The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1883-10-17
WORKERS IN STRAW:
People who Make and Sell iiend.i.eor IN
massachusetts.

Certain parts Of Worcester cotinty and
the western part bf Norfolk Afford more
than An average number Of chances for
the employment of women, and they are
all well improved. In addition to the
mills, stores, printing, Offices, telegraph
Offices, millinery and dressinaking estab.
llshments, etc., which are open to fe-
males In other parts Of the State the
manufactrte OF straw hats affords A re-
spectacle Ind pleasant employment to n
large number. About half of the indus
try in the United States Is in Massachu-
sets, and the greater part Of this In the
section named abovh. 5is of seeen
thousand hands are employed In the
business, probably three. fourths Of them
heing females. Fifteen years ago the
number Of people employed in this
branch q industry In Massachusetts
was over II 900, 80 per ecnt Icing ie-
males. Since the general introduction
Of straw sewing machines the percentage
nf females has been somewhat reduced.
Duting tho past year tbess inanrfac-
tories produced about 10000, 1000 hats,
A small proportion being felts, plush and
vclyets. On the straws the winding the
braid for the machines, the sewing,
wiriiif liking and fri,nhing, is Hone by
women. On the other varieties, except,
perhaps, felts, woman's work is large
part of the labor required. Where the
girls all come from is n question quite
coinm6n froir strangers, Cor although
everybody knows that this State ID hu.
merically great onthe woman question the
proportion seems ont Of reason in
straw town, Maine furnishes Il large
number OF superior class Of work girls.
The towns down East offer few Oppo =
tunities for employment, and the daugh-
tiers of the farmers and the sisters of the
captains and mates of the sailing craft
Of that Sturdy State goinc 10 work In the
straw shop. Many join the ranks Of the
"straw girls; arb industrious and save
money to carry home in the summer
when the season closes. Others come from
comfortable homes to see little of the
world beyond their uwii common Wealth.
4 lntgt niiGbcr coiiic--nDt for the OBJ
cct OF getting husband-ah, no but
that is the result, nevertheless, 50 that
in "straw towns, in about half the mar
riagcs, ii Is safe to asslime TINT the bet .
ter half or her parents belong In Maine.
About half of the twenty-five or thirty
men engaged in the business in the sec.
ton considered now succeeded In put.
ting by something for rainy day
some OF them enough of worldly wealth
for quite heavy rain. In several cases
this condition has been reached, either
by luck or pluck, from very small be.
ginnIngs. One whose Possessions now
are estimated among the hundreds q
Thousands started some twenty years
ago with less than thousa and dollars
Another opened his business career in {
city of the Middle States with kit Of
tools or renovating old straw hats and &
capital of 500. Things are different
with him now.
Another began life in a straw factor,
in subordinate position, won the goot
will of the proprietor, was taken int,
partnership, and to-day is at the heot
OF one of the large concerns in the Stat,
and with name good on paper for tens
of thousands
These are some Of those regarded n,
successful In business. OF course Their
are examples of failure also, men whit
have made and lost and others VIII
seem destined to win little in the pun
suit of riches unless in the better direc
ton Of "laying up treasures in heaven.
| - UOSIo,l (Jiobe