New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-09-03

From the Washington Star

FROM IHb washington Ctnisi
Probably hut few persons in Washington
ara aware that we have in our midst a
nr;p+ing office conducted solely by women,
bbnt sueb is the case. The office was opened
Lost January on a limited scale by Mrs.
imI;a Archibald Holmes, the weil-known
newsnaper correspondent, and originated
in desire on her part to increase the sphere
of voman's usefulness and open sun WIDER
an avenue through which 1t has peen de-
monstrated females can successiuns Ion
nate with males. Knowing that az least
rne oawspaper Office in New York Is run by
women and that outside of that considers
BILE book and Job printing is done, nor only
in New York, but in several other large
cities, by her sex, Mrs. Holmes saw no rea.
son why "a Womens Printing Omce
should not succeed in Washington; one
therefore secured a room in Federal Block,
+ street. between Sixth and Seventh, pur-
chased a small quantity of type, and, under
the instructions of a competent femaie eQin-
nositor from New York, took her first les.
sons in ssthe art preventative OF ali arts
In a few weeks she had made slcn RAPID
progress by industry and close appIlcaLlon'
that she felt justified in taking several as
sistants; all of whom proved apt puplls,
and were soon masters, or rather nlstressee
of the types. -
It is not to be supposed, however, that
they were Thoroughly proficient in the art
of printing in SO short a time; but they mace
good progress, and were soon able 10 earn
fair wages at their work. In proof OF thus
it NAV be stated that sister of Mrs. Homes
earned five dollars the second week of her
employment IN the Office, although she
knew nothing of type setting two weeks
before Mrs Holmes has gradually added
to the stock of her office as business IN
creased, and has now enough material IN
the way of type TO do ordinary job work.
49, She has purchased a.
stereotypiug machine, which Is now IN sue
cessful oDeration. She has also increased
the number of her assistants to four, aid OF
them being rapid cCmpositors, and by
business card informs the public that she is
in the field and willing to compare work
with ell competitors.
One male compositor has been employed
| by Mrs. Holmes occasionally as an assist
ant but, with this exception, the whole
| labor of the office has been done by women.
The office is as yet lnsupplied with any
other than a small card press. All print
| ing which can not be executed on this press
must, of course, be done outside, after the
| TYNE is set in the Women's Printing Office.
| Since the establishment of this Office it has
done considerable in the way of printing
cards, pamphlets, circulars. etc. business IS
! gradually increasing, and Mrs. Holmes is
| hopeful that it will soon be sufficient to
| warrant the necessary expenditure to make
the Office frs class one. She has just
| finished printing a book of the proceedings
| of the National Educational Convention at
| Cleveland, Ohio, last year, and in respect
| to excellence of typographical execution, it
will compare favorably with the work
| usually turned out from other job offices.
As Mrs Holmes claims the sole right to
| fix the wages of her employees. and is not
governed 6y the rules of the Typographical
| Union, her establishment is called a "rat"
| Office by the society typos. She is at present
in st. Louis, attending an educational con-
| vention now in session in that city.