National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1884-07-19
YOUTHS IN PETTICoATs.


will bear witness to those terrible days"
Of the spring Of 1861. MURRAY.
YOUTHS IN PETTICoATs.
Tho hoy Who Masquoradcd for Years
in u Girls Costume.
OF tho many devices resorted 10 in New
York by persons of limited means-and
often Of no means at all--there is mono
probably more curious or interesting, says
tho World, than the masquerading of
boys and youths in girls attire. Strange
as 1t may appear, O considerable number
Of persons, principally operatives in fac
tories whore females are employed, are of
tho malesex who have donnei the petit
coat because they declare they can obtain
employment more readily than If they
up piled as males An investigation of
the su bject brought to light some curious
facts, showing that while quito a number
of you this are employed in factories and
stores disguised 40 girls, some VIII ose
families are in comfortable circumstances
are also personating female characters
for the novelty Of the thing.
| A reporter the World recently had his
attention directed to this masquerading,
and upon inquiry found that there are
many moro of these peculiar people than
one would suppose. One of them, a rather
attractive looking "girl' of modest de-
meanor, was found and questioned as to
the DISCUSSES and the object that prompted
their adoption. Under promise that bis
name should not be made public, be said:
speaking hof female imporsonators,
know Of several myself, and believe there
| n n In tho rifu Il "a
years of age, and have not been dressed.
In boys clothes for more than eightyears.
In fact, have not single article Of male
attire In my possession. You see, my
mother, like thousands Of other women
left in this great city with very little
means, let's out our rooms to gentlemen
dodgers. l am her only child, and we
have no relatives in this country as far as
we know. l was about IL years old when
first dressed In girls clothes, and since
then l have worn no Others. have
several other female accomplishments"
"Have you ever been away from home?
eyes; / WAS absent for two years.
worked most Of the time in knitting
mill in Oswego Falls, N. Y. My first
name is Charlotte 1t used to be Charlie.
Some Of the girls with whom worked
became suspicious, and i came to my
g5sas rJ bone my F %Sses and have Il
now on deposit in banks
"How do you keep up the disguise?"
"Well, my hair has not been cut in
eight years, and Is now as long as any
girls of my age My waist measure %
J inches. l wear No. 8 shoe and No.
glove. My corsets are not made ex-
, pressly for me. 1 purchase the ordinary
Altman article. Ny weight is 1877 pounds.
You SEQ my complexion is fair and fea-
lures regular. My eyes are hazel brown,
; and IL my hair was q little lighter
would BIO called blonde"
"Are those earrings you wear dia-
, monds"
Eyes. bought them myself 1 have
no wealthy admirers. l have worn ear
rings about six years.
"Do you intend to adopt male costume
soon ?"
: II don't know when I shall change my
, dress. i have no desire to be a boy, and
shall continue to lead girls life os long
, as can. Pm afraid I'd mako poor fist
r Of it trying to mako q living ut mems
? work. / know nothing about anything
: except milkwork and housework. My
i mother and l have worked hard and
saved what little we have, and now feel
/, safe of the future. l don't think the
5 question of my sex has ever been men,
Q toned. believe my mother would never
]. consent for me to change my attire, Of
| least 30 long as / am good girl, and
t give her no trouble. You may laugh al
4 this but it's true. am just the same q!
. any other girl in my station. I play or
0 the piano and go shopping, and OCCASION
4 ally D young gentleman friend takes mt
0 to Coney island or the theater. l al
0 rather shy, however, and don't care much
!, for company.
o "Have you any lady frionds%
a "Yes, q few. We exchange calls, but
t avoid any intimacy, fearing they would
@ detect me-"
a "Who makes your clothesp
= ~ have no trouble about that. ! go
them made at a dressmaker's the same a
d any other lady, and have never had m,
!. sex questioned. l am quite handy will
o needle and do some of my plain sewing
d myself. Myunderwear can buy cheape
$ than 1 can make it at home.'
: "Do you know of any similar case ~
g Eyes, / am acquainted with three othe
i persons who have never worn boys
It clothes. You would be surprised to SO
h us all together. Pou would never dream
n we were boys. One of them, Josie O.
lives in Bergen, N. j. There are tw
e other brothers beside Josie in the famll
n and they are very much attached to thei
Il supposed sister. They are we'll oil, an
l, Josie has everything girl could wis
n for. We SEQ each other quite often. Jc
y sic is 16, l think; at least he
/" younger than / am. The oldes
20 of my other two friend
t. (whom l know us Jennie Carey is EN-
r ployed as bonnet maker at milliner
10 store in Brooklyn. This boy has been /
l. petticoats for ten years So perfect is h
* personation that there has never been til
10 least suspicion as to his sox. l often ca
is at the store to see him, and We have man
IT q quiet laugh at the expense of tho otht
ID girls and lady customers. My otht
friend, who calls himself ella Haupt,
n of German descent, and is the prettie
s. and youngest of us all. He is clerk /
IS Bowery store, and says he has woI
" dresses nearly five years. He makes littl
N effort at concealmont, but has not bee
1 suspected. Ho is the sole support of h
" mother and younger brother, and they a
1t live in apartments on Mystic street. Yes
Y concluded tho masquerador, 81 am sati
SIS fed its castor to get along as girl thu
Ig it is as a boy"
n. The Reason Discovered.
of Louisville Journal.
l.. h., L ~,