St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-05-27
But Finds the Work, Like
Other Trades, With Many
Unpleasant Phases.
In a Big Factory, at "Strip-
ping" and "Bunch-Break-
ing" Exercises.
Some Drawbacks Natural to
Handling the Weed in
Earlier Stages.

SIM s; 3d.: 3d.; +: !: !!
mIs work. n g
!. ! i: !. |. ]
J.. | M@M girls, tn e
M<[AA /EM. other day,
nj IN LWA was prompt
,dE/N W, W. WMEN ed to relate
UElE% WI SpSA VIVA my expert
fTMHAH n fYTJ M6W ence of CT
IWIM Vs. CLW .E4SyM gar making.
,&NHM w. w. MNW Ithappened
\WSTsMIi NA- HE some time
WV ~ ago in this
wise. AT friends house l met cigar
maker and heard her speak of earning
from Sl4 to $40 per week. 1t seemed to
ME that here was an opening for me to
earn good living easily, if could only
get chance to learn to make cigars.
AS soon as an opportunity presented l
asked her:
SIS it true that your earnings average
S14 a week?"
''Oh, yes, 1 earn that right along"
81 suppose cigar making is hard to
learn and perhaps tedious work." was
next remark.
''No. it is light work; you can sit or
stand, just as you choose. and it's quite
sure that you can make big wages"
''How long will it take to learn?" was
my eager question.
'Well, that depends up on your own
quickneSs; you ought to know the
trade well in year."
''Do you always have steady work?"
mot always" was the hesitating re-
ply. ''In the winter we have good
deal of idle time, and sometimes have
the quantity of work limited, and we
only earn enough to pay our board"
That dampened my ardor considera-
bly,, for reflected: ''What's the use of
big wages for a short time and then
much idleness to eat up the profts?"
But the girl urged me to try, saying:
Lots of people think that cigarmak-
ing isn't so respectable for girls as other
trades, but you'll find it isn't half so
hard as people say, and you'll make
good wages"
II don't care what people think about
it," laughingly remarked. ''for think
a girl can command respect in any trade
if she deserves it,"
Cali right" she said promptly, "you
hunt up place to learn as soon as you
can"
l thought she was going. to offer to
get me place where she worked, but
doing so | concluded to
TRY FOR MYSELF.
1t was weariSome work. There were
many small factories, but they en-
ployed mostly men and were not in need
of an apprentice. In several shops they
told me that their employees belonged to
a union.
''What difference does that make?" I
asked.
''Only this, you would be counted as
an apprentice for three years before
Joining the union; your wages would
be about One-third higher than in nom
union factory, and you would be paid as
much as the men for the same amount
of work.
"That seems quite fair" I said. "Do
you want to take me as an apprentice?'
The answer was always in the mega
tive. 1t seemed at that time that work
was very slack, some saying that
large quantity of cigars used in
this city were sent from the East.
Others claimed that Hooker & Manly,
being a non-union factory, paid their
help low wages and were able to con-
troll the home market. They didn't
seem to be held in high estimation
among their fellow dealers, but finally
concluded to apply for work to them.
Hooker 81 Manly's factory found on
First avenue north, between Washing
ton avenue and Second street. Passing
through an archway, | climbed what
seemed to me an endless number OF
stairs. 1t was one of those buildings
whose natural state is that of dirt and
disorder. Even in the Railways there
was mingled Odor of sewer gas and
tobacco. The combination was not re-
freShing. Although there seemed to be
so many Stairways, yet the factory was
only Oh the third floor. There was a
sign on the door saying. ''No Admission
to Visitors" but l wasn't visitor.
Opening the door, saw large room.
1t was neatly plastered and furnished,
lighted by several large windows on one
end and three small ones on the side.
On one side were long tables, at which
many girls were busy; in other places
were groups of girls
STRIPPING TOBACCO.
The strong smell of tobacco and the
dust in the air made my head ache, and
thinking perhaps that the work was I'M
healthy. | said to one of the girls:
doesn't the work injure your health?"
''NOt if you're strong enough to stand
it; some girls get sick and leave, but
there are others who work for years at
the trade. They get used to the work."
This matter of getting used to the
work" seems, in many trades, to take
away all danger to the health-the
girls often seeming to think when
they are accustomed to any bad feature
that of course it doesn't injure them. If
they should find their health seriously
impaired at the end of three or four
years, probably they'll say: 'Oh, that's
to be expected; hardly any girl can work
steady longer than that time"
| looked around for the foreman and
soon found him.
Are you the man who hires girls?"
''YeS," he replied.
81 want to learn cigar making"
He told me he had no place vacant,
but | could learn stripping" if wished
while waiting.
"How much pay will 1 get?''
''You work by the piece, make what
ever you can earn?"
Il suppose that would be IS or Sc
week at the start" said l, keeping in
mind the stories of big wages.
mo, you wouldn't earn more than
$3.50 or 81 week at first; maybe after
you worked year you could earn So a
week." said the foreman, pleasantly.
l thought I'd try the work, it was
easily learned, but required some skill
to strip the rib from the middle of the
leaf without wasting 1t. My hrSt work
was on the cheapest kind of tobacco,
the pay was cents a pound. worked
hard all week, eight hours day, and
even put in my spare time at noon.
Now" thought l, 'of course Pve
earned good pay; these other girls are
slow, that's the reason why they don't
make much"
My pay for the week was S1.97.
you've did first-rate this week." said
my employer encouragingly. ''NeXt
week you can work ON Havana tobacco;
it works up fast, so you'll make more at
the same price per pound than you
would on cheaper grades"
But the girls told me they got Scents
c L