Wichita eagle., 1886-10-22
LIFE IN EUROPE.
WOMEN FOLLOWING VOCATlONS FIT
ONLY FOR THE STRONGEST MEM

Work in the Mines of France--iieayy
Physical Labor il Austria - stcut
"Daagl,tc.-, of the Plow y - Factory
System OF Germany.
Whei her lie the existence OF enormous
standin~ armies, the havoc of centuries of
war, the absence OF practical educational fa-
c;itieS, or the lowncss OF labcrers wages, that
comp4ls so many women on the continent OF
Europe to SEX to gain living in occupations
which we L n ct only for the strongest and
rl,dcst OF men certain it IS that one OF the
commonest and, to American eyes, the
strangest sights there is the number OF women
engaged in agricultural and other severe
manual labor. In France women arc stiIl oc-
cupiei in the mines, dragging or rpGaains the
heavy trucks OF Goals through tle narrow
tunnels that ru1 from the 70 the c,iaft.
OF course, in such work they adopt the ordi-
nary costume of working mixers unti ct the
first glance are not to be distinsu!s'.c,l from
the men, by whose side they arc woTkinss.
Some Of TIE entries in the French Census as
to the lfb0ring population are stranGe enough.
In Paris tncre arc female boatbu,ltlcr; and
20 "wheelari zhts, fariors and = dies" $
, sawyors, 50 carpenters and ioiners. g n.asons
that we find the gre etost proportion Of womcn
engaged in heavy physical labor, not merely
| in agriculture or the mines, but in paving or
cleaning the streets, or il carrying huge trays
of mortar or hotls of bricks uo TO the work
nlen on the s6affolding of buildings in the
| colirs. of erection These women do not
seem to complain Of their lot they have been
bred up - hard work from thcir infancy, and
are used 10 nothing better their language
and manners are as coarse rs those of tho
male lab0rcrs. whola Il figure they resemble
-Eigh chcstcd, broad shoIIdcred, 10 trace Of
waist alll possessed of great strength. To
such stout daughters Of tie plow" it is an
easy t-sl, to wheel q street sprinkler or pull
! about hand cart laden with milk, as may
be seen any day il Antwerp, where the milk
woman, with her neat white cap ard kerchief
and her assistant dog, is a striking picture.
WORKERS. - TIE MINES.
| II Prussia about 600 women are workers
! in n,ines. Guarr;es, and foundrics, and abOI.
2,010 are classified as drivers, positions, and
railway hoorars," anI about 900 as ships
crows, sailors, boatn,en and ferry1nen'; in
! this last category viii come women employed
III toIgjx. canal boats. It has been asked,
why do not women adopt c;.Iiings more
| adapted 10 feminine hands? The reason seems
| to Dc the industrial condition of a great part
| CT the European continent, which affortis TO
! them no better means OF earnin- q living.
and the fact that these occupations which
! are 50 utterly unfeTnininc, are just those IN
/ which unsl;illel labor can be employed. y
cll1n9e however, is slowly coming about by
| tie growth Of important industries in orcry
! country. The factory system has been found
/ in Germany to have a strong tendency to
! improve the condition rot only OF tie women
| immediately employed in them, but of tAoae
/ working III the country around.
! \ large employer ut Freibarg, after thirty
/ vears' cz-Dcrie1ce, s1ii: The condition Of the
! a~ricul.ural laborprs is not a satisfactory one
There Is much misery among them, specially
| moral misery. Whom mothers apply to us
! for vqrk for strong, healthy eiris, we tell
them gu ID girls are more fit fo;' labor in the
/ fills but :oo frequently receive an account
/ OK t,l- hard and immoral life associated wIth
/ such service The sccEo changes whea { wei
/ managed factory comes into the village. The
! 1oor eifls must then either rcceiyc better
( tr7a-rl,cgtt c.iiI becter wages or ther 50 nlto
+ tae lac1o,-y. Ihs moral isIIeds oi q well
orlert-i factory Is stiil create, i, af5ec's tbe
/ vI.o'c village. '-IIarIar,= Bazar.