, 1873-02-24
THE FARM AND GARDEN.


TO Fnrnt-Lnbor-sVool and Mutton
Relative vn1te OF Hasslo md Fol1aa1o
Lnbor-rho Effect of Learning the
&slrlA n Frnlc-EIac Value OF Steady
lunnds-Tl1o Factory us n N1uaourn OF
| N1cchnnlaM1-tFhc Effect ON Rural His
vestlmo1ats-Tho vaIuo of HInrufnc-
| turc& to tho Farmer, with Some Sug-
Rostions-CnpltnrE Employed in Fnrm-
| tnH-Whnt 1yc Arc Ncglccting.
From Our Agricultural Correspondent.
DnAMrAaN, ILL.,, Fob. a, 1873.
THE wArcu-FAoronY.
| am going to writo about tho Elgin Watch
! Factory. "Woll, what Inns II watch-factory to
do with farming 2" hoar somo ono inquire.
Why, my doar sir, 1t lias very much to do with
farm matters in ita noiglsborlood; and then, 1t
fB but tho hintory Of similar industries, all Of
which hayo thoir Influence on tho profits md
management Of tho farm, and tho condition of
tho farmer aud Ills family.
In tho frat place, 1t tnleg tho farmers Bon
and tho farmcr's daughter from tho ovor-crowdcd
Or ill-paid labor Of tho farm, aud gyos thom .
trado by which, at moderate labor, tloy may onrn
large wages. And, then, to food these approu-
ticcB, and skilled workmon and workwomon, tho
farmor las IN additional dcnand for tho pro-
ducts Of tho firm, tho orchard, and tho garden.
But this is not the end of 1t, for othor industries
arc closely allied to this, and nro indirectly fos-
tered, and become permanent necessity. Tho
wooen mill ia close ut hand. to spin, and woavo
md dye tho cloth for these workn,en; and WOODEN
yarn muHt be had for stockings for all. This do
mands wool md mutton, and thus tho farmer
has two profits on his small flock of sheep,
whoroas he Ind only one boforo.
Then thoro must bo boardlng-hou1oa, or housos
for families, and thoso familios aud .boarlora
must DO fed and clothed.
When matchmaking pays bcttor than the
farm, tho boys and girls Of tic farm Bcol tho
businoas; nnd when, by this change Of labor in
farming, ita condition ID improved, tho farmer
Mros other labor; aud thua tho round Of labor
is supplied, and tho equilibrium restored. The
apprenticc-boy comos to bo u skilled workman,
and is pnd wages for skilled work, and is found
in hia place year in and year out, for hc has no
idea Of chnnge, and becomes, as 1t woro, wedded
to Ills business, and thus, in timo, bccomos es-
sentfal to the Witch Company, that appreciates
this steady work. and increases his wages yonr
aftor year.
NOT 30 OF THE APPRENTICESHIP,
though slo becomes skillod workwon1an,
and is paid tho wageB Of skilled workwoman
not mons pay for mons work. but such propor-
tionato pay as tho condition OF things will war~
rant. Tho Company do not know whom tho
workwoman will give them notice to quit work,
%nG the men ny ba ~ r0e upon steady
continue IL tho sarao employment, and, If poesi-
bic, givo 1t better attention, for now thoy hive
m interest in making themselves useful and a
necessity nee, to tho Watch company as they also
terent with the workwoman, for she has another
destiny, and aonlo young merchant, some doctor,
aomn lawyer, somo mechanic or man OF business,
whispers somo mystic words Ia her car, and pro-
NM tnr4- oil rf, Il. L.
sealed with . kiss; nnd--and tho Watch COM
pany has notice that thoro will bo IN idle ma
chino and vacant seat after days from dato.
These notices. written on tinted papor, arr
Monday morning, and tho blank days are auont
in arranging tho promotions that aro to follow,
Thus TO many new apprentices cnn have placos,
aaa thsss aaa o efS ae sp tes
her, and tho apprentice who obtains place. But
tho Watch Company ia matter-of-fact COM
pany, and soon learns that this lowers tho aver
ago value OF tho workwoman as an employe. So
re see that, after all, in these industries thoro
ia an insurmountablo barrier to tho workwoman
commanding mems pay for mems work. Aud,
80 long as stoaly workman ia of moro valub
than an unsteady one, SO long will this bo tho
case.
Tolaim to be an advocate OF woman's rights
but then the women workmon must fill all the
requirements that arc demanded Of tho mon.
But tho history Of tho Watch Company shows
:
and whilo the man in consequence will prove
better omploye, nH O steady, reliable workman
1t usually takes tue woman from tho workshop,
and returna her to tho aocial lifo Of house,
"Why, thon, allow the girl to learn tho trade.
II she will marry md leave tho business 40 soon
after sho becomes d skilled workwoman :" Be-
cause it will do her no harm; in fact, those
Workwomen
MAKE THE BEST OF WIVES,
and the best Of housekcopers. In tho first place,
they have boon trained to habits of industry,
aud patient, painstakng labor. They hnvo lived
money, and thus tloy hayo become Industrious
and prudent. It ia those qualities that 50 to
mako tho oasentialR Of d good vito and good
houEokoeper.
can afford to do, wien We consider the uncertain
tenure Of the timo that tley may continue In itg
employ. If tho mon were lable to loayo its
employment on the Hame uncertain timc, it
would also losaen tho value OF thoir labor nnd
they would bc compelled to accept loss wages, or
rather womon's pay for women's work.
Whnt our fomalo auffraganB may say to this,
I Idon not know. But Of thia we may be assured:
armed with q vote at the Municipal or State
elections, it would not change the fact TINT a
hundred women workmen
ARE WORTH LESS,
per day or per month, than lnndrod men;
simply for tho reason that thoy CANNOT be rolled
upon for steady work for the coming years, as
wo know that those workwomon who earn their
90, $3. Or IS Il day will, us it has becn proved,
loaye this employment, and turn tho!r attention
to tho kitchen and tho nursery: Thus much for
the farmers son and the farmers daughter
who learn the trado Of o matchmaker, whother
ut Elgiu or other points.
-. NO ONE CAN COMPLAIN
OF this state Of things; nor can 1t bo said TINT
tho workToman IL not paid full wages, though
man, She lacks noithor skill nor industry; yot
her loas to the Company is an itom Of Bomo I'M
p1ortaneo, and, If 1t had to pay tho girl-appron-
tho latter, aud tho fornor would not be on1-
ployed, at least not in large numbers.
Every farmer knows tho value of q farm-lanl
who works year aftor year On tho sumo farm, aud
becomes, US it were, part Of 1t. And so it IL
with WorInon who may bo relied upon year aftor
year. do not intond to bo drawn into any con
trovorsy on this subject, my only object being to
stato lho factH Us find tllcm as connected With
the lanor question OF our rural population.
Tho factory has some ego employees In tho HOY
oral lQplrtmpnta. Qne.lnIf of whom nra ,yo1nn,,