The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1879-07-08
FALL RIVER oPERATIyE LIFE.
No Wonder the Cotton Mil Employel
RiEnnL fnr Mnnn NHnnaa

FALL RIVER OPERATIVE LIFE.
No Wonder the Cotton Mil Employea
struck for More Wages,
The life Of the average Fall River oper.
alive and his family, even at times when
there Is plenty Of work, Is not an envia.
BILE one; what it must be during strike,
when the entire income Is Withdrawn, It
is difficult TO understand.
Operatives earn from 90 cents to 81 70 a
day, in exceptional cases little more; the
average is about 81. Out of this sum the
married man must pay from 81 so to s. a
month for rent, and with the balance feed,
clothe and warm himself and family. In
order to increase the income, as soon as
any one Of the children becomes old
enough it is put to work, receiving upon
the average about twenty.eight cents a
day. The wife, also, II there be not too
many young children to make 1t proGta.
bic to put them out to nurse, mops the
mill floors at different wages, or does other
work to add a little to the family income.
Frequently every member OF the family
works in the mill, In which case the house
Is empty and closed all day long. When
the work day is over, the wife, who has in
her way been working as hard as any, re.
turns home, but not to rest. The others
may take their ease in whatever way they
please, while she must at once set about
preparing supper. The preparations are
not usually extensive, but to a thoroughly
tired woman they are unpleasant and
burdensome. Besides supper the break.
fast and dinner. for Their day must be
cooked, bread baked, meat fried, &C., and
likely before she can get to bed a
washing must be done, clothes mended,
perhaps made, and a number of other
things attended to that are never thought
Of except when they present themselves.
Often some one or more OF the family are
sick, and need the attention that can
properly and satisfactorily be given only
by the wife and mother. The life OF the
average housewife, outside OF factory
towns, is one Of luxury compared with her
sister, the operators wife, whose hours OF
sleep are always few, and who must be up
before the sun, and early off to her work.
The mills stop at mid-afternoon on Satur.
day, and as much as possible OF the week y
housekeeping is done then,s5 lsl -s5
The regulations Ia some OF the mills do
not tend to the maintenance Ot good
health. The atmosphere is hot and full
of subtle influences. Such rigid applica-
ton is required in some places that it is
sometimes impossible for an operative TO
leave his post for hours, for any purpose
whatever, no matter how personally i'm.
portRnt It may be, without censure, and II
the ofense Is repeated, being discharged.
The peculiar work Ia very depressing, and
it Is not unusual for an operative, upon
reaching home, to find himself without an
appetite for food. But he must eat, else
he will not be able to work, and in order to
stimulate his appetite he sends for pot
OF beer or ale. Herein IL found a great
draught upon the scant wages, and which
sum, small as It Is, II laid by, would DO oil
great service when the strike comes; or, Il
properly invested, might enablehim to Sc
cure little home.
Tho depressing influences Of the mills
have very noticeable effect upon the
system OF the young employees, tending to
mature them, and thereby Inducing oarlJ
marriages, which Is both burden and 4
blessing. Usually upon marriage youn(
people live with their parents until the
frst baby arrives. The newly weddeG
couple take ono room, both work in the
mills, and do their cooking Rtthe common
stove OF the two families. AS soon as pos
sible after the baby comes they get tens
ment house.
Near every mill are number Of tene
ment houses, built in blocks OF six, eigh
or more apartments. II an operative rents
one ofthese, before he takes possession h,
is, in many instances, required to sign al
agreement that he will vaGRte the premises
within twenty-four hours in case oil differ
ences arising between himself and thI
managers OF tho mill. Even when sucf
an agreement Is not signed 1t Is understood
that upon those terms he occupies thI
house.
The better class Of operatives, and thosl
who make the best wages, as far as posi-
BILE avoid renting the company tenements
Enterprising citizens, and, In a few in
stances, operatives themselves, have erept
ed other blocks or small collections Of ten
ements In various parts Of the city, wher
ever eligible locations have been found, o
the wants OF the operatives can be met
These latter are the tenements rented b,
the better class OF workmen, many O
whose homes are nicely furnished, having
in not a few instances, piano or an or
gan, a sewing machine, colored carpets
fancy rugs, and numerous articles Of brio
a.bric. Some OF the homes have littl
front and back yards. Whenever It Is pos
sible a few fowls are kept, but no pigs ar
allowed.
The tenement life Of the presents a vas
Improvement upon what it was fiitee
years ago. Mill men as well as others nc
directly Interested are beginning TO Sc
that the comfort or discomfort Of the HON
life OF the operative has much 10 do wit
the performance OF his or her work. WIS
Is needed above all else Is comparative n
lief from the terrible drudgery and tn
fierce struggle TO get along. The use {
rum has much to do with the dppresse
condition, but II is not the only causl
The mission enterprise, the Influences (
benevolent persons and workers, the edl
cation OF the young among tie operative
and the careful supervision Of the mi
agents and officials. are doing much goot
and II only the business matters betwee
employers and employees were upon I
promising basis as that OF the moral ell
i walton OF the seYerSl classes, their futu
: would be frightened,