The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1883-09-07
GIRLS WHO SIGH FOB GUM.
A Millinery Store Where the Delicacy b
Supplied to the EMPLOYEES.

In a Division street millinery store,
says the New York Morning Journal, .
small girl comes down and hands mad
am behind the counter a small slip Of
paper.
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.
''Do you know what have been Civ.
ing to that girl?' went on the madam.
mo"
ut is spruce gum. There is q curl
GUS thing about this business. We can'I
get the girls to work well without it.
This is how it is: The girls are all 10
one large work-room. We found thai
they talked so much that q good deal O.
time was lost from work, and though
they work by the piece, when there wss
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 o food
with bar of soap. 10 see the tricks
they would resort to just to get q mo.
ment of gossip together was quite in
structive. 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 system of fines. but it did
no good. They would lose their weeks
wages rather than not have their talk.
''After while l found that it would
not do, and / just racked my head TO
know what to do. At one time had
notion of building lot Of little rooms
like cells, where they would be alone.
But was afraid would have no girls
at all. Then tried bribery. bought
some spruce gum and got the fOrewo-
man to announce that I should give
each girl one bit morning and evening,
on condition they did not talk. The
plan has worked admirably. You can
60 up in the workshop, and all tho
noise you will hear is that of lot of
jaws opening and closing. Hardly a
word is spoken. The girls are content
ed. The problem is solved A girl
must move her mouth some way, and IL
it isn't chewing it is talking. Every
house along the street has adopted the
piph INV. huu lIiCC NV
chewing gum disappears in alarming
quantities. think the girls are getting
more than they are entitled to.
In the upper circle of society chew
ing gum is frowncd upon as being vul-
gar. But in East Tenth street there is
a club of ladies called the Spruce Club.
They meet twice a week in winter, o.
tcnsibly 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
50 cents a week, which buys the linen {.
and the gum. A really benevolent OBJ
ject is accomplished, with chewing gum
rs 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 il bad.
The suction affects both the enamel and
the nerve, and is often the cause of
pulling out the filling of q tooth, no
matter how strongly it may be put in. l
will have nothing to do with patient
who uses chewing gum, for it is labor
Ost"