The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1886-10-06
Annie's Story.

AuHle>S SbOTys
eyes, I've been factory girl" said
Annie Holmes, in response to my
question. I" 1t seems queer, don't it, but
folks kind o. look down on factory girls.
Now, some of the girls at Drumley's
was nice as any girls. OF course some
of 'em was dressy, an talked and
laughed loud, an liked to promenade
the streets evenings to show off their
finery; but they never meant no harm
by it, as / could see.
Some of 'em, too, used to leave
the shop in work hours, or stand an
look out o. the windows an gossip; an
Drumley Brothers didn't like that.
They wanted the machines in use all
the work hours. They had a cross lit
Dutchman, named Voelker, for fore
come in from the engine room, an
ketch 'em at the windows he'd scold
'em part in English, part in Dutch; an
back sometimes, they'd always 60 back
to their machines.
" But when it comes to locking 'em
into the building in work hours, to keep
'em there, the girls didn't like it bit.
Drumley Brothers had high picket
gate made, an fixed in the street door
way, an that was kept locked from
quarter past seven till twelve, and
from quarter past one till six. An my!
Wasn't the girls mad! OF course the
quieter girls didn't say much; but the
others did. They'd sing, an you
could hear it plain above the hum of
one hundred fifty machines or so.
Well hang Drumley's gate to sour
apple tree" an so on. That made
Voelker mad. He'd stop the machines
(you see they was all run by steam, an
THROWN off belt 'ud stop 'em ally,
an it 'ud get still all at once, an every
body ID look up just as innocent to see
what was the matter. An then he'd
scold, an the more he said the madden
he'd get. But they'd sing it again.
Finally some of the holder girls
went to Drumley Brothers an COM
planned about it. They said they
wasn't cattle to be shut in with high
gate, an if it wasn't took down they'd
go out on strike. So the firm agreed
to take the gate down, but kept the
door locked instead That didn't
seem quite so aggravatin', but some
folks said, what if there be fire?
the girls 'ud be all crushed to death in
that narrer stairway before the door
could be opened;' an expect it wasn't
hardly safe.
You seem to like to listen, so I'll
tell you all about Willie, if you like; l
never told nobody before, an you
mustn't ever tell it again, will your"
Well, if you won't give no names
but they'll think somebody was awful
silly, though.
Willie was the clerk that used to
give out the work, and keep count O.
what we took and what we brought
back. All the girls liked him, he was
so bright an handsome too; an he was
most always jokin' an laughin' with
ZEN, an making the strange ones feel
at home right away. He was business,
too, when you'd fetch back your work
he'd stand behind his desk with his
book an say, Number, please?' Gam
l knew he must knowed mine by
hearD an he'd put everything down
Just as CAREFUL used to like to look
over the top of his book and watch
him mark it down with his sharp pen
cil-he wrote so true an pretty, an
made such beautiful figures, prettier'n
print.
I" He was good boy, too-he went to
church regular, him an his sister.
Sometimes he took some one else. No,
you needn't look at me that AWAY
'twasn't me.
cit was Frank Benton; she was a
girl that worked there, too, pressing
stays and straps.
" Did you ever see crab-apple bios.
SONS, that is, kind o. blushin' an
bright, an not big enough to seem
coarse? do think they're the pretti
est blossoms that's Well, Frank Ben.
ton always minded me o. them. She
was little slip of thing, kind o. fut.
with her brown curls 'bobbin' an
that pretty flush comm and goin' or
her face. But then, she wasn't very
sensble-that is, she was that easy
scared like a rabbit, an then she was
perfectly wild. But Willie liked her
l didn't know how much-I jest said tC
myself, =" He's jest amused with her
she's such pretty little thing. Why
she's only baby !"
There was big building going ur
in the same block. There was one be-
tween it an Drumley's, or / expect
wouldn't be here to tell you about it
Somebody said, when they was diggin
for the foundation, it looks awful close
to that other building, look out yor
don't undermine it. But nobody paid
any attention; they jest went Oh
diggin'.
Barnum come to town that summer
an all the girls was crazy to go Sc,
Jumbo. So, for wonder, Drumley
Brothers unlocked the door at ten tina
morning SOS we could go see the per
cession. Most of the girls went, onl,
few of us staid to sew, an saw i
from the windows.
Frank Benton stayed. 'Twasn't lik
her, but I'd noticed she was kind o
down all the morning, an didn't g
round in that hippity-hoppity way o
hers. Her eyes was swelled an re,
too, and l noticed they didn't speak an
DIDN'T hardly look al each other Onl