The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1864-12-14


employment 70 Become qushned for the labor thsy
undertake
TIE names reg g'rtered on the books Of the Union
may be classified Under the following heads;
orph.ns entirely dependent upon their own ex-
eruoas for support. Orphans NOT entirely depend,
ent upon them selves. Half orphans Widows with
families Of children. Soldiers and sailors widows.
WIVES Of soli'ers AMI sailors Tho-s Who have
both parents living. whom they a.sis, In Sup, or,.
ing 1hose who entirely support their prcnls, or
younger brothers aud sisters
Five hundred and ninety orphan girls have sp-
pied to tho Union. Many OF them are scarcely
hf,een years Of age, pretty and niereeu ng"--ioy
working girls can be handsome and intsrestng.
They arc thrown upon the world st this early age,
snd suejscted " all The temptations Of city Life
while compel! 70 toll early and late for . bsrc
subsistence large number OF Interesting Incl
dens connecte.i with thoas girls have come 70 the
knowledge Of us Superintendent one Of which viii
serT "a an Illustration I % 'he benefits eonerred py
No. 10 Chamber. street. Young and rosny besun-
nl siri applied for smp'oyncpt she bad neither
father nor mo,hor, ana bad been out o.
face and w,nnins manners had secured
her an honorable shelter with poor family,
who could ill-adori ~ caro- for her. On being
questioned a. 10 the work she could perform, shs
stated ,hs' she hsd been ssrnlns ,oree dollars per
week. Qua Il which shc paid Two dollars and . half
for her hoard, leaving half . dollar with which 70
purchase clothing. &c Through the agency OF the
tuion this gt was cent 70 situation. where she
In now snfrOun1oa WIN hu tno sothosss W NV s&'u
treated by the lady who employs her Ike Que OF
her own daughters.
The hsR-ory,hsns are . class Of young women
who arN perhaps deserving Of more sympathy and
support than they receive. s.I hundred and eighty
Ave are registered The hooks Of the Union, many
ofwhom not only Obliged 10 support tncmsslvos,
bui ssast IN the support u an agod father of mo-
ther, aud younger brothers and SISTERS. Amons
this class the Superintendent calls 70 mind numcr-
ous instances ot devotion where the wants Of an
invalid mother, or tho hepess dependenco Of
younger children, shsorbed all thoughts VI selt,
efforts. Too much credit cannot be awarded 70
these young giris who shor early and late Tor inc
| good ot others sacrificing ell their httls Girhnh
vsnites for the sake Of thoss who are near and
dear TO them.
widows with families Of children, are .
| class Of women for which tho Union nnd
| Il most difbcut o procure employment: W
| these, six hundred and oshty-ons havs
| sppued, one hundred and forty ave u whom
| are soldiers widows. One thousand nine hundred
and forty-'hree children arc dpendent upon thsse
| women. some OF whom support eght and few have
los. than three 70 look .nnr. Too lives o. ns.s
| widows sre . continued struggle between poverty
| and lsudable desire W Keep their little families
together. Very few Of them have any means Of
| support but thsir needle. IL Ia on bshai Of these
| women that the Union would more especially sp-
pea, 10 the public for employment or assistance In
/ furnishing The with sewing or ethsr work which
i they can taso 10 their own homss. great mum
her Of these women are living In .his city engaged
disrs' shirts ., 70 cents PER dozen, anwsrS and
| overalls at from ~ " 10 cents por dozen.
Tho statistics of the unca prove that fsmsie "a
| Dor, which should reoeivs protection and eneour-
agement from all classes of the community, 10 worse
| paid than any other. while the wages OF working
| men have bcen increased more than one huudred
| per cont, aud complaint 10 still made that this 70
not sufficient ~ cover the Increased cost Of food
aud fuel the average rate ~ wages for femslo labor
| has no, been raised more than twenty pcr cont -
I IL Na4
widow IA obliged 70 pay as much Tor loaf Of
| bread or pail Of coal a. che womsn VINO has .
| husband OF 4 stalwart son W assist her In many
| trades the rate Of wages has been lowered during
To. year, until II has become mere pittAnce,
white In other occupations the prices paid " fs-
malea are generally Insufficient TO maintain 'Asm
| cUmforttbly.
Among the soldiers and ss'lors' wives, are many
| who, with the exception OF . small amount of re-
lief money, are otherwise dependent upon ps.r
| own exertions for support. One ~ .he most touch
ing instances Of devotion recorded on she books
| Of the UpiOn, IA that Of woman who apphed ior
employment. Her simple story proves that tho
women OF country have exhibited devotion
W its interests second only 10 that of the nen who
have shoulderod aheir muskeb and gone 10 hs
'front.'" This woman was supporting the four or
| phAn children Of her brother who fell ss G-tsys-
burg. Their mother having died prsviously ,,
was the earnest wish Of this woman 70 psriorm
| the promise, made 70 or brother, he, sho would
I'LL spsrents acc In o bis death, ths, hducsJ
her W visit tho Union In parch OF employ mont
I On the sIpar ntenlsnt expressing hope thai the
Children would reward her in after years for hsi
Kindness W them. she replied III they don't
| God will" Il IL for such wOu4n that We appea
TO tho community ior employment, and the mora
OF pecuniAry support that VIII enable tho Wor<ine
Wonen's Union 10 afford hat protection and ell
/. | courAyctnent which such inonsuy anu hth sh
| ttls them W receive.
, The wives Of our brave soldiers are another olas
Of women whose trials arc Increased by Tho NV
prices paid for their work. O these, Two hundred
| ...A n
, ali Of whom sro very destitute, eking out missr
able eIiaeucs by working many hours daily, upoi
soldiers elothns. ORIGINALLY thiA KIND oi wori
, was wsii paid, but ~ tho present time mere pr
tance Is giyeu W the wouivu who mAnufAeture th
. garments
During the summer petition 70 bs Secretary q
War was circulated AInoag the working wo-
mon, asking for an increase u pay 70 thoso wn
a are emplo ved on government work BONE vi
thouaand s,pnsturos have boen Obtained, and thou
sands more would have signed, but roused, ale Z
ing as q reason that they were fearful Vi lonns "
small amount OF work tnoy were chen getsns irVi
. the eontractIrs THIS szIns lear OF smployorA VI
' supsr1niendsnt 10 sorry 70 say, prevents mAnl
: working woInor from seeking ior employ mehs
: | the rooms Of the Union.
o An illustration OF tie manner these women ar
II conn eed 10 earn their scanty existence is iound
T.. | tbe case ol q soldiers wIie, who ID now maxim
. drawers ~ five cents aud three quarters psr piii
r The arm, by whom soc 10 sinp'oyol' nave lhrB
a contract with tho Goyerninenl' and require thea
"A | 0armen.s 70 10 well made by hand. ina seam
a arc feiled with stays button holes two cycle
o holes. banda &c. Aix pair Of these drawers arc
a good days work ior . smart woman, anordlng he
q | an income Of thrty-tour and hAH csnA pof DAY
i. proyded she IL fortunate enough to please ner en-
v poyers. II they fauey that the work Is not We
J. done or anything should be found out Of place,
= deduction OF TWEEN conu per dozen ls lakol iEor
X her wat es. This node oI Increasing IhS prontA
n contractor Ia no. uurpetr-iI ny ihs more houo
,. able men 10 the Du,,-sss, ut there are soe
II ployers who resort ~ ~ aud without coupuuctluI