St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-07-22

AlXS TN3 ) of the life of girls
>NAE 81 who wait on them?
MI INA52W' They sit d w n,
OIL NV Nzgs- complain and are
4 usually n at ly
~ ~ dressed. Even after
Wl%IazTW my varied expert
TU<S"I ence in finding that
w ~ the real life of
working girls often is not what it seems.
l hardly thought it necessary to inquire
into the condition of girls working in
hotels. | found them a class apart from
other servants. The girl who does hotel
work, no matter in what department,
has served her apprenticeship to it and
can be induced to do no other kind.
Dining room girls have reputation
for being ready-tongued and quick-wit-
ted, so l thought there would be no
trouble in finding out from them any
thing which might be amiSS, and l had
an idea that they were too Independent
as a class to submit to ill-treatment. In
order to make sure that of being right
in this opinion l dropped into the Wind
SOr house, OstenSibly for meal. really
to interview the girls. The girls were
numerous, but any attempt at converse
ton was failure.
Aren't you allowed to talk to board
ers?'' | said at last.
eve used to be fiued % cents for
every time any one was seen talking to
a guest, except what was necessary in
taking ORDERS" the girl replied, but
some of the people who had staid long
time made such fuss about treating
the girls that way that the proprietor
quit filming us for that. but it is not al
lowed"
So | had to look for work once more,
calling at the ladies' entrance of the
hnfal I yyanHnrnH arnyrn1 in al1c
prettily furnished and cool. l was look
ing for the servants quarters, and
finally had to invoke the aid of bell
boy. He conducted me to little stutfy
room, which he called a parlor, at the
extreme rear of the building. He offered
to summon any girl that l wanted to
see, but refused to let me go up to their
rooms. | thanked him and said not to
mind. AS soon as his coat-tailS van
ished around the corner | began little
visit on my own account. A few steps
from the parlOr door was large open
ing or shaft extending from the top to
the bottom of the building. 1t seemed
to be about ten feet square. Along one
side of the shaft was a walk and narrow
flights of stairs. 1t is hardly necessary
to remark that these stairways were
not carpeted with Brussels nor
provided with heavily carved bal
uSlIducS. lucy NClC Quilt
IN their simplicity, consisting only of
narrow bits of plank nailed to support,
and single piece along the side as
baluster. | sat down on the top step to
rest, but didn't stay long. The combi-
nation of odOrS was something unique
even to me, and l am pretty we'll hard
ened to that sort of thing. But not
being sanitary Inspector L held my
peace. If any member of the health de-
=, -. 7 IL. H..
where to find plenty. was right in my
conjecture that these stairways led to
the girls rooms. | looked along a
corridor about two feet in width. 1t was
carpeted with bits Ofmany patterns and
colOrS, sometimes the piece fitted, again
they displayed a section of bare floor.
The paper was applied to the wall in
about the same style. A row of doors,
close together, on each side of this
corridor opened into the rooms
occupied ar by the he girls dGsnin took *
some of them. All were the same size,
that is, about 6XS feet. The ceiling
slopes so that opposite the door there is
only room for half window between
the ceiling and floor. This window and
little transom over each door give
light and air. | noticed that the win
dOwS of rooms along one side were right
against the side of another building,
making them practically useless. The
rooms were carpeted and papered after
the fashion of the corridor. The furni-
ture
CONSISTED OF ODDS AND ENDS
that couldn't be used anywhere else
broken-noSed pictures, rickety chairs,
waShStandS and bedsteads that would
take a premium for antiquity. Some
rooms were quite untidy, and this,
understand, is the girls own fault, as
each room is assigned to two girls, they
being held responsible for its care.
But no amount of care from the girls
would make rooms of their size and con-
struction fit for human habitation.
Hearing a number of excited voices
In one room, stepped in; it was so
crowded that the girls didn't notice me.
Each had her grievance. One said:
IL was late just two minutes in the
dining-room and got fined % cents; but
the first evening came here waited on
table three hours and didn't getany pay
for it: that didn't count"
'Of course, that's regular" said an
other" but got fined % cents for going
down the front stairs to the dining
room.n
I'VE get fined 25 cents for every time
The gas is left burning in our rooms
after IL at night"
There's Mary, who has been sick a
week and fined % cents for every meal
She missed waiting OIL; she won't have
much coming to her." remarked all
other.
Girls, I'm looking for place, but If
you are fined for all of these things how
much wages do you get?'' said.
''Oh, yes, we're fined also for all the
dishes we break; the fine is according
to the value of the dish," they said.
What wages are you paid anyhow"
asked.
IF you look for work you'll be
promised SIS a month as a dining
room girl, and then the head
waiter keeps a little book where
he markes down the fines, and
you are lucky to get half that at the end
Of the month";" they explained.
''Well, what makes you stay here?" ]
said. do they have the same rules in
every hotel SO that you can do no bet
ter?''
The girls said that many hotels had
no system of fines likes this, but the
girls were so poorly fed that it was
hard to stay, Willie in the Windsor al