The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1874-11-12
The Barmaid Show at Woolwieh.

of pretty waiter-girls. This institution is
literally patronized by the British public
and noticed freely in the British press.
We quote what the Examiner says about
this years exhibition: 1.-The ladles were
dressed pretty much as other Darmaids,
and were rather less than more hlghly
gifted with natural charms than their sis
tiers in town. Most of them, probably,
would have hesitated to take part in an ex-
hibition of the kind had they not been suf-
fering for some time from want OF en-
-ployment; and first-class barmald does
not, as a rule, remain long without en-
plovment. The persons who visited the
show also bore a strong resemblance TO
those who frequent the ordinary bar. Per-
haps they were taken from somewhat
lower social class; the majority of them
appeared to be shop-assistants or Junior
clerks.
- A barmaid show is not an idea which
would have occurred to a very delicate
mind, but it only expresses, in coarse
form, the popular feeling. Every body
knows that barmaids are now employed
for show. A publican regards the pretty
woman behind his bar simply as part OF
his stock in trade. Her business is to at
ract custom. 1t may well be doubted
whether the employment of women In
such way marks a high state of pub
lie feeling. Such an occupation is in
compatible with the preservation OF
true womanly dignity. Apart alto
gether from the inherent unworthiness OF
the position, the barmaid is thrown in the
midst of demoraliZing surroundings.
Some barmaids are able to go through the
ordeal unscathed they form low opln-
ion of men, and preserve their own better
ideas. But the majority, of course, follow
the natural law of accommodation TO sur
roundings, and learn to look at lie with
the same eyes as the unworthy men VINO
surround them. 1t is, too, cruel part OF
the barmaid's life that she is obliged by
her business to tolerate the offensive in
| f1uences around her. Men are found capa-
BILE of addressing language to barmalds
which should not be addressed even to the
roughly abandoned woman; and though
| some bar proprietors resent such conduct,
the barmaid, as a rule, Is expected to en-
dure such insult, lest the gentleman
| should withdraw his custom. There is,
perhaps, no class of women more unfairly
| treated, The hours of work are long. the
wages small. AS specimen, the hours
of three public bars in London are as fol-
| lows: In the first the hours are alternate
Iva. m. till midnight, and till II, with
an hours interval for dressing. In the
second from till u, with an interval dur
| inc the day of two hours and half. In
the third from till u with an interval OF
four hours. From this it will be seen that
barmaids have sometimes to work sixteen
hours out of the twenty-four. In the
next of these three bars-and this par
ticular bar is generally considered
one of the most desirable In Lon
don-the hours of work are eleven. Seven
Co..
twenty-fourl And remember, too, the
kind of work. In busy bar the barmaid
must walk miles day. And the amount
of muscular exertiOn in drawing drink
must be considerable. Besides, all this
work is performed in an atmosphere that
of itself is quite sufficient to fatigue. he
is a strong man, indeed, who can sit fol
some hours without feeling the worse fol
it, in a bar filled with people who are
smoking and drinking. And ltmerely SIT
ting in a bar will produce such IN effec'
uDOn man, what must be the effect oil
a woman, who, besides, has to work hard
The bar, as midnight approaches, is really
one of the most painful sights OF our city
The women look pale and utterly worn
out; and it is not pleasant TO watch th'
visible effort with which they rise iron
the seat in which they are snatchlng lew
|
ant is it TO watch the effort of these eX
hausted women to keep up the everlast
ing smile, and the ceaseleSs chatter witt
which the customers at bars have to bt
amused.
"In some bars the hours are even worse
than those already given. About thu
Strand and Fleet street, for instance
there are some two or three public houses
that have the privilege of opening up a
| , O'Clock in the morning. Even at tina
: unearthly hour you will find barmaid t
: attend YOU, Again, in Smith
field Meat Market, the pub
lic-houses open at o'clock. These als'
: are attended by barmaids, who have thu
!, to rise at half-past three every morning
On most days these women are let OF
early-between 2 and O'Clock in the al
: ternoon. But on Saturday they have u
work all day long, from 4 o'clock in tn
morning till II at night. 1t might be sus
pected that these women would be com
pensated for their hard work by a high rat
of wages. But it is notso: Ten or lively
; shillinps a week is the ordinary salary. IL
some bars the salary goes as high a
, eighteen shillings but that is a very ex
ceptionable case. They are, however, al
WAYS expected to wear good clothes; 10
without good clothes of what use are
woman's good looks? To provide gooC
, clothes out of ten shillings week, ant
meet all the other demands upon that SINAI
, sum, is problem that the baTmaid finds
hard to solve. To woman so circum
stanced there comes temptation almos
daily. Many of the men who talk to he
are on the lookout for women to ministe
! to their pleasure. and have been laugh
skill in their pursuit by experience. o.
! her side, the woman is physically exhaust
= ed. and utterly tired of the life she is lead
], ing. She sees before her a prospect Q
ease, good clothes, theaters and all tn
, other pleasures for which her starve
4 mature longs. And then, too, he
, feelings may have been touched. IN
man who offers all these things may loo
: as though he were not wholly insincert
: For even very cold or very dull eyes ma
look bright and ardent under the influenc
i of plenteOus rotations. Then, too, tn
man who thus tempts the barmaid is usu
: ally her social superior by many degrees
i dresses well, wears rings and has plent
=, of money. The wonder is not that S
many barmaids yield, but that so man
are able to resist such temptation. W
= believe that the barmaid is a purely Eng
i, lish institution. No such thing exists il
! the United States, and on the Contlnen
! one seldom'sees women employed in wha
corresponds to our bar. In France yo1
+ find women in shops more frequently tina
= in England. But to this there can be n
!, objection. The great argument, indeed
l against the institution of barmaids is tina
y there are so many other occupations give
! up to men, for which women are bette
suited. Much of the work now done b
shopmen could be done equally well,
= not better, by shop-women. No one ca
: deny that a woman seems more fitted tina
: a man for selling women's dresses. An
: it is undeniable that men are more fitte
! than women for supplying men wit
4 drink. Why does not public opinion II
sist on the exchange of eccupations?"