Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1856-07-02
A WOMAN IN MANS CLOTHES.
(Frorr the Pitts5urg DispateA)

We notice in the papers mention of a young
woman having been recently detected in the
garb of a man among the workmen employed
in Smiths whip factory in Westfeld, Mass,
and, now that il can do no injury to expose her
secret, we shall throw little light upon her
previous history, at least during her three
years residence in this vicinity.
The young woman first made her appearance
in the West in 1851, when she sought and OBJ
tanned employment as a worknaa u in the whip
factory of Mr.. Underwood, then engaged in
the business in our city. After working some
three months for him, she complained of i'll
health, and thought more active life would
suit her bettcr-and engaged cabin boy,
running whole season our rivers in that
capacity, without the slightest suspicion that
she was other than smart but rather delicate
lad. In the sumner of 1852 she appeared in her
river gaTb, in the wareroom of Mr.. John w
Tim, the well known whip manufacturer on
Wood street, and asked work as a ssfinisher''
in his shop, which she obtained, filling the
situation creditably for two years, and endear
ing hersclfto all her fellow workmen by her a
miable and obliging disposition, none of whom
suspected, when joking with her Of her pen
girls, that they were oonversing with one of
the fair sex.
In the summer of 1S5ishe worked less stead
lily, devoting several days in the week to buy
ing peaches, which she sold again in the mar
ket; this led to dissatisfaction on tire part OF
her employer, and she left the shop, engaging
for few months in the fruit and confectiona-
ry business in little shop she opened on Penn
street, in the Fifth Ward. This was finally
closed, and she left the city year or eighteen
| months ago to turn up again in the Westfield
Whip Factory. All we can learn of her histo-
ry is that she sailed from Rochester, New
| York, and during her residence in this city
was several times visited by man named D.
who was represented by her as an uncle. She
had with her little girl, some six or eight
years old-probably her daughter-but who
| passed as her deceased brothers. orphan child.
| She boarded on Boyd's Hill, behaved herself
commercially, had no vices but segar smoking
Joined Methodist church in Allegheny, and
never was spoken evil of-cxcept in regard TO
her intimacy with young Irish widow, an ac-
quaintance she made after leaving the whip
| factory, and with whom she finally left
| city but this charge did not effect her much,
as she assured her old ecquaintances that she
| had married the widow.
During her residence OF nearly three years
in Pittsburg, the only one who suspected hex
sex was the woman who kept the boarding
house, and who had better opportunities Of OBJ
servation than others-but she said nothing of
| her suspicious until the girl had left town.
| Her employer reposed every confidence in
! - l..a,- y.
employed her in the out door business of the
establishment. After leaving Pittsburg, her
acquaintances here heard nothing Of her for
| sometime--not, indeed, until some accident
revealed her sex, at Westfeld, Mass, when
Mr.. Tim received letter of inquiry from
manufacturer in that place; and a brother in
the church another, from the Methodist minis
| ter at Westield, enquirins as TO her conduct
| and reputation hereof which they could
| give no other than a favorable report.
! The most charitable construction We can
put upon her adventures is that she Is a widow;
who, having ascertained that men command
much higher compensation than her own sex,
| for the same amount of work, had determined
to assume the male garb, to earn a living for
herself and child. 1t may be, however, that
| lot one 1duit society ntu eAptHSu duu iifehus
\ abandoned her-and that, with more than the
usual energy of her sex, instead of falling still
lower victim to mans passion she betook her
self to the coat and pantaloons as protection
against the scorn of one se1 and the wiles of
| the other. Whatever is the solution Of her
strange conduct, she deserves credit Tor her
energy and determination, and we regret tnat
her secret has become known, affording as It
| did safe asylum.
Since the above was written we learn that
the lady was married some twelve years ago,
| in Rochester, where she and her husband o.
pened small confectionery, aud not succeed
| ing very well in business, they abandoned it
and engaged as walters in hotel. After be-
ing in the hotel sometime, her husband be-
came jealous Of the attentions of another man,
and had her arrested and confined in jail about
three months. She is Irish, or of Irish paren-
| tage her real name is Connolly, but she pas
sed in this city by the name of Wm. J. Daily
| She came to work for Mr.. Tim in June, 1852,
vith whom shs remained until August, 1853