, 1877-08-13
WORKING GIRLS or BOSTON.

Annnas Report Of 3ftas Jennie Cotltns'
"Tloftln's 1yowrr"-ErlIs under wtlfct, tho
Working Girls Suffer. and What 1ile Hover
JsDoInT tn Alleviate Them.
Tic Boston papers print a.tstrncts Of Miss
Jennie Collins seventh annual report of tho
work done At "BoiIln's Bower" ns a!,e calls her
Institution, whose MIN It "a 10 relieve imme-
late diAtrcss aud Improve the methods Of
living among that larRo class Of working girls
who And the conditions and the burdens Of
latof In tho city atmpst too formidable TO
he successfully met. She refers to CHANCES
which have occurred Ia inuuatrlal empioyinents
since the close Of the War, and says: "Bcfore
the Civil War gtrl's wages ranged from 81 to
&i0 t,er week, and 81 wus the cost for board.
Al present her wagcs raftIc from 50 to 331 and
warl, hut shc Is obliged to .,ay g for bonrll.
and at that she consumes Is Indirectly taxe'i to
make up tho e5 ooo, oM this State annually pays
to keep breath 1T the vast army u n0n.pro-
tluccts. Women In coursur grades Of work aru
pail from S3 to 81 per week; OH un hrctagc, ef.
One Of them, when asked how ahe could live nn
that am1uns, answered, Like tnou'c IN the
original domain, nut onlT III tho prnfessfnns.
hut in t!,r Industrial branches. In this citv ntoac
ecycnty-flrc distinct cTaft3 arc open to women
more tian nine Or len are exclusively controlled
by the stcTncr sex. There arc 10000 more
women than incn In the Commonwealth. but Il,
nnr hospitals, ain,shouses. and prisons tho
Matcr. drag sr if ofSr 1o psec to o
begging pitcously for chance TO do tho t1ard-
est dri1gcry IN order to continue their care
over thelr little ones. The doors are closcI
against t!cm. They have opportunities to glro
AMY their children, but no chance 10 takc carc
uf them under hnothcr pcrs0n'a ruof. What
have the innocent women and children done
TINT they should suffer as ! lave Witnessed tho
last yearl Nor Is It much easter for single
TIA AFfAt tknh ltxSA$
work for small pay, betauso my father
and mother depend OF me. have brothers;
but they arc no hclp.' This community would
be nstonEsnctl II they knew the rast 'nn;ttu,1ee
las,or Of worncn.. call to mind tho numerous
articles written during the last year. Intending
to convey an idea that work is repulstrc to per-
honH Obliged to procure It, and that stern meas
No greater afIiirtion can befall tho women I
come In cpntact with than tdtencss. The uni
ycrsat statement Il, Il don't care what | do, a.
cannot endure To be loafer.' And the mo
sy rss w psese.. 80 o I09 eeou S
ngcment. II Is forctaste Of heaven on satur-
day night 70 the girl VIII, has been intlltul aud
appreciated during tue week, when eec
knows. that her, plage Is waiting for
In itself; only the dlsagrceablc conditions
repel, some Of which arc numbering awkward
ness, dirt. waste Ut vitality, fr!cl[on, supprcs.
sion, autagonisu. and bad mnntiers, that create
aaslikc to work in tue poorer classcs Of people.
Ny idea IL to strictly xyni4 the sltghtcst ap,ear.
nncc TINT work Ia penalty or t1hctplfnc From
the nature Of our productive industry. three
months in tho fall anu spring ts iI1li prcs*urc.'
then comes the l0atlng trUm one occupation 10
ct,,lnlon for them to accept whatever presents
itaeIE. IN their Keen pursuit for domestic
scrytcc faithful old attaches 10 families arc
driven completely out Of their homes. Young
fTfH1 nSI+ III
many rcsulirrcs that give them Independence.
On the contrary, the regular doulcstlcs lure
nothing to full buck OIL, not cven the washing Or
ssrHbGLng by ty daY; Tts poor creatures r..
than the Old South or anything l. contains:
They are supcrAnnl,atcd BY tho rapid march OF
prox1csn us completely ~ the old journalists,
ministers, actors, authors, and reaor,acEs 10!
served IN eycry capacity. They live In the
past mud talk of the hIgh.born lallcs whom tl,cr
kuow. How ltttlo they once thought That
leaola.c, lrcary old a9c would onc day gone To
iat,t steps OF our eminent and opuicnt men,
helped tlletn paste their kites, drag their slels,
and played horse. / venture to sny no c1ass on
rectlrd have been more faithful to the respui,-
sheiter uf my Bower because Invent tho
heart to refuse + & although NJ oe WI % EYER htss
beautiful !nanncrs Is a true indication Of tho
El1AS VI kAtllE4 tHEf hEFfEC.
t,ayo to shleld anl apologize for tacir pres
Gs,cc. Neither sentiment sensation, uor pslali-
thrupy has eyc, car. Of hcart ~ bcstow thought
upon them INV, Except cuntcnpt: anu 1t y
painful to wltncss the cruel things that are said
mud done ~ tlleir prcsenrs. ! used every c,i-
alcayor to lind girls for people who caIne tll eau.
dor aud truth, no matter low puor. Many ktnl
lutlits who havu hired tlirlr servants of inc In
past years have bccn Obliged to apply for en.
ploy!ncut for themselves Of late. scnt latlly
to hotel as housrkccper, and the most llu.nll-
attug part Ut 1t was tlat her ru,nl via III tbs
attic with two II ler former servants"
Tho following shows something Ut the work
who Rre aillcd there: ".During, the last year
ranEng from IL e !; years, inciudiny wives 'oi
reduced merchants, clervylncn, anu other pru-
i ben on the fookout ior lsrcputabe people a,,'l
suspicious characters WIN arc ta thc habit Ut
dccoyinE young girls under the prctext Of work
mud sympathy. II Is well 10 state here, there
Is anotner class who will 70 u au Office, hIro 4
tl,en pretend she dDcs not suIt The bill Ii too
slnail 10 collect by law, a1l she loses, It
Anuthcr trlel: Is to select sotae sewing Girl who
is unsop'1tstlcatcd IN hes art; sac ID engaged
boarding .placc,. aud makes further arrange.
mcnts; aEio IIttls ilcracif twenty-five or thirty
tles cut Of town; she q orxlcred to clean paint,
pull up carpets, aud perform ttlc work that IL
tries to make tho best of It Till aio completely
breaks down; then sllo tells hrr experience atil
warns Other girls. My Blower is 4 very I'm
wholesome piars for such parties to cotnc.h
The Ispprt coutains several skctehos Of In.
dydnas antl rlasses, aull ia concluded With u
list Of thy regular contributors WIN give 10 tho
"l'owcr." aud III account of the iurunIc md rx-
pet!lsurcs OF thu year. Taers IL also stale.
asnt ot What VIZ donr at and f., ts lawsr >, -
wcre given from Jan. :s3 tn the ist vi
April. ...,rhcre arc but Two obstacles" says say
Miss ColIins, "to tho cIectua! rrlicf OF the
paor; o'lc u tho establishment Of c,,stly build.
|ngs intended for rctormatuFy. and charitable In.
stttutions, With au enormous debt hanging DTes
them Tor years, and tho uthcr u the injullcIoua
wills that arc tnade, either sending Iaonry our
ot tho country TO foreign missions. or sinking It
fruln the reach of tho population that arctltMu'
latea It. Too much cslanut be salt upon thta
| subject. Tho structures fur rcformatory and
charitable purposes should bu Temporary and
On no conlItlon SHOULD debt ho INCURRED to Us
tab!ish MI institution tn tlts rapidly chai.lu:s
Republic. Froul The very naturc Of tha caso at'
organlze4 body will use eseEy efort to liluilats
the debt, nstcal OF trying to bail back tue swell
ing tide Ut ignorance md crime"