Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1865-05-22
S UPERFLOUs WOMEN IN ENG
LAND. -. /

LAND t-s
We End it roughly set dOwu that one
fourth of our working country women are
Engaged in business Of some respectable
sort, established on their own means, and
these live by profits. Another fourth are
employed in manufactures or agriculture,
some getting good wages, and othcrs very
low ones. Another fourth are actually en-
gagged in the preparation OF dresg.-in the
making, mendiug, and washing of apparel.
The remaining fourth are In service. The
dress prepsreTs are half a million, and1the
female servants are somewhat more, viz
between siX and seven hundred thousand
"Wbere, then, are the goVernesses'2"' it
will be asked. They are rSnked inthe last
census with the professional classes, aud
their number is set down at "a, 700. This
is probably less than many would expect
from the proportion always out of work, or
giving their toll for bare living; and when
it is compared with the quarter million of
milliners and dressmRkers, and even with
the humble eeamstresses, It seems az If 80
moderate a number ought TO be able to
earn a comfortable subsistence. can only
say briefly here, that such would be the
prospect, doubtless, If the candidates were,
az body, better qualified, and less eager
TO work for anything or nothing beyond
daily bread. Whilethe mere need of bread
drives any considerable proportion of them
into the profession uuprepared, they will
live in poverty and degradation, and die in
destitution.
All this looks very miserable; and 1t
does not mend the matter to think of the
fate of women in other occupations. Dairy.
women and field. laborers get worn out at
an early age, and can lay by little or moth.
ing. London was shocked wien told by
Prince Albert how large a proportion Of
female servants die in the workhouse. The
fate of the needleWomen, now that their
trade is passing from them, is too familiar
to us; and so is that of the dressmSker.
The women engaged in some kinds Of
manufacture earn good deal more, but
they are not usually qualified to handle
their money wisely. They waste their pay
sadly, aud end by having nothing when
they want it most. Are we then 10 sup.
pose that no women but the capitalists can
earn a comfortable independence by their
own Industry Must We stop at the class
OF women who have shops, and farms, and
keep inns and lodging houses aud conduct
some manufacture Are these ALI
Here there always arises cry about the
enormous amOunts of money gained by
great actresses. and singers, and by few
authors. The fact ia indispptsbls; but the
number is too small to render any compAr.
isOn possible. Our maids, of all work ARE
little under half million 10 number: And
women engaged in literature were at this
last census 1876; and of these lew, q large
proportion have probably no more money
laid by than the maids Of. al. work. Al
for the actresses and opera SINCERE, tht
rich ones are even more scarce than th
authoresses who earn their thousands upol
thousands. 'l 'i5gt5 % q
What can be more disheartening than a
this looksl Everybody seehis to feel It Isc
Here are half onr CounIEyWomsn W0FEinC
and so many more pressing foriBubsistenC
on any terms that we do not know Whac
way to turn on their behalf. We disoovC
new occupations for them; but meautim
come old one is dying out and Ne alwAy
have some helPleSs crowd on ont hand
just WhBu We had opened fresh road I'M
the Industrial field. As soon az We hSI
Set one class telegEaphing, or laW.copyinl
or engraving, or printing, or book keetI
Ing We have ten timed tbs number "a
sdrift BY the sewing machine And n
whole prospect 10 90 poor the pay 90 low
apd 30 little choice OF occupation for va
men al bestI ALI the empIoyments nstt
raj TO women were oversteeked long AGO
We are now trying an experiment Win r.
admissible ones .--hAmpsFSa and yexsd !
every step by the Jealousy aud I'M viii I
men, who are as dead set against Wome
doing anything but sewing as the ,Coyentr
men who would not let their- wives An
daughters touch ribbons itirst or WStoht
afterwards; or the StatfoFdshire potte,
VINO wall GOT permit the female Vorkers 4
paint With the rest (tOv steadying the hSnS
S SnIon 's used by the stronger seq. Itre
amy seems As II NO branch of female indus
10 ever 10 DO so paid % that women "a,
t TS ,naePendent for life aud the Vbol
,n1I y 80 di:hsartening that one Il glad /
mi S Saes MUD from ii altogether, = c5rn