The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-10-04
NEW YORK SHOP GIRLS.
How Do They Live? A Problem that DIystf-
fies all Men and Many Women.

/
many women. The New York shop q lsgaPe.
divided into many grades, but they are Of COM
| mon species. Now and then some absurd, Sem
! sitIve member of the guild designates herself as
a saleslady without pausing to think how absurd
! 1t would be to speak of her felow-clerk ae a
! sales gentleman. and there is tradition that in
| a popular bazaar Fourteenth sire, tthe
| woman in charge is recognized as the foready,
/ while her masculine companion, who does SINH
! lar service to the firm in superintending men
and boys, has to be content with the appellation
of foreman well knowing that if he were to call
| himself fore gentleman he would be regarded as
dude and treated as a fraud. However stupid
and careless individuals among this class of use
ful members of trade society may be- as q gen
eral thing the shop girls of New York are bright
quick witted, attentive and exceptionally well
dressed
Dressed All. that's the very interesting ques-
ton.
The weekly pay of these girls runs from 50 to
ST. Now and then we hear of q phenomenon
who receives $40, but the vast majority get SD,
and quite a number get So. For the sake of
sensible argument let us strike an aver re; and
say that the wages of shop girl in New York
city are s. a week, year in and year out.
1t is said that very many of these girls live at
home, where their parents provide all that is
needed in the way of shelter and food citing
the girls have the money that is paid them for
| their own dress and pleasure. That being the
case, one can readily understand how careful,
intelligent girl can make herself look neat, and
trim, and tidy on 81 week but majority do
paying from So to SO in the very cheapest and
humblest place, while a low estimate would
allow them So 90 each per week for board alone
1t must be remembered that 81 is taken as the
average, and that thousands get but SO at
the utmost. There may be stores and
shops where the girls are slatterny and
untdy in appearance, offensive in manner rude
and bOisterous in behavior; but if so-and there
is proof that there any such-they are
phenomenal exceptions; for. while many ladies
complain of indifference and suggested incivlty,
complaint of absolute rudeness or boisterous-
ness or discourtesy is thing almost unheard of.
1t has been suggested that comeiy girls are very
apt to make friends wish customers, who i'll
turn, for courtesies and favors shown behind the
counters, make occasional presents of money or
desired articles even going so far as to ex-
tend social civilities, and in some cases moro
marked attention. That such is the case now
and then, that young men of susceptible tendeL-
cies are attracsed by pretty faces wherever zen,
and are ready to act escort and perb aps as
patron on occasions there can be no doubt but
that this is the rule it would be folly and con
trary to fact to assert The girls live, they look
well, they average 81 a week. Now, how do they
do it?
In response to a question, a prominent EN-.
ployer said: We have to be very strict with
our girls We insist upon their being in the
store at a certain hour, and remaining until
specified time, with distinct understanding
that if trade is brisk, particularly during holiday
times, they must remain, no matter how late the
hour"
DO you allow tneIn anytnlnS eXtraE
| "Oh. no. We keep and pay them during the
dull seasons of the year, when there is very little
| to do; why shouldn't they reciprocate and help
us when there is considerable to do"
DO you allow them anything for supper at
such timesP
Certainly not
But they lose their own at home"
"Oh, well, what is the use of going into that7
If she doesn't like her place all she has to do is
to step down and out. We have scores of appli-
| cations every week.
In case of illness what is your ruler
well, the strict rule by which we are gov
Some girls are hired by the year, some by the
month but majority by the week. If one of
the first named should be Ill for a few days there
| would be no deduction made; if she We're to re-
main away more than week. however, unless
she We're very valuable woman, she would re-
| ceive half pay only"
For how longl"
ooh, that depends entirely upon the individ-
ual. The rule would be for a month at furthest;
! but the others would have to be without their
pay while absent You see it would be a very
| easy matter to fill the places with girls and we
| are put to serious inconvenience when they stay
! away which is quite sufficient set off for their
| loss of pay. In the case of good, bright smart
! girl we would keep the place open for herr but
| as general thing, if a girl is away for two or
| three DAYS we take it for granted that she has
either found another place, or, without entering
| into it, we don't keep the place open for her"
Are they satisfied do you think, with the
money that you payP
Il dare say they would like more but in
our business, as in every other well regulated
occupation. compensation is regulated by the
law of supply and demand. You see there is re-
ally very little responsibility upon these girls.
They have nothing to think of. A customer
asks, and they answer question. She wants to
see this that the other. They show her
The price is plainly marked, and all the girl has
| to do is to pay attention. No man who values
the reputation of his store will countenance his
girls in soliciting customers to buy. 1t is nui-
| sance which is very rarely effective and never
| profitable. OF course, there is difference be-
tween these ordinary girls and practiced, high
| priced salesman or saleswoman They have tact
| enough to adroitly display quietly suggest,
without Extensively thrusting bargain before
customers eyes, but these little girls are like so
many colts"
''You say you don't pay them while they are
i'll. How do they live9"
'Well, I don't know that that is any of my
business beyond the fact that am careful in
engaging girls judge from their appearance
somewhat, and by their recommendation q
great deal. We rarely have girls come here
who are strangers to US ALL Some of them have
| sisters, cousins, or relatives, friends here
already, and. although | never thought about it
before, if they are Ill and compelled to stay
away, the relative or friend who thought enough
of her to get her the position will think enough
of her to take of her"
II suppose you consider yourself a considerate
employer"
Eyes, indeed very rarely speak to the girls
l know them, of course, but have very little to
do with them. They are under the control to
the fioor-walker in each department, who is re-
sponsible for the discipline, and, although he
has no power to discharge his recommendation
would be acted upon ninety-nine times in hun
dred."
tt noticeable fact that in almost all the
large stores the Hebrew element is in q vast ma
iority. There are few candy stores, millinery
shops, boot and shoe ''emporiums" and restau-
rants where the employees are not of the Hebrew
persuasion. These are chiefly country girls and
women; but they totally distinct class
from shop girls of the period. Shop
girls vary from fifteen to twenty years
OF age seventeen being a fair average
age These are the girls whom we see bright
and chippy and full of fun upon the sidewalk,