The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1868-03-21
The New York sewing women.


The following description Of the life and
workshops OF the sewing women Of New
York We clip from the last number Of the
Rer~ ziC:. I:
There are, first, the shop girls, who sit in
long rows, up and down the length OF great
dreary work rooms, or pile in promiscuously
In less pretensious establishments. Then
there are the dressmakers, the cloak k-naksrs,
tailoresses, seamstresses and takers IN Of
slop work. OF the thirty thousand women
nov cut Of employment in this wilderness Of
a city, twenty thousand are said to be sew
;;S:ss S-::::ss... 80. Piles OF unsold cloaks on the
shelves. clothing Of every description o1i
hand, although Hmarked down. 1t ruinous
priees-this tells the story why many thou
sands OF women are thrown out Of employ
ment during the incIemency Of the season
A picture Of one Of the vast establishments
where shop girls work, will do for ali the
rest. Large, weh-hghted show rooms, at
tentixe salesmsB, watch floor walkers, spry
little cash bovs-all these win the eager
buyers find in the lower rooms. Down
stairs to see evening dresses, where bril-
liant gas lets fame out to show the effect
up stairs 10 see the bargains in cloaks and
shawls; wherever they go, the same genial
light and soft radiance is thrown. The
work room is . very different place TO the
show rooms. however. On the third floor
are the first rooms. They are large and
well-lighted, though but poorly ventilated.
The impression made upon ones mind is,
that breath Of fresh air has not entered
that close atmosphere for q long time, ana
yet the windows are thrown uP as high as
they will 90 every night ut sweeping hour.
but one must remember, when sixty human
beings, some Of them with diseased lungs
and horrid breathe. work in these rooms for
ten hours daily, that ventilation IL almost
impossible. These are the lace workers and
muslin hnishers- They prepare those deli
cate articles Of lingerie which so win ones
heart from the window or case where they
hang Infants robes are made, babies
baskets are thoroughly prepared here. The
girls look tired, even at an hour before noon.
They bend over shockingly, and nearly all
OF them have sore ewes and sorer hearts
poor things. Six dollars q week il the
average price made here. Some there are
who make nine. The majority only make
five. The fourth floor, one immense room.
running over the whole building from back
to 'front.' and FROM side to side, is occupied
by the cloak makers
There are four long tables down the centre
OF the rom, and smaller ones placed little
to the side. Here, daring the brisk season,
ninety-6ve girls work. Now the number
csunot be more than twenty. The women
working here seemed more cheerful than
those on the lower floor; but they, too. are
overtaxed and allow themselves TO die by
inches, Just because they fancy they are
making IN honest Likelihood. They average
more than the muslin workers. Some of
them can make ten dollars q week, but those
are old hands at the business On the ffth
fioor is smaller wosk-ro0m than either Of
the others IL 10 devoted to the making up
Of plain underwear for ladies' aud children.
There are about twenty-five or thirty en-
pioyees here, pale, wan and sickly but,
strange enough, more contented with their
lot fhau thom Of dthar of the floors below.
asked One cid lady, whose age would sure
ly entitle her 10 rest, bow she liked to work
there She replied, IL thank God thAt /
can take care Of myself In my old aeei
Shs IN seventy-two pears OF age, and earns
three dsllars waek. Cop help her could
not help wondering nov she managed to
reach the hflh story with her poor, rheu-
masis hmhs md feeble strength. Az "
disming d my thonghts, she sAid, ITO be
SURE. ~ " COED way up, and have IA
thers's rood rsss for aas until nie6s.p A
litts cresfars on thirssen. but rho Iooked
M lhnrs shHn niue. Was thastinR hcms N
cprner. She waa only laarninR 10 say. she
said. and had been there 10 s rsek.' bnt II. i1l
4 fn~<rf.&& r.n~. 49, "a e. - NJ