St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-09-16

luiLs We NoibCO bnCnbN ihlHutCo tOl u
car, and the rain spoiled our dresses.
Everybody rides when it rains, and,
with only the ordinary number of cars,
it is rather uncomfortable. All the men
crowd forward and keep their seats,
while the girls rest themselves by sway
ing to and fro and hanging to a. strap.
Of course, it's no digrace to be work.
ing girl, but on rainy evening it
strikes one as being quite inconyenient.
Next morning | SmOOthed the wrinkles
Outof my damp attire and went to work
again. During the day in talking about
hours of work found two girls who think
that eight hours is long enough for an
average days work. They had reflected
somewhat on the question and were
quite earnest in arguing that shorter
hours would give more time for amuse-
ment and culture. l thought it my
duty to inform them that the average
employer thinks that help would lie
better off If they worked fourteen hours
instead of ten. The employer would
make more money sure, and the help
wouldn't have time to acquire vicious
habits.
At noon | coaxed two of the girls to
visit various binderies in town. The
girls of this craft seem pretty well ac-
quainted among themselves and freely
snapped ideas about wages and social
amuSementS.
find that nearly all of the girls live
at home. Some give dollar or two a
week in lieu of board, but the majority
proceed to spend their 81 or 81 a week
in fine raiment and caramelS.
Whats the use of pinching and starv-
ing ones self. l am going to show the
clerks and typewriterS that | can dress
just as well as they" said pretty miss
whose mother was advising her to save
few ShekelS and get better educa-
ton.
We first visited Smith & Harrison's.
Their employees claimed it was the best
establishment of the sort in town. Only
fair amount of work is eXacted and all
overtime paid. The workroom is tOler-
ably neat and well ventilated and the
girls seem happy.
Kimball & Hatch employa large num-
Der of girls i'll their printing and bind
ing establishment. The wife of one of
the firm is fOrelady, and under her
supervision neither time nor material
is wasted. The building is old and
dirty, while the odor of decayed fruit
from various commission stores in the
vicinity is not an agreeable feature.
The wOrkroOm is rather diSorderly, but
apart from those features there is no
ground for special complaint. Fair
wages are paid and steady employment
is the rule.
The Tribune bindery girls have
pleasant workroom and make no COM
plant.
One feature of the work which did not
impress me favOrably is the amount of
space Travelled in order to do the work.
Girls who collect the printed sheets
walk around long table all day and it
becomes quite tiresOme.
The work requires considerable accu-
racy and speed. l wasn't success in
the business. l made several careless
mistakes and finally concluded to quit.
Don't you ever get enough expert
ence so that you can earn about $50
| mOnthT' | inquired of an old hand.
''Of course not. You Just learn the
trade, and experience doesn't count for
much after that The wages won't run
higher than s. or 81 a week"
"HOw long do girls stay at this wOrk?"
l asked. because hardly any of the girls
seemed TO be over twenty years old.
About two or three years." They
thought then they would get married,
or, if ambitious, try to learn some other
trade which might afford a broader field
for advancement.
40 a lulC Slilo III Co
Establishments have decided aversion to
doing homework, but the bOokbinders
are more sensible. Yes, l like to do
| homework for change" said one,
sometimes | get a good place and stay
| few months, then come back to the
bindery."
Cant you make as much at house
work as at this?'' | asked.
"JuSt about the same" she thought,
''Only housework is considered so de-
grading" she explained.
found that nearly all of the girls had
attended school. for several years and
were quite intelligent.
Altogether think the boOkbinderS a
fortunate class. Their work is hard
and pay moderate. But in nearly every
make their work as pleasant as pos
Sible. Perhaps the girls own indie
pendent spirit has contributed to free
them from those petty expressions so
common to many branches of industry.
80
The telephone employees complain
that their. lady superintendent is
Jealous member of a powerful church
and favOrS employees who belong to her
church to the exclusion or discomfort of
others-I hardly think so.
One of the leading dry goods stores
on NicOllet avenue uses cash railway
which attracts much attention from
the Inconvenience with which it is
handled by employees. The clerks have
to climb flight of steps each time cash
is sent or change returned. 1t is in
furious to the health as well as clumsey.
G. 0. Furbush has the cleanest and
most comfortable printing office in the
city.
George A. Pillsbury & Sons distrib-
uted portion of their net profits among
employees during the last week. The
girls would like to see other employers
follow the good example.
1 have seen nearly 300 girls out of
employment and looking for places, dur
ing the past two weeks. EVA GAY.
Some Rare Wine.
Epoch,
Thirsty Tourist Ito Agricuturist)-I