The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1883-08-09
Girls Who Sigh for Gum.

In Division Street millinery store.
Small girl comes down and hands
madam behind the counter a small slip
of paper.
'sTell the forewoman she must cut
down on this: | believe they carry it
off and give it away said the madam
to the small girl, who went away with a
package in her hand.
ssDo you know what have been CIV
ing to that girl?r went on the madam
to the reporter of the journal.
NO"
'sItis spruce gum There is a curl
Gus thing about this business. We can't
get the girls to work well without it.
This is how it is. The girls are all in
one large work-room. We found that
they talked so much that good deal
of time was lost from work, and though
they work by the piece, when there was
a rush of business it often DELAYED or
ders very much. Then my forewoman
suggested that an order be issued that
the girls do no talking during work
hours. We put this into effect, but you
might as well have tried to stop flood
with bar of soap. 70 see the tricks
they would resort to just to get
moment of gossip together was quite
instructive. They would make all sorts
of excuses and try all sorts of expedi-
ents to get out few moments and have
their little talk on the landing We.
then tried a system of fines, but it did
no good. They would lose their weeks
wages rather than not have their talk
after while found that it would
not do, and just racked my head
to know what to do. At one time ] had
notion of building a lot of little rooms
like cells, where they would be alone.
But was afraid should have no girls
at all. Then tried bribery. / bought
some spruce gum and got the fore
woman to announce that ] should give
each girl one bit morning and evening,
on condition that they did not talk. The
plan has worked admirably. You can
20 up in the workshop, and all the
noise you will hear is that of lot of
jaws opening and closing. Hardly a
word is spoken. The girls are con-
tented. The problem is solved. A girl
must move her mouth some way. and if
it isn't chewing, it's talking. Every
house along the street has adopted the
same plan now. But find that my
chewing gum disappears in alarming
quantities. think the girls are getting
more than-they are entitled to. 7
In the upper circle Of society chewing
gum is froWned upon as being vulgar.
But in East Tenth Street there is club
of ladies called the Spruce Club. They
meet twice a week in winter, ostensibly
to chew spruce gum. But this is an
excuse. During the two hours they
chew they work on baby clothes for
poor people. Each member contributes
fifty cents week, which buys the linen
and the gum. A really benevolent OBJ
ject is accomplished with chewing gum
as its foundation.
A Thirty-fourth Street dentist Of great
reputation said yesterday: ''Of course
any kind of chewing gum is injurious
to the teeth, and spruce just as much as
any other. 1t is not the gum itself, but
| the process of mastication which is bad.
The suction affects both the enamel and
the nerve, and is often the cause OF
pulling out the filling OF tooth, no
matter how strongly it may be put in.
| viii have nothing to do with a patient
who uses chewing-gum, for it is labor
| lost IN r journal.