The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1867-06-10

daughter, then Just sixteen, proposed
to go into her fathers shop and assist
him, she being the Oldest of seven
children. He accepted her offer, and
told me himself, that, in twelve months,
she could finish more work, and do it
better, than any man he had ever train
ed for eighteen. She earned fifteen dol
lars a week ut the rate he then paid
other hands.
"Her father died. Her two eldest
brothers learned the trade of her, and
went away. She has now two younger
sisters in apprenticeship, and brother
fourteen years of age, all working un-
der her; turning, polishing, filing and
fitting all kinds of machinery. l went
out to see her last week. She was then
making water rams to force streams
into barns and houses. She is also be-
ginning to make many kinds of car
riage axles. She is her own draughts-
man, and occasionally does her own
forging. To use her own words, What
any man can do l can but try at. She
has steam engine, every part of which
she understands; and know that her
work gives ientire satisfaction. When
they have steady employment, they
clear sixty dollars a week; and she
says she would rather work at 1t for
her bread, than at sewing for ten times
the money. The truth is, 1t is busi-
ness she is fond Of
"In New Haven clock factory seven
women are employed among seventy
men, on half wages; and the manufac-
turer takes credit to himself for his
liberality., at Waltham, also, a watch
factory has been lately started In which
many women are employed. For the
first two months the women earn two
dollars and fifty cents a week; for the
third three dollars; and after that four
dollars. The men earn from five shil-
ings to two dollars a day. 1t seems
that no special skill Is required in the
women, while the men in few depart
ments are still paid according to their
ability. The steam engine, 1t appears,
has not yet learned how to cook dials
In this case the operator must hold the
dial, turning it evenly, as If he were
smokerjack, which requires Judgment
and faculty. .a'4T5.i -
"In 1850 there were engaged in shoe
making in the town of Lynn 8, ,729 males
and GAP femRles-nearly twice as
many women as men; yet, in the
monthly payment OF wages, only half
as much money was paid to women as
to men. The three thousand men re-
ceived seventy-fiye thousand dollars a
month; and the six thousand women,
thirty-seven thousand dollars: that is,
the women's wages were, on the aver
age. only one-quarter as much as those
OF the men.
Plenty of employments are open to
them; but all are underpaid, They
Will never be better paid till women of
rank begin to work for money, and SO
create respect for woman's labor.
...... THE REMEDY.
"The result of great deal of reading
of great many laH-books is only this
that we are more firmly convinced than
ever that the most necessary reform is
simple erasure from the statute-book
of Whatever recognises distinctions of
sex. You should make woman, in the
eye of the law what she has always
been in the eye of Coda responsible
human being; and make laws which
such beings, male or female, can obey.
How L should rejoice to see a large
Lowell mill wholly owned and man
aged by womenI What is to make it
possible?- only, that the unoccu-
pied women OF wealth and rank
at this moment in the Commonwealth
should combine to build or buy such
mill. Suppose 1t well managed, repre-
senting ultimately million OF dollas s;
do you believe it would long remain
without political power? Just as the
testy trade of Upsal demanded the
franchise for its eighty-one women, so
would the Lowell mill"