The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1869-02-06

"The Song OF the Shirt" has been poetic
ally considered ever since the immortal
Hood penned the soul-thrilllng lines but
there are very few who, after the pathetic
readings and recitations OF those verses,
consider the sternly practical ideas their
author undoubtedly intended. Only few
evenings ago a down town merchant, a
very devout member of certain orthodox
church in this city, at social Of said church
recited most touehingly this beautiful song.
II Hood could have beard him he would GER
taiuly have been beside himself with de-
light. professional reader could not have
rendered il more finely. The picture OF
a wan face and weary fingers, stitching BY
the light of single candle, was distinctly
presented to the audience. This very man
has an establishment where girls are em-
ployed to stitch from seven o'clock in the
morning until six in the evening, dozens of
t'lem being crowded into one room, misera-
bly, heated and ventilated, none of the num-
Der, BY reason Of the low rate Of compen-
sation, being allowed to earn over seventy
five cents day, with the exception of one
female cutter, who is paid the astonishing
sum of seven and half dollars weekly. Ii
is needless to remark that the majority "
bis bearer considered that the selection *
some other poem for this occasion would
have been N better taste. Facts are stub
born things, and without knowing when or
By whom this important question Of wo-
mans work and wages is 10 be regulated,
but feeling that some action should be taken
Immediately, a few facts concerning the
manner in which rking girls are trea ed
IN "the great metropolis" are here given.
Take first those who, from one cause or
another, are compelled to sew in the miser
able places they call "home," very many Of
them having near relatives to support, il
being a startling truth that among the num-
Der thus stitching, day after day, early and
late. very few have only themselves to main
tain. 1t does NOT appear possible that more
than one can subsist on seventy-hve cents
per day. A woman living Oh tie east side
of town says she cannot earn more tnan
that sum, and out Of II has 70 maintain an
Invalid husband, herself and child. Her
aver Re fare is brown bread and rye coffee,
without milk or sugar, except on Sunday
mornings occasionally she buys little saus-
age meat or liver, because she says her
husband -'longs for meat" Rather hard
diet for an invalid.
Girls and women, fro n tn irteen to sixty
y6ers of age, visit these houses where work
il dispersed, and after giving references as
70 ability, and often deposi.ing sum as
a guarantee Of their safe return, are allowed
to take home large bundles of pants, vests,
shirts, &C. sHome m What a misnOmer
one or two rooms ID some squalid tenement
house, whose filthy OdoTs, disgusting 81 Shts
and terrible sounds u would seem impossi-
Bile for refined senses to er dure moment
But many "live, move and have their being
amid such surroundings, whose susceptible
ties ere once as delicate a any Perhaps
time, the rough user, has partially etfaced
the ideas of luxurious days; but tastes once
refined can never De cOmpr esseI, blunted
down, till wretchedness and MISERY are IN
needed. Tha wives of Sour couutry's de-
Tenders" who fought nobody, losing life
and limb IN the contest, represent largely
the shopworkers Wh0 reside in these pig
pens If society. Receiving compensation
which would not supportctheir employers
cat, ocou rying quarters which bis dog would
survey with scorn and leave imm ediately 4,
bu- Tor which he receives monthly an almost
lncredulOus sum-these delicate women
manage 10 keep from starvation disabled or
invalid patriots.
That "slop-work" does not pay much
was long ago discovered, but how little il
pays none bat the experienced can imagine.
Take, for instance, an extensive bookbindry
on Centre street, where numerous girls are
employed, and where the terrible stencil
that arises from the blending Of close i'm
pure air with some paste, dirt and gummy
refuse is eEolting. The wages paid to fe-
males employee ed IN this offensive work range
from four to eight dollars per week.
At one enormous wholesale and retail
dry goods establishment on Broadway there
are employed numberless embroiderers, sew
iDg machine operators, dressmakers and
tDe sewers. Scarcely a day passes but an
advertisement appears in some Of the daily
papers for workers in some of it's val led d.
visions. Good dressmakers are paid re-
spect bic salary, for the trade commands a
far remuneration; ard as first "c1tters and
filters" are dependent on no one firms pat
ronage for subsistence, the establishment
grinds in from other quarters what it very
unwilhngly grinds oct TO this. Sewing ma
chine Opel atOrs by incessant labor may per
haps earn seven dollars per week-a woe
fully insufficient equivalent for the back,
leg and head aching exertiOn. But the EN-
broiderers, STOPPING hour after hour over
some dainty piece of goods, terribly trying
to their sight and patience, which one nus
stitch would utterly disfgure and make the
laborer a considerable sum out Of pocket,
is worth lin the employers judgment) not
three dOllass a week. Few OF the swiftest
fancy workers are enabled to make that
sum, and none, it IL stated upon the most
reliable authority, 90 beyond it.
Said one young lady, who has had con-
siderable experience in the different br +
ches Of labor, a day or so ago, ''Never
send woman obliged to earn her own liv-
ing to - IS for needle work.
tried it once and am thoroughly competent
to give advice on the subject. Attracted
BY 'aaming advertisement" pointing TO
the article in question, 81 call at the estab-
lishment one morning, gave references, de-
posted the security and received an in
fant's cloak, stamped with iancy and diff
hcult pattern, for which, when returned,
in a finished state, | was to be paid one
dollar and seventy. FIVE cents. Like goose
accepted the terms and went home, slight
" dissatisfied Now am considered fast
workwoman, but embroidered all that day,
all the next and continued embroiderlng.
10 one week and day the obnoxious arti-
Gle was completed, and, disgusted with
work in general and that species in partic-
ular, restored it to the complacent fore
woman, firmly declining to beauty lady's
wrapper, which she persisted 'would pay
splendidly.' The pay was two dollars,
and the work required week Of steady,
unceasing labor. Seventy-ive cents theJ
offer for embroidering child's suit-a
good weeks work sor an ADEPT q. the bust
ness. The material aud silk will, perhaps,
cost five dollars, and the suits are sold tor
from eighteen TO twenty five dollars. These
prices for the most trying kind Of needle
work are the regular averages"
Sewing girls who work at shirtmaking or
other establishments are subject TO the most
terrible experiences huddled together
like SO many cattle, brought into contact
with all kinds and conditions, and exposed
to the most pernicious Influences, it is not
surprising that the grave and street receive
so many poor girls into whose life no ray
Of sunshine or love ever penetrated Into