LL INI'C III Nv '"'J
p,i,tiEc ii tlIcr,. are pointed cat 10 them the ways by
which they can work out their own support, anu CON
tribute greatly to the wealth ot the Stn.c.' Inc W"'
mans rights, Us advocated 10y some portion "f Inc
Northern females, is disgusting in The highest degree
To see a woman so far %iorgrtful OF her proper sphere
rs 10 come before mn nsscmbiagr Of men and openly
contend for the rights 10 perform those oiiic's whlrh
the world has decided shall properly belong "the hiai'
sex, is too disgusting To he endorsed IN our n.i."".'
The woman who would undertake III Virginia ~
openly contend for such pri,iesIs, mT u oe
secuted from society. She would not be- endured.
Nome. [ am sure, Euvc the dcslr" to 40 SO. mere Is
200 much modcsty III the character OF thc southern
lady, to obrrudc herself before M asSrmhiaSe %! mc'
and nlyncute the rights Ia exercise those prlFlcGes
and duties which properly belong, and by usage have
been assigned 1" the man.
A different province belongs to the ladies:
20. NAV their eyes ia miserable" sight,
Snyr wrrrinr lovers. SECT II nonl'r game,
T.rousu lows enchanting w!l"s pursued. yet t"d,
In chnsr ambiguous. May their lender ilnD,
Floa. i'll the loose simplicity o! dress,
And ius;lion,i ali to harmony, alone
Know they 10 seize The cap,iraicd ,oui,
In RAPTURE wnrhlci from love hr'ntlin: lips,
To teach Tie lu,c 10 lHncmIsh; Win smooth STEP
Disclosing motion in H. every charm,
To swim nlnn.. and swell the may dance;
TO train the iulngc DER the snowy inwhi
To guide the pencil. turn the iGnciui page
To lend new favour 10 thu fruitful ycur,
And Li.lrrn Natures aHin.irs IN ihr!r race
10 rear their glory into s"cOnd ii",
To live sucirry IL highest In-'";
W,N ordered home mans best delight to make;
And by submissive wisdom. modest skill,
With every gentle chr" GLIDING r',
To raise III" viriur-. hEinlntc the bils..
And .s.ricn al the tolls Of human H.:
TINS BE- he t,Hdir dt2RHy and prG'S''
The Virginia lady ! regard as the most perfect
uattrrn of female r~xcclicnc" III the world. The mar
ii.J Indy. nnr,icularlv in the country, does not live
:, IN. al Injurious illrncss ns is enormously sup.
posed bv northrrncrs. They ar" surrounded by
their families and servants, and have Il multitude ui
cares, requiring their constant attention, md a great
variety Of duties Ia fulfill, which leaves thcm but lit
lie time to devote To pleasure. They, however, take
pleasure and delight in performing all those duties
which their situation dcvoir"s on them. have
known northern ladies, cypress their sur
prise, that The Virginia lady had 81 much Ia
attend To, in family affairs. | have heard them say
.If they had 50 many servants around them, they
wuulI not d" as many things as arr done 10y the Indy
nj the head Of the family" And in truth they would
NOT. Ihavc northern ladies living in my family, an:
after they had been here II slIuii time, they required
and exuc:cd from the servants more attention than
my own family, whereas they Ind been all thcii
lives accustomed 10 waiting OH Themselves.
Ii would cause the Massachusetts abolition .Nhrfvr
20 hidr his hend with shmnr, could he sec, m / have
seen, the wealthy Virginia lady, owning troops OF
servants. watch and nurse through the lnng night.
Tho sick child of some iavuri,c servant, with as much
care and snlicitudc us il it Ind been her own infant.
Bur il is not the wealthy lady who excited my SYM
ua,hv. She can provide for herself, or she has those
around her who will take Il plca.ur" and delight Ill
attending to her wan;s. 1t is the poor widow and
the orphan, and many who are III want OF some be-
coming employment. by which they can support them
selves. III can point ou; tho means by which one poor
widow will be- enabled Ia support herself und n
house full Of children, | shall be amply rcgnrded.-
In ul communicate there ARE large numbers "i suffering
females. We have many with us, but there are fewer
comnarutivclv than ut tile North. They have one nd
vantage over H., i'll furnishing constant employment
for the females who desire it, and thus enable them TO
support themselves anrl add by their labor to the pro-
duc,ivc " cnlth of the State. IL Il my intention Ia
devise some plan. 80 the needy ana ii!'lUS'rionsl ciihlrs
can earn II support.
There are in virginia O0,GGO adult white females.
Suppose, land | think it will npprnximaict Ia th.: iact,l
that there ARE l0O,0uD married and housekeeping
That 10000 are i'll good circumstances. II still leaves
rid ffn1GiiiHi. "4pher IHhn II tG H u %h&&! ''1..eeiF' III" Pp"tohk' hD'nht
II. and st" hos others &c; on, under similar r'rcrm'
stances
In New York city alone, there are $4,000 girls EN-
ploycd in all kinds Of light hnndicr"tt. They earn
ir themselves from two {" six dollars weekly; say
their wages average three dollars each. lnilt up
the amount, and We have the grand total Of = ,Soo,VWD.
Their EMPLOYERS make at lrus; a. much NOR. III pro-
lit on their labor, tnot cS:imailr: the ihntcrlall and
VIC have IN amount exceeding Si1,O'H,UWl. BENG as
much as the whole of the wheat and tobacco crops,
the two great staples Of Virginia, amount 10. The
wheat crop Of this Stuic, in 1850, vas 4 little over
II ,Un0,OU0 bushels. Estimating Il: ut n dollar per bus!icl,
and We have Sll, 600 900. The t"bncco crop was Il
little over III, 600, 900 lbs. worth on al average about
100000 Making with the wheat crop Sll,Ooo,OUO.
And, To produce our wheat and tobacco, we have II
caui;al invested in lands of S2lG,0n0,0 OO, and II capi-
tai in slaves Of 500, OtO 1000.
Notwithstanding, We have so large IN amount OF
capital 10 produce :" small IN amount ni produce,
here is u little army of New York girls with II" capt
tai, and with nothing but their naked fingers, cun;ribu-
ting To tie wealth Of the State the annual sum "i
Slj, OG0,IO0 What think you OF thu, farmers and
planters Of Virginia. Will YOU not unite with M III
setting Ia work the fingers of our LD,OWO glrlF, who
can earn as much ns any girls i'll TIA" world II thelr Oh
crgirs arc only directed III the proper channel!
Let lis look Il little further, and sce what IN" girls
can do. ! assure You they arc not dr"ncs. They are
the best Of creation. IL bchoorcs us 10 aid them Ill
their efforts, TO foster and encourage them, and they
will contribute their full share Ia the wealth ana
property OF the State.
In Massachusetts there are 2i,lM girls employed III
the cotton and wooden factories, at the average wages
of SI3 90 per month. This would give about
Fl ,OuO,0 600 us The amount of their labor, aud The pro-
Ii. of that labor tn:h" employers not includingtli Inc raw
materially NAV be safely estimated al $500, 00O.-
Thus, the productive industry of these Massachusetts
girls will amount 10 Sl2,OOO,G0o: and this only en-
braces n portion of the females who nrc engaged III
that State in profitable occupations.
Even little Rhode Island, with 3O,oOO adult females,
has 66s7 girls nj work in her cotton and wo"lch iac-
tories, at n profit to the Stutc of at least S3,OuO,ooo.-
Thus giviu" tn each grown woman III The State one
hundred dollars annually.
VIII mere COZ III tIlp INV " h'h . "a w. 80
INV last communication, by the census of 1850, in re-
card To the number of cotton factories III this State.
The census only gives four factories 10 the State
whereas the patent office report Sircsihis Stntc TWEEN
~ seven factories, which | presume Is inc correct
number. Blu, il il u number comparatively thrilling
to what ought 70 be established in tbls stale. lhr
factories now in this State employ l,USS tcmalcs.-
There ought to be sufficient employment for 2O,uOO
in them.
There nrc other and equally lucrative occupations
fr ,.nup,r ,.,,,., ,,,, nrY Iilt,.S,l IN work Every
female, Young and old, wears II bonnet. II Is the
most important article nj dress, i'll tho estimation OF
the lalics, and cNCitrs the greatest ndmlrnti"n. Leave
out OF the estimate, the infants nntl girls too young ia
turn out in honnrts, and WE have 3On, 600 bonnet
wrarcrs III the State. They are worth from one 20
fifteen dollars each. Put them Mt M average nf two
dollars and n hall, and they will produce the large
sum "i S750.OOO. This ought {" hc saved TO The
State, and earned by the females.
Strawbraiding tx n very light and profitable occu-
patton. Ii isonr admirably adapted to our country
girls. The straw is abundant aud would cost nothing.
1t only requires that they shnuld he instructed n lit
tie IL start the matter, when it would take like wild
fire and spread i'll every direction.
Let some Of our merchants in the villages, when
they go on To purchase goods, sock ont and bring Il
few emigrant girls, acquainted with the art Of straw
hruIding, 10 teach nnr girls Ia commence II! lie; the
merchant ngrcc To buy all the straw braid that Gun he
made III the neishborlIUnd, NJ sn much per yard, and
he could pay for it in his goods. ctthcrc bc Il large
bonnie, factory established III Richmond 10 wlicl,
these merchants could send :hr braid for snc, to be
made up into fashionable bonmcts, and these same
merchants could buy the bonncia and take back aud
sell them To the girls who braided the straw. Thus,
n round of employment would bc given 10 n large
number. Not only could the boumc:s br madr in tins
manner: but nll the straw hats worn 10y the men and
boys o! the State, the amount al which is c"nsilera.
bic.
The manufacture Of Caps, for men and boys, is a
very large and profitable business. In the CITY Of y.
York, there are five ,h"msaud eiris cmplny'd in this
branch alone. They average three dollars per week,
and put into their own packets, annually the sum OF
$1S0,UN. /, may b. safely estimated, that the caps
turned ont by these girls IRE worth. including the
materials, about 81 ,O0U,G00. They IRE made in New
York. and shipped to oil parts OF the world for sale.
They are brought here and sold, TO our shame. H.
stead OF putting the money, expended on this article,
lhto the pockets Of our own girls, We send IT on TO
the Nnrih. tn nnrnurnIrn TIN iEnlnrn. who will sim u