The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1884-07-10
Women in the New Orleans Mint.

Some five or six years ago.. when it,
was known that women were to be en- {
I ployed in the mint, those in authority
were besieged by hundreds of applica-
| tions from all conditions of women. As
q general thing, the successful ones.
woro well chosen, both as TO fitness for,
| the work and their dire need for it. ,
/, Indeed it may be set down as a rule (
that when the average woman asks for
work it is because she must have bread
and fuel and home. The ladies en-
ployed in the mint have, some of them,.
kept their positions steadily through all
| the five years; the changes have gen.
orally been the result of some worker
dropping off into matrimonv and leav-'
ing a vacancy only too easily filled!
from the standing army of applicants.
In New Orleans there are in the ad-
! justing-room OF the mint thirty ladies
at work, of whom four are colored.
The salary is $1.75 a day. They go to
work at and stop at 4 in the after
noon. The work requires the strictest
attention, and is of such nature that
it can never become purely mechani-
cal. There are three long, high tables
ranged down the room; these are
handicapped and protected at the
edges with bands of leather. The
workers sit in high chairs with good,
comfortable backs to them. The ma
! terials for work are a pair of scales for
the weighing of money, sets of tin
bowls to put it in, and q file. The
round pieces of unstamped coins are
brought to the ladies' in wooden boxes.
Each piece has to be weighed three
times. A mistake in the weight of one
piece of even almost inflnitesimal pro-
portion may cause the worker to lose
her position. 1t seldom, if ever. hap
pens, however, that one is discharged
for incompetency, or worse, careless
ness. An expert adjuster handles in
day from 5000 to $500 silver dollar.
coins. The condemned coins are sent;
back to be melted over; some being:
only triile out of standard weight She
can file down. For this she is provid-:
ed with leather apron to catch the
precious silver dust, the loss in which
can be, and must be, measured by the
grain. The water in which the Indies
wash their hands when they are through
filing is carefully preserved and filter
ed for the silver dust. During warm
weather it is sitting work in the ad-
windows can be allowed open, this sill
yer pollen being too precious to be car
ried off by a thieving wind. During
nine months of last year the ladies
were required to do extra work, which
kept them in their seats until six
o'clock. For the extra work they
were paid by the hour, and received
the small sum of 21 cents. The ladies
holding positions have accomplished
their tasks with UNMARRIED success, and
are not often disturbed by rumors re-
garding their dismissal The work re-
quired of them is easily learned, but is
none the less sadly laborious. The
eye tires of it's fixed gaze at the deli
cate beam of the scales, but the eye
must be as accurate rs the scale. There
is no time for rest, no excuse for mis-
take, and after the fashion of women
undertaking work at which they are
competent, they bend to the task with
patience that never falters, and with
u strength that never gives out until
the work is finished.