New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-04-29
PLAIN AND PRETTY TYPEWEITING GIRLS
washlngton Letter to The Cincinnati ENQUIRER.

Washington Letter to The Cincinnati Enquirer
At Of the principal typewrlting schools in town
you often see many as eight or ten young Wonen on
the benches In the outer Office waiting TO SEQ the pro-
prietOr, Of whom they want 20 get employment as
pupils secretaries to business men. When no
comes in you viii always notice that no sees them
without regard 10 the order in which they come, picking
here and there, taking them into his Office
each by herself until only one or two remain on me
seats n You studied on the subject day after day
you would discover that the more prcpossessng
a young woman is the less time she has 10 walt ana
that Is always tho plain who lett to tho last
Poverty, especially when it entails the necessity for
young girl to go out and earn her living hsru anu
bitter, and many time and oft yon VIII see that tho
homey girls, left sitting on these benches, have
athomed the propretor's secret and are biting their
lips and even suffering moisture TO flood their eyes
they motto how certainly beautiful face and stylish
The other day went to that school and I witnessed
the neglect Of plain girl who evidently found IL
difficult TO conceal her modification was IN tho
room with the proprietor when he asked her to come In
- suppose there is no use my asking you, sir,
she said 81 but since have waite4 viii say that
am seeking occupation as a typewriter
"DO you understand the business ~ he asked
az am said to be very rapid said she; have been
viii Won accept ST 5 week to act as stcnographer
and typewriter TO Vice President so-and-so Of the
Her eyes changed color They frightened almost
SFifteen dollars :" she said az only got $40, SIR
and then only for a year before the firm was With
failed"
Ths arrangement or bargain quickly made.
Before she left the girl asked WIN you tell mo why
yoa saw me last though I was the first t" come =
Did all the Others secure places y she ashcd
"No one but you taken,' DO said.
She went away wondering. When she had gone
the proprietor turned to and said That Is poth
a sensitive and sensible girl: She thought she was
left to the last her face and dress arc plain
Sho is right This Is the day of the homely girl.
The beauty, tho belle, the dressy girl, all arc at
discount In this business, and have resolved never
to employ another pretty girl II We can get homey
one 49,
There's no mystery about it, he continued IT'S
plain business. There six or seven thousand
girls at work In mems offices DOWNTOWN and while
their entrce into commercial life IL always spoken OK
a feminine revolution, the truth Is that u mas
created social stir deeper than either one sex mas
felt When girls were first made use Of on account
OF their quc kncss with their hands, the suitability OF
the work and the low price at which they could DO
got By Of the large number seeking WORK .hs
craze was for pretty girls Evory man wanted
belle to sit az HIS desk and take down his lcUte anu
memoranda 10 was natural There were plenty OF
pretty girls, and who earth does not prefer beauty
tried to get only pretty pupils and beautiful adopts
We scanned the girls dresses judged them ny their
stylshDess and Insisted on general attfactVcnos@
II took up plain girl we were apt TO 20
sorry for IL, for had hard work TO place ner: Now
all that is changed I show you scores Oh etIers
girl In fact the only offices where we can place
pretty girl very large ones where tne emPIoJSa
chooses the girl and details her 20 go win cters III
some department TO assist 1laio cnieI cleA ~. III
private SECRETARY. Those and the oulces Ua IIo
bachelors in business are tho only places Where "o
get work for pretty girls -,
"Ihe reason is plain as the nose on y9ur Is
no continued. the wives have lnterieIcu. EsoaJ
married man is visited at his Office by his vile more
or less frequently. II she finds him elbow 40 epJw
or fare 10 face with pretty c0quesIe every t.o O
comes she is certain to make life moro or less un-