The Indianapolis sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1880-1904, 1885-02-08
CHICAGO LETTER.
oar Usual Budget from the Lake City.
the sunday Sentinel IN ChicsSo-rhe
Progress of the Great city
woman's Exchsnee-Other
Matters.

! CHIcAeo, Feb. 6.-Some tell us that every
/ hing good has some attendant evil or is
subject to unjust conclusions. Be that as ii
may, sometimes one'S pride Is wounded or
ones pleasure in seeing their pen-talk is
plared by the attempt OF the kind printer
tn use better word than the one in COPY.
o. one that, undoubtedly in their esnma-
ton, more fully expresses the sentiment,
bat results in a total eclipse ot the writer's
meaning under the full glare of the printer
ink.
Efrata are odious never stop TO look them
up, snd want no one else TO, but do you
know that my knowledge of history got so
muddled Up IN that last letter that thought
twas 100 years ago nOw, and said that al
territory northwest OF the Oaio River was
called the United States" when 1t was only
'ceded to the United States2r | am glad OF
one thing, yes, of many; but tae most prom
ineDt now is the pride that every liberal
minded man and woman feels In the policy
so bravely sustained by the Sunday Senti.
mel. Ii Is becoming power among the
towers, felt and confessed by its peers Your
correspondent has been in newspaper circles
Ibis week, and in listening 10 q discussion
upon the merits OF leading Western Jour
nails, heard an editor say, whose opinion Is
worth something that 'the Sci tinel was one
% the most interesting papers OF the Mid
die West" y leading lawyer said thst
there was not ''so good q paper in all Chics.
90, and this city needed just such liberality
IS Was therein inculcatsd, and am9og the
Loliceable and instructive features o. its
success vac that OF its ably. managed
WOMAN DEPARTMENT.
know am writing commendngly OF the
paper 10 lts very face, but | want TO because
ii Is tangible illustration OF the CO.
equality of men and women in journalism
as elsewhere. In fact there is not a leading
paper in this city but what CLEANS with the
thoughts and work OF woman, and even
when not accredited. it stands there Just the
same asserting its individuality. The few
papers and magazines openly published by
Chicago women show but q small part of
their labors in this direction, and following
the mechanical details OF the print
devil sll along the line, one
finds the girl or woman who 10 crcwdng
some man or boy ont of an occupation de-
signed for him, as map told me yesterday.
Most everybody says great deal about
THE PROGRESS OF CHICAGO,
an we somehow think of ii as the result of
masculine energy and enterprise. Bat
where would have been the grand results we
see about US il there had been no women in
The advancing line OF frontier civilization?
Men were not alone in Drawing the dan-
ger and enduring the toll incident
TO its earlier years The men
Kinsie, Rush, Hsyne, Wells and other old
timers would not to-day be memorzed as
the founders of the city il they had had no
partner in life interest In home. No one
tells me about the lives of these early wo-
men, and yet in tracing them we find that
In the city's earlier years women aided in
the details of business and began to ssume
the supervision OF the same when the man.
tie fell from the manly shoulders. Property
anu land was bought by women. The schools
were largely taught by them The first
churches and Sabbath-schools were organ
lied through their instrumentality.
AS one passes down or through the long
streets wherein the great stores and receiy-
Ing houses stand, one naturally desires to
look inside. If you do. you will be sur
prised TO find so many lady clerks and book
keepers.
Tricky scattered oil over the city are
women proprietors and heads OF firms. All
branches OF mercantile interests are owned,
superintendent and represented By women.
he the great places women are
cashiers. clerks and operatives.
The mailing departments of both
Wholesale and retail business finds them pro-
ticent and busy. In pharmacy aud chemis-
Try even women hold their positions.
Here they are engravers, photographers and
photographers There are hundreds OF lady
artists, OF al grades and kinds, who ply their
occupation within our limits, from the pho
tCgraphic coloreTin water paints to the really
beautiful thinner Of first class work aud tine
OH painting In scenic and natural designs.
Then the thousand and one who are dabbliug
il the various branches of etching. drawing.
velvet, plate, china and glass painting
-
are grest many artists engaged in fancy
and art needework who find it a lucrative
calling; and among the places where one
sees such handiwork displayed is
THE woMAN's EXCHANGE,
on Wabash avenue. This is purely benev.
olent institution, and WAS originally and Is
sustained by women. While il affords
mart through which the genteelly poor
woman, or the young or old who have
sell their handiwork, still it is not
self-supporting. Its fundamental purpose
WAS TO provide employment TO women who
must do something to support themselves
and those dependent on them, out who are
so situated that they can not fill any OF the
STEADY situations Afforded by the stores and
manufactures. II any kind of work is
neatly done, ii can be placed in the ex-
change, and the price. when sold. is paid TO
the depositor, with 10 per cent. of the pro-
cee6s deducted by the exchange for its com.
mission. The deposition, however, pays 81
year for the privilege Of using the exchange
as a medium of trade.
In conversation with the manager il seems
that mistaken idea has gone abroad as re-
CARDS their resources. A great many women
have applied TO them this winter for help,
supposiDg that they were in condition TO aid
materially, which they desire to do, and
would had they the means. But as extern
sive &C the work of the past year has bean,
aud in view OF its patronage, still it is and
must be supported by contributions, and
this is done by women OF means largely.
The department OF cooked goods affords
and the disbursements from this
department alone were nearly 5000
last year. There is lunch room connected
with it, and sometimes il is necessary to
employ twelve women and girls to run the
department, which affords wages sufficient
for their support. They me told there were
more expert cooks among the ladies than
those who could furnish work and be able to
materially profit by it. Let me tell you
about
ONE woMAN's EXPERIENCE,
who had never known what want was until
within few years. She thought she would
try the Exchange, and made some bread and
presented it for sale. liz was such libel on
good bread-making that its acceptance
was impossible. The lady was terribly
disappointed, and showed it SO plainly