St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-06-26
sHoRGlRLs AND. sALEsEADrEs.

A Feminine Controversy That is
,,sr Now Raging in New York City. r.
Editor New York World: In your paper of
Wednesday Miss Campbell expostulates be-
cause you do not call shopgirls and saleswomen
.'salesladies'' A shopgirl is merely girl en-,
ployed in shop. The term refers to her Occur.
patton and not to her character. A sales
woman is a woman who sells merchandise.
She may be honest and refined in addition
but the term saleswoman refers merely to her
employment Now, am saleSwoman in
milliner shop. / am 10, and my mother says
am good-looking, and L have done my best
to improve myself and acquire an education.
Sometimes / write little fashion Cos
sip for some country newspapers
and increase my income. have my friends,
and they seem to respect me Notwithstanding
my employment as a saleswoman. If I ever
marry hope to marry a man, and not a ''gen-
tieman' in the modern sense of the term. I
willitry to prove to him that 1 am O. woman
who has thought for something higher than
dress and society.
l wonder if the indignant Miss Campbell
knows that real rich ladies speak of them
selves and each other as girls and women"
They take the ''lady'' for granted. A girl is
girl-her actions prove her title to the term
ladyi and not her silly claim that she is one.
The fact Is, that, while tie real social
powers almost studiously avoid the
expressions ''lady'' and sgentlemen,"
the obscure people demand them,
so that it really seems the world has
been turned upside down-the men and
women, rich, educated, refined and command
ing high positions; while all the ladies are
making paper boxes at 81 q week or selling
ribbons for So, and all the gentlemen are run
ming errands or drawing soda water for a
living. I inclose an advertisement from
paper here showing how ladies and gentlemen
in Washington get on:
,r-cr, r1(Jr
w lady and gentleman, situation to travel
West with d private family (the lady as maid.
gentleman as servan); good references Address
r. ", 1456 Sampson ST., city. -
The fact is, Miss Campbell is q saleswoman.
if she sells merchandise, or shop girl if she
makes it. In her private life have no doubt
she is all that lady should be, but in bust
ness she is saleswoman and nothing else. I
have taken this much space, because am
saleswomah myself. Miss Campbell says: 'sIf
we are not ladies as regards money, we are
many of US by birth and education" I have
no doubt Of this, but may ask Miss Camp
bell if New York employers pay girls for
g their pedigree? Mine pay me for my work,
and have never asked me about my grand
father III. BERTHA
Editor New York World; The writer would
like to inform L. Campbell that education
and birth can be found i'll q shop where goods
are made aswell as in q store Neither will
money make a lady Those indignant en-
ployes may yet learn a true lady is known
whether she works in shop or store. Yours,
EsTELIE CLAYTON.
Editor New York World: Will you be kind
enough to ask Miss Campbell why she d1sdains
ito be called sh opgirl? Cannot shopgirl,
as well as saleswoman, be lady by birth
and education2 Yours truly,
''o ~ ~ AZ q 80 A WONDERING SHoPGIRL.
Editor New York World: notice in this
morning issue of your paper letter from
young Lady in regard to the term ..shop-
girl which has been written, no doubt, to
throw a little reflection on their character by
limiting that great many salesladies. as she
calls herself, are of respectable connection, and
all they now desire is wealth. Let them jump
out and go to work in shop and earn good
wages instead of posing as models behind
counter. / will wager that the shop girls
when you follow up their character, can put
the salesladies to blush as far as morals are
cencerneds A SHoPGIRL's HUSBAND
2ihj g7'1 II (And not ashamed of it).
Editor New York World: If the young
women who clerk in stores are going to be
called saiesladies, shall insist upon being a
salesgentlenan. At PRESENT. am only
r. ~ g. A COUNTER-HoPPER.