Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1876-03-29
The Meanest Woman In New York
A Useful Society.

She lives in a fashionable quarter of the
town. And this is what she did and does.
In the name of charity she gave out some
dress making to the inmates of one of the
reforming institutions of the city. When
the work was done, and well done, the
fashionable and charitable lady was not
ready to pay the bill, which amounted to
the enormous sum Of twelve dollars. The
same work, if it had been done at a fash
ionable dress-maker's, would have cost
her twenty live, perhaps fifty dollars.
She had no complaint to make Of the
she haggled about the price, and as she
gave out the work IN charity, she thought,
probably, that the charity should be ex-
tended TO her and not to the poor sewing.
woman who had earned the money. One
month passed away, and another, and six
more, while this wealthy and charitable
woman, with one excuse and another,
pm off paying the poor girl who was seek
ing to earn an honest living and turn
from her evil ways. But she could not
get her hard-earned money from this lady
patroness. Finally, in despair, she had
recourse to the law, by the aid of an
agency of which | will write to you, ia
society To protect working omen in their
rights to what they EARN, and the pros
pect of exposure, in the character of the
fraud brought the lady to terms, and she
paid the full amount!
And | have styled her the meanest
woman in New York. If any one knows
of meaner men or women than they are
who deiraud in the name OF charity, who
do wickedness under the pretense of be-
nevolence let them mention the facts, and
l will modify the opinion. Further:
women, as IA general thingl are SO much
better than men, more SYM athletic, char
liable and liberal, that business like this
Is meaner in woman than it would be in
those hard old tyrants called men, When
pious woman of fashion, a leader per
haps in the benevolent operations of the
church, first directress of this society, and
manageress of that, and treasurer of
another; who thinks nothing of paying
$500 for dress for one evenings wear,
and, to be very charitable, employs poor
fallen woman struggling with poverty and
honesty, and then neglects TO pay her
wages, she deserves to be labeled as
among the meanest of her sex. Her
standing in the church and society only
increases her meannesS, and draws upon
her the aggravated contempt of all right
minded ladies.
The society (above mentioned) sends its
officers to reason with employers, in be.
half of complaining women, and seeks
out the truth, which is not always on the
side of the complaint. 1t often succeeds
without using pressure. But when soft
words fail ii uses force. Mary Thomp-
son was employed to make bridal dress,
and when the wed ding day came, thirty
dollars were still due to Mary for her hard
work; but she couldn't get it. The bride
was married in the dress for the making
of which the poor sewing woman was not
paid; and the happy husband was not so
happy when the bill was soon afterwards
presented to him, with $l4.50 costs added
to it. His BRIDE was dcarer TO him than
he had ever thought. 1t is pleasant also
to hear that "a lawyer of our city had
taste of the excellence of his own profess
sion, by being sued for the wages of II
governess. Being himself lawyer he
managed to stave off the payment Of ST.
70 until the costs carried up the bill to
1922 and then he had to pay it all.
Verdict. served him right" Ireneus,"
IN N. Y. Observer.