The Shasta courier., 1867-08-17
New York Shop Girls.

A correspondent of the Watchman and
Reflector is presenting some pictures OF life
among the lowly in New York, some Of
which are enough to cause any friend of
humanity to weep as we'll as tremble, in
view Of the temptations TO which thousands
Of the innocent but unfortunate are exposed :
Last week l gave description Of the
| every day life of one of the thirty thousand
sewing girls of New York. | shall this
week present another picture-a different
| phase of the same sad life-for the contem
platlon of the philanthropist and the Chris
tian.
One day last winter there came into my
Office young girl whom l had known when
she was a little child, light hearted and hap.
py, on her fathers farm in New jersey
Misfortune overlook her futher, and she was
eventually left an orphan. Having an
uncle in New York, she came here to live.
They were in good circumstances, and bade
Minnie welcome but in few months later
the uncle was led into speculation, and lost
everything he had. In this position of
affairs Minnie sought for employment and
found 1t; but such employment She came
to me, having armed my whereabouts. to
solicit aid. She was now eighteen years old,
and remarkably beautiful. 1t was piteous to
listen to her story.
u get up at six o'clock," she said, "dress
myself in the cold, eat 4 mouthful of some
thing-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 shivering. My work is making paper
| bags, at thirty five cents thousand"
And how many can you make in q
dny3nn
| 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 is a
grave offence to look out of wiadow, or
stand moment by a stove.
The first day | was there" said Minnie,
Il felt so bad that [ couldn't keep from cry
ing and when l turned and spoke to the
| girl who worked next to me. she stared in
alright, and made no answer. The over
seer of the room is cross man, and he came
and told me to 90 home if wanted to talk
they didn't allow any Cabling there"
put on my overcoat and walked with
Minnie to the shop where she worked to see
for myself. 1t was long, barren room on
the fourth story Of a building, with chilly
| air on 1t that sent q shiver through me. 1t
was about noon-time-a little time after
and the oversecr chanced to be away
About score of girls, from ten to eighteen
years ofage, were seated at long tables with
piles Of brown paper and pots Of paste be-
fore them. Great was their aStonshment
when | took my place at Minnie's side to
watch her work, for there was card on the
door which said, " Positively no Admit,
tance." These faces were, without excep,
tions, sad and sickly, and they bent over
their work with weary air that touched me
almost to tears.
The most expert of these girls is able to
earn about three dollars week, | was told
many earn less. None of them pay less than
three dollars a week for their board How,
then, do they live? How clothe themselves?
Can you unriddle this puzzle? Good men
and women are shuddering over it every
day.
1t has been Minnie's misfortune that she
was never taught to work. How could her
parents have forseen her destiny? / sought
long in vain to find her employment more
remunerative. in which she was capable of
engaging. While thus seeking, heard from
her occasionally. First there came the
pleasant tidings that the cross overseer treat
ed her with especial kindness-spoke to her
cheerfuily, and gave her the lighteSt work to
do that the place afforded.
She was SO gladdened by this, in the limo
cence of her heart! Aud then, not long
after. came another word be had grossly
insulted her, and when she repulsed him
had turned her from the shop with curses
Does my reader understand what all this
means? | have related the incident only to
illustrate, as modestly as may be, the peris
which beset the shop girl.
You will fail of realizing the ghastliress of
the subject, if you lose sight of the fact that
those who suffer thus and are tempted thus
who lead life Of friendlessness only ex-
changeable for a drearier hIrror-of hunger
and cold, and exhaustive toll, the release of
which can be bought but with death or
shame-are a vast army in numbers. There
are thousands who want even for the misera-
BILE privilege of such toll as | have tried to
picture-who perish by the wayside, year by
year. No night passes over your head that
does not cover with it's da, kness somo poor
girl wandering through the streets of New
York hungry, weary, friendless, utterly for
lorn who has no refuge but to give herself
into the hands of policeman, to be taken
to the station house, that she may sleep on
its bare floor, in company with thleves,
drunkards, and shameless ones OF both
sexes.
Much attention of late is being directed to
the subject of woman's rights, in the nobler
meaning of the term. and it is well that this
is So The m, re fully the rising generation
of girls are taught to be self hopeful, the
better it will be for the future welfare OF the
land-the more narrow will become the
spread of distress among the sex, as they
become widowed, orphaned, or otherwise
protectorless Meantime, here In New fork
is the existing evil of the hour which ought
| not to be, must not be, overlooked: O0d
speed the work of all who labor In the
| field
How FAY CANE TO BE A CANDIDATE"
have recently been informed. says an ex-
change. of the manner in which Fay became