Wichita eagle., 1886-10-01
GIRLS WHO CLERK.
A COMPLAINT WHICH ONE OF THEM
MAKES TO THE PUBLIC.

How Daughters and Wives Of Well to Do
Men Take the Bread From the b1oaths
of Those Who Must Fight Their Own
Battles.
"Say. reporter" exclaimed q clerk in one
of the State street dry goods stores, IF you
have nothing else to write about, can't yo1
WELD your pen in our interest?"
"N'by, what's the matterg
"WeIl, the matter is that The girls and
women who have fathers and husbands to
take care of them, come down town and work
for wages that are fast becoming standards,
and are slowly reducing us to starvation. Do
you see that pretty girl over thero at the lace
counter? Well, she is a Jewess, and lives out
on Sangamon street. Her father is a well to
do travelling man, and allows her clothes and
board She expects to be married next year,
and is only working for money to spend in
extras for her toilet. She has been here
about two years. Some time ago the Lead Of
the department called her to tho officc to dis
miss her because she Airted SO much. She
begged to be retained, and volunteered 70
duction Of her salary. Then she was getting
$40, and ever since the reprinard she has re-
ceivcd but s.. The result was, lot OF us
We're reduced, and if she offers to work for
s., presume we VIII have to stand another
cut Or go somewhere else.
"Thc firm Is one of the best in tho CITY
We have chairs to sit On during dull hours,
close at $50 every day and at noon Satur-
day, and get a vacation every year. But tho
fact remains that tho rich girls, who gre
lucky enough to have homes of their own.
are actually cutting the throats OF girls f1ed
Is l am. l get 50 q week and have TO help
from any source whatever. Ely car fare IS
60 cents week, and my board ard washing
amount to 81, SO you can see that am q
long time buying a Gress or paying for
shoes. Ny condition is the saUlo rs hundreds
Of others, but don't see any way of irnprov-
ing it until better fed girls get out Of the
business. The firm won't help US Why
should it! These swell clerks come around,
ask for work, are willing to accept small
wages and are able to make a good appear
ance. They wear nice clothes, look retty
and are hired. You can't blame the heads
for taking them, because it is en- advantage
to the store to be able to boast CT stylish
help and besides they attract customers.
II have frequently read in tho papers sus-
picious accounts Of finely dressed dry goods
clerks but any charges that reflect adversely
on cur regulations are false, maliciously
false. There are none but the most respect
able women IN this store, and when critics
say that such a girl cannot afford to wear
jcwelry, or that another is not able to wear
silk dresses they don't know what they arc
talking about. That girl over there in the
brown dratcte could not have paid for The
goods alone in less th four weeks, but the
fact is she didn't buy it at al. Her father al
lows her certain sum every month for
clothes and she devotes her salary to little
things, such as E2ndkerchiefs, hosiery, Ie--
fumes, fans, parasols and things like that
mercy-dimc boz she wears in her corsago
She is not obliged to work, and Whenever SIZE
IS iGdisposed or has some social engagement
she stays at home. In the very cold winter
she doesn't come down, and if sho gets caught
in q storm without an umbrella Or gossanlcr
she ta kes q cab home.
Nov, can't you write all this down in your
paper, a'.l get the customers, or somo of the
local clubs that are always on tho lookout for
reforms, TO drive these rich girls cut OF the
field or keep them from ruinin, our chances Of
Ivelihcodw That such state of un lust com
petition exists is sincontrovertib!e. Pcopl, hear
daily from the Tostr,l,l terrible plillippics
against capital as applied to tho oppression Of
the poor working girls, and tho advocates Of
woInans rights and woman's wrongs, as set
forth by the w. c. T. IT,, are found arrayed
against expressions, but here is a state of af.
fairs which, reduced to its siInplcs. form, We
man s;;ainst woman. Tho vain ponp and
love of dress is o'luring, as ono can readily
understand, but it is hard to believe that
:;coreS and hundred OF women are degrading
labor by working for starvation wages in
order 10 supply themselves with tho flnery
that q limited allowance viii no. buy Thos,
women leave good homes to take any sort OF
respectable employment by which their love
of dress can be Gratiacd. Ii tho down to.y:i
counters 90 not invite them, they frequent
factories where CTavats ard all SORTS OF worst
ed goods are i1ada, and whero they arc per-
nittei to t.ke homo work 10 bo !.uishls! az
their leis.,re.
",5one of these enemies CT female labor
mako buttorholcs In cuffs cr,l collars, cr,-
broiaar initials on shirt tags, v;Ech - q con
slant industry il itself, or darn lace v.,cn Q
finer class CT noe,!lework is unatt;.irs5le Ar
other source OF incon. is found a,:oa! whole
sale houses, where these foolish volren ere
less conspicuous, and where they gladly &C
ocrt So and S. week for trying on cloaks.
selling buttons, keeping stool, or setting
watch crystals. These sasle figures are OF
fcred their unfortunate rivals, WHO are f:r-
qacatly driven TO despair in trying TO make
it keep soul and body together. Often t.lcec
unhappy, haii starved girls co:sclaiil aid
threaten to Lave, but their employers are
not scared. knowing that. in casa OF Is strike,
lie cal hire scores OF girls in twc.iy four
hours & take their places-IntcT-OceaiL