St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-05-20

kA<4GHASa ttxy&&ffFt1% questions is
going to get an
Invitation to leave right away
That decided me. 1 didn't know
The girls had any cause for complaint,
but L couldn't think of disappointing
those foremen or of denying them the
pleasure of ordering me out of the mill,
even at the expense of some personal
inconvenience. Then | don't mind a
little matter of that sort, for if the fore
man sends me l out invariably return as
often as necessary in order to gain
what information / want.
Upon inquiry found that the North
Star WOODEN mill is situated near the
foot of Sixth avenue south.
After crossing many railroad tracks
and wading through piece of muddy
street | found the right place. The mill
is large, Substantial-looking building
of gray stone, having Il new addition
built of brick.
Two large doors open directly into
The mill; L tried them, they were
locked; then l noticed smaller door
leading into the office. That was easily
opened, and passing through the office
walked into the mill, not noticing the
mo admission" sign. The building is
six stories high, the lowest story being
partly below the level of the sidewalk.
Seeing no elevator / industriously
climbed the narrow stairWayS until [
reached the sixth floor. There was no
machinery on that floor, it seemed to be
used only as StorerOOm. Retracing my
steps to the fifth floor found only lot
Of boys at work. On the third floor were
number of girls spooling warp. |
found the weavers Oh the second floor
and their work seemed to me the most
interesting. The machinery made a
aeafening noise. / attempted to talk to
The girls, but the result was not entirely
satisfactory. Some were
TOO BUSY so TALK,
others said plainly, 1--WE don't want to
say anything, even if there are things
we don't like. How do we know but
you'll give our names away to the boss,
then he'll very soon tell us that we're
lot wanted any longer"
Others. in answer to my questions,
would hastily reply: 'Oh, l don't have
anything to complain about; this is a
real nice place to work. II like my
place all right" Such replies were
always accompanied by hasty glance
to see If foreman was near.
would have been glad to believe
that in this mill l had found model
factory where no abuses exist. But
from much talking with working girls,
have learned that the employee who
really has good place is willing to
speak about her wages and conditions
Of work without reserve. While in a
factory where the girls have some rea-
son for complaint, but are afraid to
talk, often get just such answers as
The above.
l saw clearly that I was not going
about the right way to find the real con-
hltiOn of the girls. So next morning l
n1rnfnllU fiShnd ont of thn haO n
rather dilapidated dress, having b Or
rowed a hat and jacket to match, tied
my hair i'll a careless knot, and pro-
cured shoes and gloves with many holes
in them. When my disguise was COM
pleted, / looked as if hadn't eaten a
square meal in long time. Hoping
that my wretched appearance would
provoke pity, l presented myself at
the Office of the mill and asked for
work.
'What kind of work can you do?'
Il don't know" replied vacantly,
SHUT think 1 could learn to weave"
''Oh, you do. do you?" was the sar-
castle reply. Maybe you know some
weaver who'll teach you?''
No, | DON'T" replied.
''Well, you can't come here to learn
unless you know some girl who is will
ing to teach YOU"
w Hy. dSkGus
Because girl has to lose more or
less time teaching a new hand, and of
e0urse can't earn so much that week.
You see, girls won't bother teaching
strangers" replied the foreman.
Don't you have anybody to teach
new hands?" asked.
mo, we don't"
"YOu can go in and see if you can get
girl to teach you if you like" said the
foreman finally when persisted in ask
Ing for work.
l improved the opportunity by stroll
Ing around everywhere | could find a
gill working. l noticed that the mill
WAS EXTREMELY CLEAN,
The walls and ceilings were white
washed, and even the floors looked as if
they had often been scrubbed.
''You have clean place to work in,
at any rate remarked to one girl.
Eyes, its clean up here" she said,
shut if you want to see the hardest look
in the basement in the old part of the
mill"
whats down there"
"That'S the room where the blankets
and flannels are washed and dried" she
said. 1--WE worked here for years and
never go down there except to wash an
apron. You just go down and stay few
minutes and see if you won't be glad tc
get out of there"
| went down to the room mentioned
There were number Of men at the ma
chimes; at first | could see no girls. This
room is lighted by windows partly be-
low the level of the sidewalk, which
makes the light rather dim. The heat
from the washing and drying machines
was so intense (98 deg that I was on the
point of leaving, but just then spying
some girls over near the windows,
e L. tl,o& ,oI,