St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-04-08
guess they'll get us better shop after a


the city. Steam sewing machines are
used.
'Of course, the company provide these
machines?" queried.
mo, we buy them, all the same kind"
How much does one cost?''
$685.
THE HALF-PRICE DEAL.
"But this sort of machine wouldn't be
of any use without the power to run it,
so what do you do when you want to
leave?" / objected.
"Oh, the firm would buy machine
back from a girl for $40 or SIS if it
wasn't much worn, suppose"
Several grades of goods were being
made, prices ranging from Is to % cents
apiece. "NO one unless an expert can
make more than seven shirts a day even
on steam machines, because there is
often good deal of extra work on the
fine grades, and they are very particular
about having the work well dOne," said
an experienced hand.
Wages ranged from So to 50 per week.
Some girls were working buttonholes
by hand.
"How much do you get apiece for
| them?" | asked.
Don't you think it's about time for
you to skip?" was the sharp reply.
1.-THE foreman don't let us talk much, if
you even spoke to the girls down to
Langley & Johnson's, you'd get chased
out quick"
Immediately wanted to see that place,
so went straight to Langley q Johnson's
on Second avenue south.
After climbing many flights of stairs
and threading my way through various
halls, found the place in question.
The factory was clean, the sun shone
brightly through the numerous windows
and canary sang loudly in his cage,
but sure enough, there sat the girls all
in row working for dear life and never
a WORD or smile from them.
l spoke to few of the girls, but they
only pointed to the foreman and said
never word.
Thinking perhaps the foreman had
lot of deaf muteS employed, thought
to the further end of the factory, where
he sat in state stamping initials. But
alas! he was
TOO BUSY TO BE EVEN CIVIL.
departed without unnecessary delay,
but returned at noon. The foreman was
out; the girls had found their tongues.
eyes, we provide machines and
thread"
"Work ten hours day."
"WOrk by the week at first and by
the piece after while, when we've
learned"
"Why, yes, we can earn from IS cents
to $1.25 day when we have worked
five or six months" were the various
answers to my questions.
Nearly all of the girls boarded at
home, and consequently could spend all
their earnings as they pleased. They
-drnccn6
not in terror of the foreman.
"You want to go over to Simpson &
Henderson's and see how the girls work
over there" laughingly said one of the
girls. 81 knowa girl who worked there
three months, and she hasn't done any
thing SINCE"
"Why?"
''Don't ask us; go see for yourself"
/ did.
After diligent search found Simpson
& Henderson's shirt factory crowded in
a far corner of the laundry building on
First avenue south. The walls and
ceiling unfinished and dirt-begrimed,
the factory separated from the engine
room only by board partition. There
were several windows, but the dirt was
light struggled through. The smell of
steam and intense heat were sickening,
even at this time of the year. But the
girls said:
eff you can't and this, you'd smother
in summer, because its just awful then,
even for girls that are used to it."
"You have windows; why don't you
keep them Open?" r.
"WelI, you see, it's Hobson's choice
between the heat in here and the
SMELL FROM THE BACK YARDS
in the block when the windows are
OPEN"
Steam-power machines, paid for by
employees, were also used here.
The employees looked weary and dis
| pirited.
Determined to find out why girls who
were just learning, at low wages, were
obliged to furnish, or rather purchase,
| machines, | asked few questions.
Finally new employee said:
"When we come to learn we are paid
about $40 month. The firm think that
by requiring us to pay S. month on a
machine, we are more likely to stay"
"But that only leaves you SIS month
for your expenses" SAID.
"Oh, that pays my car fare and incl
dental expenses. We don't expect any
more than that for the first three
months"
blessed are they who expect nothing.
for they shall not be disappointed, was
my mental reflection.
eff you should fall i'll and be obliged
to leave before you had finished paying
for your machine, would the money you
had paid be refunded to you?"
"Of course not. The boss would claim
what you had paid was only the rent for
the machine, and sell it to the next new
hand that wanted a iObo
In this factory the work was divided
in pieces, so that each garment went
through several hands in the process of
making.
"Can you earn good wages this way?"
/ asked.
Eyes, if you call 81 day good wages.
was the angry reply"
l didn't ask any more questions. I
was tired EVA CAV