Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-07-15
A SHOP GIRLS LIFE.
WHAT sWsETENs HER EXISTENCE
AND WHAT DOESN'T.

pay-Hah Hour for Lunch-Whon,
tho Girls Na1ry-why the seAsa wers
Removed.
We'll. we have &c Be here af 9 O'Clock
every morning. whether We live on the eass
side. tie west side in Brooklyn or Harlem,
and O'Clock isn't an unreasonable hour at
all, nor do We ever complain but II Ne are
Ten minutes late. no matter WITTY. We are
6ned Of course, 10 tie cash girls this dne
means going without TIA cup OF bot coffee or
tie little oit of fruit she would have bought
10 piece out her little lunch. but. 50 far as
am concerned, l don't care anything about
the fac. !. Is the restriction that object to
END the beng renrimanded I don't intend
10 be ia,s am Just as much interested in
being here in time add selling los Of goods
as the proprietor is himself | ike nv bnSi-
ness, and arm proud of my SHES and anxious
to begin my work for the day. and the ileA
that because happen to miS . car. or have
one of the thousand little delaying accidents
that every woman and man, too, for that
matter Is liable TO- that some man who
knows nothing about me has right TO repri-
nand me and are NE Just makes mo cross
and hurts my pride.
Then the hardest thing Of all q shop girl
has to endure is the constant standing from
5 in the morning until 6 at night, with only
one half hour rest at noon A few years ago
some one stirred up this subject and seats
were placed behind the counter, but they
have been all taken away. The salesladies
in suit departments can sit down, but not
In the room where tho customers ara OF
course, If they so away in the little side
room to rest they u,iss their customers, and
the consequence is that they stand all day
outside We do not mind it On busy DAYS,
the excitement keeps Us up. but on duh days
we almost faint away sometimes standing
still with nothing 70 make US forget how
tired we ara
I'VE have half an hour for lunch, which ID
time enough for person to eat a cold lunch,
but when girl stands from o'clock until 3,
after 2 o'clock breakfast she wants some
thing besides q sandwich and O cup Of tea for
her lunch. l used to go out and buy my
lunch and have a regular hot dinner, a I
would at home needed It. and worked all
the better for It, but at course couldnt get
it in half an hour. was usually gone forty
minutes After n while 1 was denied that
privilege, and l have to eat my lunch In the
lunch room don't like q cold lunch, and
somehow the thought Of the being compslled
to do anything like that hils nav heart with .
kind Of bitterness that takes away ell my ap-
petite 1. isn't the cold lunch or tho hot
lunch room where they make coffee In one
end and eat tn the other, though, that isn't
exactly what am used to at homo, but II Is
the restraint that | rebel against
AT O'Clock sharp we are all excused In
batch. and away We pour out of the door like
a mob of factory hands. and the people all
say, See the shop girls Now, II some could,
when they had no customers, go at fifteen
minutes to or ten minutes to 8, don't you
see We wouldn't all aock out together and at
tract attention, fer par. of US would 60 at
one time and part at another. but now it Is
push and crowd and lam to get out, SO tina,
if you would 60 dcceutly and in ladyliks
way you have TO wait Until all the crowd u
Sona
There are great many things might do
evenings To ujoy myself. but am too tired
and feel SO hind OF bitter and sorry and TO-
sentful in my heart that don't want to 60
anywhere. / like my work, am interested in
it, and do not want to gfve IL up any more
than man wants TO give up his business
Ny employer is very kind, my salary is very
generous, and al that; it Is only n few little
things about the system of managing tho
girls that makes Us unhappy. We are indo-
pendent business women, earning as much,
and in many cases more than men in the
same places, and we do not like TO be gov
erued like the inmates of an orphan home or
house Of correction.
And what kind Of men do we marryi
Well. they have to be pretty nice, or we don't
bother with them. The better class of saIas-
ladies rarely marry employees in the store.
Don't you see We are independent, and unless
we are going to better ourselves very much,
or unless we get hopeleasty In love. We DO not
care TO marry at all know many gira Who
have married very we'll, and have lovely
homes DO we ever marry the customers
whom we meet In tho storef Well with a
toss Of ths blonde head and pretty fush in
the tiInid face, III know some who migh.
have married some Of their customers, but
wouldn't
"a. far as promDtion Is concerned, that
rests entirely with ourselves L. bAsed on our
ability, and ! think Is very fair and just
Some girls never get promoted because they
lack ability and push, and others get TO the
top in a short TINA The promotions are from
cash To parcal clerk, FROM that TO stock clerk.
one who assists In keeping che goods in order,
then to bill clerk ssiesiady, cashiers and door
walkers, and wages Increase from two dollars
up 70 thirty or more
How much pay do getr said . Ittis,
fair faced maiden behind the counter "Fiys
dollars a week, unless something happena"
And what does happsn TO prevent itf'
"Wel, IL I'm late . few minutes I am
fined; II am half an hour late loss ono
quarter OF q days wages. II make the least
little mistake In my bills that is taken out Of
my pay, and II 1 break anything that has 70
be paid for. II am ssck half day loss
that, and % you see don't always get the g.
Tho floor walker doesn't always look when
she hears . craxh, becausc II she DOESN'T know
what breaks or who breaks IL Why then abe
can't report It But shs always does look II
the superintendent II anywhere On the door.
Sometimes ons dish oesks . whole veak's
pay.
mo, our superintendent fsnr Q woman,
md I'm glad Of Il A woman dos nothing
but scoid and stsv and fnss all tie time ovur
ttls things Ts. ics pretty hard 70 ks.p
up all tbs anss, but sapposs IL makes a.
more careful. 20 that vs really Ia &C. have
% very many TO pay. We, We have no ses.s
low; They hars all besa taken away. Sane-
.irn.s two Or three Of ts crowd On the sdse a
drawer that pcla Gu: near Ire foor, bu, ve
ng ikis way"
.hs aooY valksr. . dastzss looking rtya
They were Dot qntck 70 rts up Wien cos-
sor,ers carss IA, snd grew nsgiscs1uI and
ntslsct OF course, II 10 tsrssoxas 70 ssand
o long. and gtrh nssd 20 b s.roax 70 endure
Fst.~