The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1886-04-16

swl.alsss WHO lsAhs % Thslr nssl,sss
. pser~sd 1ndsstrloas wom~n.
Everywhere, but perhaps more q
pccially In the rural districts and small
towns. are 70 b. found women with
eager ambitions toward wage-eagping,
whose circumstances and surround-
lngs. cut them OF almost wholly from
opportunities 70 satisfy those ambitions.
Several causes have conspired 10 N 10
this class larger than ever before.
among which we may mention tho in
creased desire for articles Of luxury.
consequent upon the spread Of educil-
ton. and the enormous cheapening
during the last quarter Of century u
means Of labor-saying machinery, Of
fine materials for clothing and dccora-
ton. which the middle classes, twenty
years or more ago. regarded rs hope
lessly beyond their means To this we
may add rs the more immediate cause.
the commercial depression Of the last
two years, through which the families
IL farmers. mechanics, ETC., have
found their supply Of spending-money
80 greatly reduced that the fall in the
prices Of luxurics meanwhile has
been Of little benefit to them. The ex-
istence Of this large class Of women.
eager 70 undertake any thing that
might bring them an income indepen.
dent Of the poorly-filled and seldom
opened purses Of their fathers and hus-
bands, has brought into being num-
Der Of schemes for supplying women
with ''wo.k at home" II is possible
that some Of these schemes NAV have
been started with honest purpose, but
we have not yet learned Of any. With
out exception, those which have come
70 our knowledge have been unadulter-
ated swindles. II Is case OF the gath.
cring Of the yulturcs by the mere ex-
istence Of the helpless creatures they
can prey upon. The firms advertising
work for women At home are 70 be
found in every city in the United
States, being most numerous, perhaps.
in Boston. There are in that city no
less than twelve or fifteen so-called
agencies for employment Of this kind
which offer Knitting. rug-making.
painting on glass, velvet. ETC.. and
crochet work. Il is therefore fitting
that the first effort to circumvent these
''swindlers Of women should origin
ate in the Hub" The ssWoman's
Educational and Industrial Union"
which Is managed by ladies Of The
highest standing and reputc, and
whose address Is "a Boylston street,
Boston, Mass. offers to investi-
gate, without expense. all advertise.
ments which offer TO women work
ut home Ladies who desire to an
swer such advertisements are requested
70 write first to the Woman's Union.
a the address given above. and ask
their advice in the matter. They have
made out list Of firms which they
know to be only carrying on the bust
ness 70 obtain money without giving
any Just equivalent, and will look into
the character and standing Of any
others that may be started in similar
lines As a rule these doubtful firms
carry on their business in such a man
ncr that the law can not attack them
directly. For instance, the offer is
made 70 teach knitting gratuitously
and 10 provide all the work that can b.
accomplished. When the applicant
calls she i told that she must first nav
hfty cents for a book OF instructions.
After that she Is told that she must buy
al the yarn there with which she is to
do the work. After that she is shown
couple Of immense specimens Of
work. and Is told that II she will make
one similar to these she will be paid
twenty-five cents each. or Whereabouts.
A. the task usually requires q week
work most women decline further enl-
pIoyment at this stage. But il the APP
plicant does actually perform piece
u work and brings il she Is refused
payment ON the ground that the work
Is not done right
Another concern offers rug-making.
On application IL Is found that ii viii
be first requisite 10 buy machine for
rrg-making, which causes a primary
cost Of one dollar. Next fifty cents Is
asked for teaching the art. These rug
firms guarantees all the work that their
pupils can undertake An instance i
given Of = woman living some miles
from the city Of Boston who bought
one Of these rug machines. She be-
came proficient in the art and applied
Tor work. She vas given one rug. and
ON finishing 1t was paid twenty-seven
cents. She was then offered one more
rug. but declined to take II, as she
could not afford TO work in that way.
She lived out Of town. and il cost her
about twenty-five cents to come to the
city and return home She was willing
20 work for the firm il they would only
give her q weeks work nj one time,
bun this they refused 10 do. As. By
their system Of giving ont work. the
woman In question could only make
sixteen cents day, Of course She had
% suffer the loss Of one dollar and fifty
cents which she paid out to the
schemers-
Her experience in testing another
Of the firms Is thus given by one II the
managers Of the Woman's Union:
Il i answered an ADVERTISEMENT she
said. ',ofa firm offering porcelain paint
ing. paid dollar and received hit
Of porcelain and small lot Of cheap
paints had supposed l should re-
ceive these articles for nothing. and
that the dollar was for the Instructions
which were given me. / was told that
when l had painted the biz of porcelain
! would be paid fifty cents for II when
! brought it back. To test the sinccri-