St. Paul daily globe., 1888-05-13
"What's the matter9 7 can't read

AoauOA, plotIy SOOil IL cdIlc Udck
it looked as if a cyclone of lead pencil
marks had swept over it.
Now" said Amanda, "you see how
you have succeeded when you had
correct copy to to begin with. What
would you do if you had bad manuscript,
Dadly written, mo punctuation or capitals,
ana then have to set it up in rush?"
L gave it up as a bad lot, but as a
matter OF curiosity looked over the work
being set up. l found here, as in most
printing offices, that the copy was badly
written; in fact, l could read but little
OF IL, but the girls told me that they got
SO used to those little incidents that
they didn't mind them at all.
AS THE PROOFS CAME
In noticed that the proof-reader was
not always infallible; sometimes he
dldn>t mark mistakes; the cOmposltors
told me they had enough to do, and sell
marked.
didn't learn to distribute any type,
nor many other things that seemed to
belong to the trade.
AT o'clock the foreman came along
and said to me: "YOu needn't come to
WORK here any more, you are too care
less and slow; you have mixed three
KINDS OF type, pied column by hitting
it with your elbow, wasted a girls time
answering your questions, and your
PROOF was abOminableW
Ihad intended to ask some questions
ABOUT the rate of wages, but in the face
OF that arraignment / felt glad to es-
cape.
Amanda told me that the trade was
not learned in a day, and that if l had
patience and would work carefully she
thought she could get me place else
where.
,"How much wages would I get?'' I
asked.
;'You wouldn't get any pay for two
OF three weeks, because you'd be more
trouble than good" she replied.
In view OF my recent experience I
didn't think it would be very amusing
TO work that length of time without pay.
felt interested in the cOmpositOrs, so
during the next few days | visited
nearly all the printing offices where
gulS were employed.
In the Journal and Tribune composing
rooms found a few girls who had from
TOUR to pine years experience in the
business. They worked by the piece;
they could earn from S12 to S1S week.
THEY EARN GOOD WAGES.
why, you earn as good wages as the
men," i exclaimed.
Il don't see why we shouldn't" was
the reply. Printing is very hard work;
1t requires quickneSS, the lead type is
apt to poison your blood, and the work
always hurts your eyes,"
do you get used to the work so that
it don't make you tired?'' l asked.
mo, you have to work so steady that
you are always tired.''
Isn't there printers union here?'
l asked.
"Oh, yes; there is f1ourishing union,
and when you join that you can always
demand good wages" was the reply.
asked. = -.
No; you must have four or five
years experience before you can join.',
What do you do while you are get
ting that eXperience?''
"Oh, we work around in one non-un-
ion shop or another, usually by the
week, Tor whatever wages we can get"
Hennepin avenue, near Third street.
The office was dirty and poorly venti-
lated. The windows looked as though
they hadn't been cleaned for about a
year.
The girls were quite busy and not in
clined to talk, but they told me that they
worked ten hours day and got paw for
overtime.
What is the average weekly wages?"
THAT depends on how long you have
worked and your quickness, but usually
you can't earn over 81 or S. a week un-
I'll you've had about two years eXper-
perience. After that you get Sc or 81 a
week."
"Can you ever earn more than that?"
AFTER AWHILE.
"Well, when you have worked at the
trade about four years, if you're still
alive, you may earn $40 week."
Judging from my short experience,
didn't think would be alive after four
years steady work.
In one Office found a girl who had
formerly worked for G. 81. Du Bois on
the Spectator.
"You want to go over there and write
up that Offic," she said.
'Why?"
''Well, when l used to work there he
would employ girls for starvation
wages, require the best kind of work,
always had the girls work from four
teen to sixteen hours on Fridays, and
refused them any pay for overtime"
YES" said another, II worked
there, too. He never paid you more
than half what your work was worth,
and would discharge girl who de-
manded more than S. or 81 week."
| could hardly credit what those girls
Bois' editorials, and he always seemed
so public-spirited aud progressive that
it tseemed incredible that he should de-
part so far from his theories when it
came to every day practice.
''lf you don't believe me-" said the
first speaker, "Pll go over to his office
with you, and We'll see how he treats
the girls now."
Wewent to the Office in the Travis
block. There was mo admission
sign on the composing room door, but
we didn't mind that.
The office was the cleanest [ had yet
seen, the girls were very meek and had
but little to say. My companion ques-
toned them sharply, and elected the
information that their pay was very
low. they worked late Friday evenings,
but had their supper furnished, which
was an improvement Oh the old regime.
They. had to work steady, and good
work. was an absolute requirement.
"Now,' said my companion, "you see
told you the truth" / had to SORROW
fully admit that she did, also that my
faith in Mr.. Du BOiS' philanthropy was
severely shaken.
Visited many other offices, but found
the condition of wages about the same
in all. Seemingly, compositors get
good wages, but when the mental as
well as the mechanical labor is taken
into account they complain that the rate
is too low. failed to see the necessity
of the dirt. bad ventilation and poor
light, which is the characteristic of al
most every office in the city. 1t seemed
to me that the work is hard enough,
even under the best conditions, and, in
many cases, employers could make their
offices quite pleasant if they would only
| take the same trouble to see that their
employees were comfortable that they
would to see that their horse or dog is