The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1867-07-26
The New York Shop Girls-Miseries
and Mysteries OF Sewing Women.

A correspondent Of the WdtchmdH an
Reflector is presenting some pictures o
life among the lowly in New York, som
of which are enough to cause any frien'
to humanity to weep as well as tremble
in view of the temptations to whicl
thousands Of the innocent but unfortun
ate are exposed. Last week gave
description of the every day life Of ont
of the thirty thousand sewing girl
of New York. shall this week pre-
sent another picture-a different phas
of the same sad life-for the contem
plation of the philanthropist and Chris
tian.
One day last winter there came int
my office young girl whom ! hat
known when she was little child, light
hearted and happy, on her fathers farm
in New Jersey. Misfortune overtool
her father and she was eventually lef
an orphan. Having an uncle in New
YorF, she came here to live. They wer'
in good circumstances, and made Min
ME welcome; but few mouths later thu
uncle was led into speculation, and los
everything he had. In this position o.
affairs Minnie sought for employment
and found it; but such employment
She came to me, having learned my
whereabouts. to solicit aid. She wa
now eighteen years old and remarkably
beautiful. 1t was piteous 10 lister tt
her story.
'Iget up at six o'clock in sub
stance, dress myself in the cold, eat 9
mouthful of something-little enough
there is to eat-and hurry TO the shop
We are not allowed to warm ourselves
by the fire, no matter how cold or wet
we may be, and all day long am shiver
ing. My work is making paper bags, at
thirty-ive cents
"And how many can you make in A
day"
"One thousand, when work hard.'
Thirty-five cents for whole day OF
hard labor, in cold room, surrounded
by girls who are prohibited strictly
from conversing with each other, and
among whom it isa grave offense to look
out of window or stand a moment by
| stove.
"The first day was there said Min.
ME, ~ felt so bad that l couldn't keep
from crying and when turned and
spoke to the girl who worked next to
me, she started in alright, and made no
answer. The overseer of the room is a
cross man, and he told Inc to go home il
l wanted TO talk-they didn't allow CAB,
bling there" E
put Oh my oyercoat and walked with
Minnie to the shop where she worked
to see fer myself. 1t was n loEg, bar.
rem room on the fourth story of the
building, with chilly air upon it that
sent shiver through me. 1t was about
noon time-a little after-and the over.
seer chanced to be away. About score
of girls from ten to fifteen years of age
were seated at long tables, with piles OF
brown paper and pots of paste before
them. Great was their astonishment
when / took my place at Minnie's side
to watch her work, for the was card
on the door which said positively nc
admittance." The faces were without
exception, sad and sickly, and they bent
over their work with a weary air that
touched me almost to tears.
The most expert of these girls is able
to earn about three dollars q week,
was told; many earn less. None of them
pay less than three dollars week fol
| their board. How, then, do they live
How clothe themselves Can you un-
riddle this puzzle. Good men and wo.
men are shnddering over it every day
1t was Minnie's misfortune that she
had never been taught to work. How
could her parents have forseeu her des.
tiny? / sought long in vain to find her
employment more Temunerative, in
which she was capable of engaging
While thus seeking, ! heard from her
occasionally. First there came the
pleasant tidings that the cross oyyeroccI
treated bor with especial kindness
spoke to her cheerfully. and gave. her
the lightest work to do that the place
afforded.
She was so gladdened by this, in the
innocence of heart! And then, not
long after, came another word he had
grossly insultod her, and when she re-
pulsed him. had turned her from the
shop with curses,
Do my readers understand what all
this means. have related the Incl
dent only to illustrate, as modestly rs
may be. the perils which beset the shop
girl.
You will fail of realizing the ghastli-
ness of this subject, if you lose sight OF
the fact that those who suffer thus, and
are tempted thus-who lead a life OF
friendliness, only exchange for dreari-
er horror of hunger and cold, and cX-
haustive toll, the release from which
can be bought but with death or shame
are a vast army in numbers. There
arc thousands who want even for the
miserable privileges of such toll as ]
have tried 10 picture-who perish by
the wayside, year by year. No night
passes over yonr head that does not
cover with its darkness some poor girl
wandering the streets ofNew York hun.
CRY. weary, friendless, utterly forlorn
who has no refuge but to give herself
into the hands of a policeman, TO he
taken to the station-hOuse, that she may
sleep on its bare floor, in company with
thieves, drunkards, and shameless ones
of both sexes. Much attention is OF
late being directed TO the subject OF
woman's rights, in the nobler moaning
of the term, and it is well that this is so
The more fully the rising generation
of girls are taught to be self helpful
the better it will be for the future vel
fare of the land-the more narrow
will become the spread of distres:
among the sex as they become widowed
orphaned, OF otherwise proteCtorless
Meantime, here in New York is The
existing evil of the hour; which ought
not to be, must not he, overlooked
God speed the work of all who labor il
this field.
ANovei Preceding.
A jailor at Donaldsonyille, La, whC
had buried his wife in the early part