Omaha daily bee., 1884-10-21
Chinese Laterns at Seaman's,
woRKINGwoNIEN.
The Wuges They Earn in this Country
and in Europe.

The San Francisco Overland Monthly
in an article on workingwoman says:
The average weekly income of working
women in the east, including regular
earnings and addition from outside work,
is So. II a week-think af that, for food
clothes and shelter, and about S4 per
cent do their own sewing besides. The
average sum earned her Is about So so
per week. In Cincinnati shop girls be-
gin with $3.50 per week, which in six
months time is increased to IS, and so
ON until it reaches $40, which is the av-
erage amount paid for skilled labor. Here
when they are fortunate enough to secure
a position at all, they are paid from 81
to So at first. and it is gradually increas-
ed to $40; $40 is the average amount
paid for skilled labor. Forewomen or
heads of departments, receive much
greater prices, of course, $50 or $50
a week being no uncommon price; but it
takes years to become qualified
for such position. Walk down Kear-
ney or Market street, and look in at the
windows of cheap underwear; SO cents
for skirts elaborately tucked and rutfled!
Quite contrast to- the misera
BILE prices paid to sewing girls are those
paid by the theaters for walking ladies',
soubrettes or chorus singers. They none
of them receive less than $15 week; and
yet 80 strong is the modesty of women
that many prefer to shun publicity and
accept the hard life of "a slave at the
wheel instead. Many, however, who
have widowed mothers or younger SIS
ters to support, and who take up the hard
life of soubrettes, are modest and lady.
like girls, who between the acts employ
themselves with their needles in making
lace or embroidery. heard of one young
girl who made lace curtain worth $40
in thesa intervals. There are other in
dustries where women are employed at
moderate wages. Glove-makers receive
from $S to $12 week, when expert;
printers about $15; bookb!nders from 80
to $12; cigarmakers about $5-but this
is such repulsive employment that few
women engage in it. And again
if only every girl were taught-and
taught well-some art, trade, knowl-
edge or profession of good market value,
just as the boy is, whether she ever used
1t or not, then she would be safe in case
of need. 1t is common enough to sneer
at matchmaking mammas fishing for
eligible husbands for their daughters,
and to condemn the daughters for look
ing to matrimony as the chief and and
aim of existence. And yet, if they know
at the bottom of their hearts that there
is no way of existense for them but mar
riage, what can they do? Rather blame
society that gives them no other way.
But train girl to self-help, snd then if
love came she could greet him as well
come guest; if he did not come she could
still lead a contented life, and death,
it must always be "a heartache,
would ceose to be the monster that it is
in many homes. To provide tie daugh-
Ter as we'll as the son with the proper
weapons wherewith to struggle for exist
,nce would be far better gift than the
ballot"
Commenting upon an article on the
same subject in the October number of
;he Overland Monthly the San Francisco
Bulletin says: "There is great deal of
work to be done in the world, ,and for the
most part it will be done by those who
IAN do it best. The very experience
which befalls thousands of women who
re poorly prepared to enter upon indus
rial vocations is brought home to men.
All over the country there are great mum.
,ers who have no permanent employment
wen when there Is brisk demand for
abor. The reason is that they fail to
i've satisfaction to their employers. The
'est in the long run get the places. The
poorest, the unsteady, the incompetent
nd unfaithful are only drafted in when
he pressure Is greatest. There is no
emedy for this difference. Every
seeks the best. 1t is bust
less. If his chivalry for women were
o intervene, and he were to fill
he responsible places with incompetent
yomen, he would be ruined just as cer-
ainly as if he had filled them with in
men. Here, as elsewhere, it
5 the survival of the fttest. If there is
ny moral to be drawn from the facts, it
5 that the surest means of enlarging en-
loyment for women it is in thorough
ratification for the work in hand. For
he most part women who can do some
Important things well complain the least :
f competition. The lot may not be an
asy one, but it ID far better than it would 4,
ave been if nothing could be well done.
he $4,000 women who are self-depend-
nts in this city will be augmented in l
,w years by much larger number.
low are they to live in honorable inde- {
endence2 That is one of the most i'm
ortant questions of the day." I
OF workingwomen in England, the
liverpool Post says: "a very large
umber of women are employed in tex
lie manufactures and miscellaneous
AIDES. In cotton mills there were 3O2,-
81, In woolen and worsted manufactor-
's ~, ,3O2, and in silk factories 39,694-
10 number of women in these branches |
industry greatly exceeding the men.
10 fewer than Gle, ,424 females were en- Il
loyed as workers and dealers in dress :
nd there were 25,772 women shop
eepers, 1860 coster-mongers, 1878 q
avn brokers, and 1,403 rag.gatherers
nd dealers. Female bookbinders out n
the males, there being 1882 n
! this occupation. The telegraph and q
'lephone service gave employment to 1,
,228; there were 8, 989 female clerks in 4
houses, 60, $50 were engaged
| agriculture, and 1858 in the tobacco 81
'ade. Women were also engaged as
"warehousemep, builders, n
arness and whipmakeIs, farriers, brick n
nd tile makers, lead miners, and earth
aware and glass manufacturers, while +,
Z 1863 figured as mechanics and laborers
ld large number were employed in n
ich unfeminine work as nail and tin
nIH.~