Lexington weekly intelligencer., 1876-09-23
Weeklp gntelligeuter.
NEW YORK'S WORKING-W WOMEN.
Their Condition and PrOspccts-The
Terrible Truth of a struggle
for Life.

Their Condition and Prospccts-The
Terrible Truth of a struggle
for Life.
The condition of the working
women of New York has been inves-
tigated by the Herald, which hnds
that 10000 of this class are out or
employment. One of the many
troubles of the class is the purchasing
of sewing machines on the lnstallmeht
plan. In good times and with plenty
Of work there is little difficulty, not
counting hard ana continuous labor,
in paying for the machines. work
gives out, however, and the machines
are reclaimed by the dealers. even
though they may have been nearly
paid for. A previous article III the
Herald showed that there was plenty
of work. The Herald now finds that
it was deceived by the employers
who assumed to give the facts. In
one case, where firm told Herald
reporter that they had not removed
a single hand during the summer,
but had Kept them Oh i'll hope OF
brisker business, it now appears that
the superintendent had reduced the
rate of wages or arranged system
of forced furloughs, of which the
proprietors are ignorant. The Herald
goes OH to state the different eccupa-
tions and trades iu which women and
girls find their means Of livelihood.
Paper collar making is leading in
dustry; for Unfolding, crinping,
punching and sorting, the fscile
fingers Of women are found not only
the. cheapest, but the most expert.
Millions upon millions of paper collars
of all sizes, styles aud descriptions,
are made annually in New York.
The capital employed is very large,
and it is estimated that nearly 1900
female hands of all ages are employed
by the various companies and firms.
Paper box making is also q leading
Industry for female labor. 1t is
wonderful how wide the range of
this manufacture is i'll size and de-
scription. From the little pill box
SO often seen in drug stores to the
coarse straw box for hats, these
women make, multifarious cata-
logue of paper boxes. Boxes for
gloves, boxes for pencils, for spool>,
for WATERS, for candy, for glass ware,
for bottles, all are made by women.
Boxes for the dry goods trade form
leading line i'll this description Of
goods, and the wholesale houses use
almost every sort and size. Little
fatdraw boxes. obloDg, square, round,
horseshoe and fancy boxes are made by
the thousand and used to pack ~
buttons, pins. suspenders, laces,
gloves, notions, needles, hosiery,
nd fhnneo,,1
articles that go to make up the huge
stock in trade known as dry goods.
The fur dealers also use paper boxes
to large extent, and all Of these are
made expressly for that trade, being
of peculiar shape and size. Flat,
triangular boxes for collars, and
drums with side drawers for muffs
and cuffs are found in this branch of
the business. Indeed, it is Difficult,
to find any branch of manufacture
that does not need paper boxes.
Weaving on patent looms is also a
leading industry in New York. and
on these are woven elastic suspenders,
tape, gimp and other light descrip-
tions of woolen goods. Sewing
machine work is, perhaps, the most
extensive line of employment, owing
to the fact that the workmen can
perform their labor at home. But it
is the worst paid and most unsatis-
factory labor that falls to the lot of
women. Indeed, it would surprise
the readers of newspapers to know
how poorly paid are these sewing
women. A child's suit made of linen
or Marsei!les, is frequently made by
two different sets of hands. Being
cut out at the factory by the dozen.
the pieces are given ou: to the em-
brOiderer or bralder. as the case may
be, who proceeds to ornament the
goods according to the designed stamp.
For this embroidering the women
seldom receive more than one cent
per yard, and were it not for the
sewing machines this class Of work
would not afford even the poor wages
earned. To embroider child's dress
as described sometimes requires half
day, and then the pattern is only a
simple one. Thus it will be seen
that an entire week is often required
to embroider the half dozen suits
obtained, the average rate of remuner-
alton being from $8 to $15 per week.
Having been embroidered, the sets
pass into the hands of the sewer, who
usually receives from 25 to so cents
per suit, the weekly average Of wages
being from $5 to $40. Feather making,
as it is called, is also business t0l
which women are adapted. Making
feathers consists of "setting up" thu
feathers used i'll decorating ladies
hats, military shakos and ladies' dress
trimmings. The feathers are sold, o1
all sizes and colOrs, but in their raw
state exhibit none of the beauty OF
symmetry found in tie manufactured
article. Only wings of birds are used
i'll their natural state az to color, bul
even those are frequently s'made up
to Initiate nature. 1t WoaId be use
less 10 ennmerate the sources from
which feather makers draw thail
material. Every description of birC
and fowl pays tribute to the manu-
facture, and the wOrk-wo women, will
the aid of dyes and clever manipuls
ton, contrive to make up feather!
entirely different from the natura
article. Ostrich feathers, for instance
are elongated, crimped and trimmed
until they assume proportions which
would startle the birds from who's,
bodies they are drawn, and there il
40 end to the diversity in form auc
color that is attained. Enough ha,
been given to show how importan
is the labor performed by women, fol
there is scarcely any article used il
wear by the human race that doe
not at some time pass under thei]
hands. Even the hatters emplo,
women i'll binding and sewing OF
sweat bands, while shoemakers hay,
need of female labor in stitching aut
binding, especially for ladies' aut
chiidren's shoes. Women even max,
cigars and finish cigar boxes by past
ing on the paper strips and label
that ornament them, and in som
Instances they even bundle and pacl
cigars. Type founders find girl
useful in rubbing and sorting types
But all of these industries are to-da
stagnated, and the consequence is ths
the supply of labor is far In excess @
the demand. The only relief to b
found is in revival of trade.
An unhappy man Mr.. Caya Schua
surely must be. Whatever we're h
hopes in supporting Hayes at Ii
sacrifice Of principle, he has see
them glimmer out one by one With
the past few days. Repudiated b
his new party allies as well as by h
countrymen, muzzled by Chandle
reviled by the kitchen organ at Was]
lngton, he has learned that il nped :