Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1886-10-10
WOES OF WOMEN WORKERS.
The Mere Existence of the Boston Work
ing Girls.
LSpccIal COrrtspOnlencc.l

ROSTON, Sept. 2G-What are girls n wo-
men in and around Boston doing for a living'
They make shirts at thirty-siX cents per
dozen finishing, buttonhOles included, che
misses trimmed and plated at Sl.2G each,
plain chcmiscS at ninety-Six cents per dozen,
flannel coats of an inferior quality ut fifteen
cents each, slipper bows at three cents per
dozen and common caps at ten cents per
dozen.
For making quilts, eleven hours per day
labor, they receive $50 per week, for paper
BOX making 1886 per week and for book
folding 81 per week. \ hundred other i'll
dustyies pay similar wages. This may bc
called lab0r's owcSt grade. 1t is easily and
quickly learned. Hence, the more learners
the more workers and more supply than de-
maud.
How do they live for such payi
Those who rely entirely on their pay do
not live. 1t is for such merely an endured
existence in Il tenement attic. Their staple
food is Il loaf Of bread and II cup of tea. The
tramp who depends for his meals on base
ment door collections is better fed.
Girls and women here stain and enamel
glass, dress dolls, FURNISH jewelry, make but
tons, paint clock eases and brO0"" handles,
weave Irvine into netting, cut ivory, pearl
and tortoise shell, make willow ware and cane
chairs, set type, feed printing presses, pack
candles, assist i'm the manufacture of chemi-
Gals, manufacture straw hats and hoop skirts,
spool cotton, weave hair cloth, make shoe
uppCrS, artificial flowers, and gid buttons.
TheSc may in cases earn 81 or 81 per
wcel; more than those stated above. 1t is
safe to say that s. per week is a little above
the average wages of this class of female
workers. In the shoe factories, at "piece
work, - some girls make IS and SO per week.
Can a girl support herself on such amount
dccently:
\ decent room cannot be hired here short
of So per Week, let alone food and clothing.
But in many cases the girl Lives at home
Her wages are regarded rs a great help in
mcctiug family EXPENSES. In such case the
FANNY un""uSciouSly cooperate against the
Girl 81 woman who must make Il home for
herself. The poorer the family the greater
the tendency 20 herd and crowd together. If
merely keeping body and soul together be re-
garlcd u decent support" then s. a week
will grant it.
Mill hands may make 81 per day. Some
make more; some less. American girls have
almost deserted this occupation. Their place
is supplied 10y foreigners and, to a large ex.
tent, Canadian French.
II You would know some Of the results Of
factory life and labor on manners speech and
what we will call verbal morality, post your
self near the mill doors when the operatives
swarm out, and hear the current phraSeology
and sentiment. y little may go n great way,
for You. Or go on one of their summer OK.
c~ursions. 1t may cause you to wonder if any
one has charge Of the morals Of the masses.
Do our philosophers ever really go among
them! \ few family visits, even with kindly
intent, won't reveal them to you.
Girls and children can he bought in Boston
for commercial purposes as low as s. per
week. The mammoth and pigmy bazaarS
for the sale Of everything under the sun
under one roof buy the nerve, muscle,
strength, skill and intelligence of young girls
for nine hours per day at such price. I'm
like the black slavery Of former days, the
buyer is at no expense for housing, feeding.
clothing or otherwise caring for the body Of
the child he purchases. He buys, in fact, all
the strength the child has TO give without
any risk. If the child dies or becomes Grip
pied or diseased it is not his lookout. 1t is
that Of the parents or possibly of the child
itself. To buy a girl outright, say for 800
or 500, and be then at the expense Of her
keeping would be u most extravagant outlay
in Boston. Froma business standpoint Boston
always could see further ahead than Charles
ton, S. c.
Recently a philanthropic committee here
visited some of the mercantile mammOths
I.V,n ,.1 r.-.V,a=fal Thar, 800 =, -. - q
labor at less than 81 per week for children of
- years OF age and under, nor less than $3.50
per week for young women. Two of the
largest mammOths positively refused. One
complained of the trouble caused him through
peoples poking about and stirring up public
attention TO these matters. He said the zone
thing for each ono 10 do was 10 mind his or
her own business" He wanted, the committee
inferred, to be let alone, just as n intelli-
gent, painStaking burglar wants to be let
alone when he is at midnight SamplinC some
other family'S silver. The houses that nav SO
per week for children spend from S5O,OO0 10
100000 per year in advertising what the
child helps them to sell.
Girls are universally employed here in the
sccOnd-claSS restaurants Their average nav
is 81 per week. The occupation Of continually
coming in contact and waiting upon n low
grade of men in q hungry md consequently
savage n irritable condition demoralizes
them. They become hardened also 10 the
enormities daily perpetrated in a cheap res
taurant kitchen. \ smile is rarely seen on
their faces. They become tagged out with
their continual morning-tillnight rush with
fun, empty and half cleared plates. Ere
quently they take an order with dislain.
leave sou before it is half given, slap Your
plate before you with an air which saws:
Take that and be-" and when you tell
them that what they have brought is not
what you ordered, there comes the final surg
ing over of contempt for the whole masculine
rare. PRENTICE MULFoBD.
ne less advice you gin widout pay de
mo credit you viii receive fur bein'
chuck-full o. wisdom. Brother Gard