Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1882-04-27
WORK OF ONE WOMAN.
What Jennie Collins Has Done For The Shop
Girls by Steady Persistency-The Success
That Crowns Years
of Effort.

sustenance AS they come from all
parts of the city in twos threes and in
beves, the student of human nature and
the physiognomist have opportunities
unsurpassed for the exercise Of their pc
cAliar and specific faculties The bright
, eye, the merry laugh and beaming hap
pIness of one is offset by the lusterless
eve, sober seriousness and careworn and
pinched expression of the other Some
are dressed quite well, while the cloth
ing of others bear signs of long wear
and frequent mending. Ranging in age
from eight to perhaps sixty, they are all
styled girls" although one so named
may be the mother of half dozen chill
dren, for whose support she wears her
life away, receiving from 81 per week
as does the little cash girl, to Sl2 per
week, which tie custom clothing maker
may receive, each cent of those amounts
is indeed earn ed and its value apprecia-
ted But what becomes of those of the
10000 shop 2 rls and the $1,000 domes-
ties when work is unobtainableP But
little can be saved from their small earn
inos, and that little is soon gone, Hun
ger and suffering has driven many a
poor girl to lead life of luxury and of
Huulllt w NJ EdItS NItl DtCODltS VI
themP The poor have their own battle
of life to fight, the rich care not. But
for the philanthropic and noble efforts
at one who has risen from the ranks,
the ending of tie life of many girl
would be both tragic and dshonorable.
JENNIE COLLINS BoFFIN' BOWER.
The name of Jennie Collins, the work
ing girls friend, is not unfamiliar, per-
haps, to western readers. Her institu-
ton, 'BOilin's Bower" is perhaps the
pioneer of its kind in this country, and
by its accomplished objects ranks first.
Jennie Collins is one among a thousand
aye, ten thousand of her once condi-
ton in life Ofgood New England stock,
her Yankee blood asserted itself and
compelled her to become the leader and
protector of her down-trodden sex.
Her life story is one of interest and one
little known, and for those reasons is
we'll worth the writing, She was born
in New England. being one of family
of three Her early education was neg
lected, but possessing remarkably re-
tcutive memory She was enabled to store
away information which served her
well When only fourteen She was
thrown upon the cold and uncharitable
world by the death Of herrcatives. She
went TO work in mill in Lowell, COM
mcncing at the very bottom round by
taking off empty bobbins and replacing
them with full ones. She worked in the
mills until the top round was reached
place she attained in a short time by
her application to her work. She came
10 Boston next, and made vests in a
large shop in company with a number
of other girls. On the breaking out of
the war, the question of slavery was
fully discussed by Jennie's shopmates
and finally the girls divided upon the
question. Jennie was n strong aboli-
zionist, aud was the leader of that fac
ton in the shop When girl She had
made the acquaintance ofan old negrcss
who was Scared by the terrible lash
ings she had received in the South, and
who filled her youthful ear with horrible
tales of brutality. These still fingered
in her mind, and determined her in her
opinions. So strong did Jennie detcst
slavery, that being one Of a delegation
OF girls appointed To welcome Daniel
Webster and escort him from the depot
TO the grounds of an agricultural far,
She stepped from the ranks upon his
arrival, remembering his speech of the
9Th of March, 1851. on the fugitive slave
law. Her spare time was spent, with
others, in making clothing for the Union
soldiers Many of the soldier boys
wounded at the front were sent north
and placed in the home, then at Spring
field, TO pay the cost of its support,
Jennie selected six of the best looking
girls Of her acquaintance, had their faces
photographed in a group, surrounded
them with guns, crutches, etc, all on 4
large card with the inscription,
THE BOYS WHO SAVED Us.
These cards she personally took
around to the business places of prom
inent men, of the city and requested
them to purchase for the benefit of the
wounded soldiers. The idea took, and
for two wears Jennie did nothing but
sell these cards, receiving large sums of
money for the home. At the close of
the war she went back to needlcwork,
brt her natural abilities would not per-
nit her to ''hide her light under Il bush
cl T." About 1858 a series of debates
were held in s.'all hall in the south
end Of the city rhey were attended
exclusively by the working classes of
both sexes Jennie was requested TO
deliver an address on the grievances of
the working women of Boston. She
consented, and one evening stepped up
ON the platform, almost unprepared, for
that purpose. The platform consisted
of part of an old staircase, resting upon
two firkins. She advocated woman'S
rights from a working woman's stand
point, and pictured the trials and sor
rows endured by the working woman in
life in such plain, homely. truthful and
vet mastery manner that she carried
her audience by storm. Not long after
her first public address She perceived
the great good she could do for the cause
of the working women and at once de-
voted herself 10 self culture, In 1869
the first eight-hour convention of work
ingmen was held in this city, and at
that Jennie made her first public APP
pearauce before any gathering of impor-
lance. 10 the surprise of many she en-
tered into leading social and political
questions of the day in 4 manner which
showed much familiarity with them all
and considerable maturity of thought.
During the campaign of that year she
made speeches in all tho manufacturing
cities Of the State on the eight hour
question At Chicopee on election day
She stood at the polls distributing work
iugmcn' ballots, and by her address ard
the novelty of her presence, succeeded
in clccting her candidate. In january,
1870, Miss Collins created a sensation by
delivering an address on her favorite
topic at the Woman 5 Suffrage AsSocia-
ton convention in Washington. attract
inc the attention Of number Of prom
iuent persons That same year she be
gan a series of meetings under the old
elm tree. on Boston common, adyocat-
ING the providing of cheap and rational
amusement for the workingmeu of BoS-
ton She was magnetic speaker and
attracted crowds Certain city .poiti-
clans, SmMting under her structures.
complained and had the meetings dis
continued This action resulted in the
CONCEPTION OF "BoFFINS' BOWER,
which WAS established July =. 1870.
lis objects were and are the advance
ment of the working girls Of the city.
Jennie. in furtherance Of her scheme,
called upon the large firms hiring girls
and asked them To help her as the
Bower was TO all rs medium Of in
telligence between the employer and
employed Ttev generously responded