The Labor enquirer., 1883-03-10

- -. .',, +ANPN viz SIOp- -SA1 10 thIlI OtIlGF
working sisters will make a similar move
ere longfh Denver X
Below is a communication which ex-
plains.it8elf:
DENVER, January 25, 1888.
/ To the committee of the Humane society
appointed to investigate the matter of
| lnhumane treatment of female en-
ployes:
At last, thank God, some one has ap-
peared with courage and interest enough
to lift up his voice against a crying evil.
How few are there among the more in
huentiaI classes Of the population Of
Denver who have the slightest concep-
ton of its magnitude, or of the fearful re-
suits which follow in it's wake That a
clerk is a human being does not seem to
strike. the general run Of merchants, les-
peciaIly the larger houses or that it is at
all necessary to exercise any sort Of care
over the welfare of those who are obliged
i through the force of mtOward circum-
!
There is, l believe, a generally under
stood idea that the life of a working girl
is not altogether a path of roses; but be-
yOnd this l very much doubt whether
the subject is at all understood. 1t is
/. hard enough to be on ones feet all day.
battling with sharp and angular females
for It is battle and all varieties and
specimens Of humanity, controlling ones
temper or losing ones position, which
are synOnomOus but the worst feature is
not having satisfaction for ones trouble.
The greater portion Of employees do
not allow their female help to SIT down
+eyen while there is mo business :. or if
they do, they make it a point to walk up
and down past the person 50 seated and
| look at her in such a way as to cause
cold chill5 to run all over her as SHE Ell
counters that "Tu-discharge.you-next-
Saturday might glare And since the
! disposition seems to be to prevent the
use Of stools, why put the storekeeper to
the expense Of buying them? The terror
! winch is inspired by the proprietor Dyer
the iuckless clerk, is truly remarkable
Employed at wages barely sufficient to
cover the necessities Of her own exist
ence, the young woman who seeks to as
sist her widowed motheris forced to live
under the continual feeling that. unless
she drags out her very life, her pay may
be cut off at a moments notice. for no
other reason than may exist in the fe
vered imagination Of some meddlesdme
Old harrldan who uses her carriage and
influence alike. If you took into the
matter, you will find that storekeepers
are governed largely by the influence Of
their wealthy patrons. This iuhuence
as have before limited, js.u~ed chiefly
to terrify these helpless girls, and to Sc
cure their dismissal if they imagine
themselves sighted. Now. if you would
. succeed in your great effort, turn the tide
of popuIar.indignation against those men.
Let your ladies, instead Of tiuuncing out
to enter complaint Of
INArrENTToN OR LL-rRcArvENr,
place themselves against the inhmuan
treatment previously spoken Of and
then, and not till then, will the store
keeper give the matter a serious thought,
Asking your pardon for 50 considerable
an intrusion upon your time and atten-
ton l beg to subscribe myself
4 SHUp GIRL
At the meeting of the Hunane society
at which the above was submitted, Mrs
Sprague stated that it had been ascer-
tanned from statements of employees,
that III most business houses no stools
were provided for them.