Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1883-05-30
How GIRLS May Earn Money at Home

should feel it duty to attend to.
Why should girls not do any of the
above-named things if they like, if it is
good for them, if there is any occasion
for it, if it is one of the ways by which
they can in part earn their living? It
cannot be on account of exposure to sun
or weather that any one should object
For do they not play croquet aud lawn
tennis, and practice archery9 And no
body finds fault with them for swimming
or skating, or wing; on the contrary,
they are encouraged to do those very
things, that they may be in the open air,
and strengthen their muscles, and grow
hardy and strong like their boy school
mates.
And the wonder is that farmers
daughters should be so ready to leave
the farm, in order to try some OF the
hard, unhealthy, wearing, combining ways
of earning money in city. Think Of
working in close shop, running sew
ing-machine all day long, standing be-
hind counter subject to the annoyances
of unreasonable customers, wearing
away the weeks in I. factory, when one
might stay in the country, where it is
better flor both body and soul to he
They might not earn as much, or be able |
to dress as stylishly, but it would pay in
the long run, and make their lives
sweeter and more as a girls life should |
be.
As it is. how glad they are to get back !
there: when the brief vacation comes,
what pleasure there is 10 those berry ing |
excursions, those rides in the hay. cart,
those afternoons in the new-mown mead
ows, or under the apple. trees in some
picturesque old orchard!
It was one of those country born girls,
going back for few weeks, who hit up
on way of making her vacation profta-
BILE, which may give hint to some one
else. It was in August, and she was 90
farm where there were acres of wild
blackberries to be had for the picking.
She proposed to the mistress of the
house that they make some money by
putting these up in cans for the market,
dividing the labor and profit,
Accordingly an arrangement was
made with a dealer ofgroceries in Bos-
toni give the exact facts-by which Re
was to take all they sent, at market
value, they paying the freight and agree
ing to forfeit the price OF every can
which might on opening prove to be
spoiled.
So these women picked their own ber-
ries in the forenoon, and in the afternoon,
while they were fresh put them in QUE
and two quart cans, the latter of which
sold for dollar apiece.
There was no actual outlay except tue
cost of the cans and the freightage, for
no sugar was used. They sold one hun
bred and sixty, and did not lose single
cent. "We should not charge so much
now" she said (this happened three or
four years ago.; "but cans don't cost as
much as they did. We ma 1e money, and
wiser about the freight. We packed
them in barrels in sawdust, and that
made too much bulk; row should have
boxes with pasteboard partitions. But it
pays we'll, and country girls could earn
good deal in this way"
And she went on: "There are lots OF
such things they could do. I know
florists who buy pressed ferns and dried
grasses; and the only reason why one of
them did not take some from a person l
went to his store with, was because he
had them from somebody who did them
more nicely. Now why could rot she
learn and act accordingly? Have them
60 choice that somebody would buy !?
And since you are collecting informa.
tiop, you ought to know about the girl
who prepares sugared flag for the drug
gists, and has so many orders to fill, and
gets pretty bit of pocket-money for it.
And let me tell you, there is money to-
| ho hV1r rY1NkIps-t1ftvo
cucumbers- for market. Why doesn't
somebody try that? p
I Somebody has. I have interviewed !"
her.
But first, do these berry and pickle
stories sound like foolish things? Yet
some educated, refined ladies have been
glad to do just such work, and have en-
jo5ed it. She who put up the black
berries was IN artist. Two others were
poor, and so delicate in health that they
could do nothing laborious, and they
could not bear confinement to the house.
They happened to think of making jel-
lies from the wild berries and grapes
which were abundant in their neighbor.
hood; and they ventured on the expert
ment with only few dollars of capital
to invest in sugar and tumblers. But
they were successful; their jelly was
sure to "jel]," and what was Of as much
consequence, it sold we'll. S
As for the one who made pickles, she
said: - Ut Z; r - a5sz2.s,5 - {.
II made and made and made pickles,
which I sold the following winter and
spring from forty to fifty cents a gallon;
and If / had known how largely I was
going into the business, I could prob,
ably have made an arrangement to great
er advantage. 5-.. l.. .s.s,ss !. ~ s.e
Another thing which comes within the
scope of these papers is managing .
small poultry establishment, OF, dairy,
which is Just suitable for country girl.
Nobody needs to be told that there is
always q market for chickens and fresh
eggs. One girl, the only daughter of q
man Of wealth, tried the former occupa-
ton in her leisure hours. She was sue.
cessful in her undertaking, and bought
her. wedding outfit from the proceeds.
There is never 90 much firstrate but
ter to be had that there is not need Of
more. And when dairy men can supply
the Same families year after year with
ssgilt edged" butter ct q high price, on
the strength of their reputation, Why IN
/ the name Of common sense cannot girls
/ do the same2 Why cannot they estab-
lish 8 creamery with dainty appella-
!! tion which will furnish choice, sweet,
delicious butter, with the aroma Of the
clover il it and the gold Of the dande-
lion So +
II Is womanly work to milk and card
I for kline. There IS 8 poeticeide to dairy
work more than most labor. Old English
Ipoetry Is full q milk maidr, and the