Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1856-07-02
A WOMAN IN MANS CLOTHES
(Fro,n the Pi.ts5ure Dispa,ch)

~
From the Pittsburg Dispatch)
We notice in the papers mention ofa young
woman having been recently detected in tho
garb of man among the workmen employed
in Smiths whip factory in Westfield, Mass,
and, now that it 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 firstmade her appearance
in the West in 1851, when she sought and OBJ
tanned employment as workman in the whip
factory of Mr.. Underwood, then engaged in
the business in our city. After working some
three months for him, she complained ofill
health, and thought more active life would
suit her better-and engaged as a cabin boy,
running q whole season on our rivers in that
capacity, without the slightest suspicion that
she was other than a smart but rather delicate
lad. In the sumer of 1852 she appeared in her
river garb, in the wareroom of Mr.. John W.
Tim, the well known whip manufacturer on
Wood street, and asked work rs s'finisher'
in his shop, which she obtained, filling the
situation creditably for two years, and endear-
ing herself to all her fellow workmen by her a.
miable and obliging disposition, none of whom
suspected, when joking with her of her pen
chant for female society, and gallanting the
girls, that they were conversng with one Of
the fair sex.
In the summer of 1S5ishe worked less stead
ily, devoting several days in the week to buy
ing peaches, which she sold again in the mar
ket this led to dissatisfaction on the 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 od-probaby 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-except 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 our
city; but this charge did not effect her much,
as she assured her old acquaintances that sho
had married the widow!
During her residence of nearly three years
in Pittsburg, the only one who suspected her
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
her, and during portion of her stay with him
employed her in the out door bus mess Of the
establishment. After leaving Pittsburg, her
acduaintances 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 brother In
| the church another, from the Methodist minis
| ter at Westfield, enquiring 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 swidow;
who, having ascertained that men command a
much higher compensation than her own sex,
| for the same amount of work, had determined
| to assume the male garb, TO earn living LOT
| herself and child. 1t may be, however, that
for one fault society had expelled and irienos
| 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
Golf TO the coat and pantaloons as a protection
against the scorn of one sex and the wiles OF
| the other Whatever is the solution OF her
| strange conduct, she deserves credit for her
| energy and determination, and We regret that
her secret has become known, affording as it
did safe asylum.
Since the above was written we learn ,ha1
| the lady was married some twelve years ago.
| in Rochester, where she and her husoano o.
pened small confectionery, and not succeed
ING very we'll in business, they abandoned 1t
and engaged as walters in hotel. After oe-
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 VIM. J. Daily
She came to work for Mr.. Tim in June, 1862
with whom she remained until August, lsoo