St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-05-10
NO TIME TO MARRY.
A Marked Decrease in the Number
of Marriages.
S1av1sh Hours of Labor a Cause of
Celibacy.

A gentleman who has made Study of
the social economic question for years said
to Journal reporter the other day that his
observation had led him to the opinion that
there was very perceptible falling off in
the percentage of marriages.
ITO what do you attribute that fact?"
asked the reporter.
There are several causes" he answered.
''You know there are thousands of Young
men who would really get married if they
made sufficient wages to enable them to
support wife"
Have long hours of labor any bearing
on the question:"
''Undoubtedly," replied the gentleman.
There are in this great city many thou
sands of worthy young men whose hours
of labor are so long and who are so crushed
and ground down by incessant work that
they are almost cut off from society alto
gether."
The gentleman mentioned the case of
young drug clerk of his acquaintance. The
young man was compelled to rise daily at 6
a. M. and to begin work an hour later.
Then, with only half hour intermission
for lunch and supper, he had to work until
II at night. That was his daily program
seven days week.
The young clerk was anxious to marry
and settle down. but he had no time for
himself to cultivate the acquaintance of
suitable young woman.
The reporter came across another such
case, which is but a specimen of the class
to which he belongs. This young man
works in tea and grocery store ON Third
avenue. He told his own story in this
way:
II am at work sixteen hours day. I
begin at 6 a. m. and don't get home before
10 at night My salary is S13 week. In
two years 1 haven't had day off, never
get chance to attend lectures, meetings,
or to go to the theater or any sort of amuse-
ment."
ut is 70 o'clock Saturday night when I
get off. am too tired to go to church
Sunday morning. 1t isn't necessary to tell
yon that l have no time to go counting, and
I am afraid I am doomed to die an old
bachelor"
Bakers, too, are similarly circumstancei.
Their work is of the most exhaustive char
acter. They begin in many cases at
o'clock in the afternoon. From that hour
until and Z o'clock the next morning they
are confined in a damp, Suffocating atmoS-
phere.
1.-THE only relief we get," said young
baker to Journal reporter. lis when we
go out on the steps of the bake-house at
midnighJ to catch breath of fresh air. A
great many of US have to board with our
bosses, and a great number have to sleep Oh
a cot in the bake-houses. We have no
time to make friends"
The reporter had a talk with an officer
of the Central Labor Union OH this subject.
He said he was glad the Journal had taken
up the question. 1T was" he said, "a
new and very important matter for dis
cussion, and one that would create wide
spread interest"
He cited dozen of cases about clerks,
railroad men, bakers, store and drug clerks
and steamboat men, which had come under
his own observation. They were steady,
sober, industrious young men. who would
be model husbands, but they were so cir
cumstanced by slavish laws of labor that
they could not mingie in the society of de-
sirable and manageable young women
New York Journal.