St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-04-01

UTILIZED 10 STAND ALL DAY,
and it seemed to be wearisome work.
The girls were dressed with the same
regard to convenience rather than style,
which was noted at the other factory.
The dust was not bad in this place. ex-
cept where the burlap sacks were
handled. Several girls had severe
coughs.
"Does the dust affect your lungs?" 1
asked.
''Some of the girls can't stand it at all,
and have to leave on that account, and
some don't notice it, was the reply.
A girl was sewing on flour sacks, near
by. Are you paid by the day?' l said.
mo, we are paid by the piece"
"HOw much can yeu earn dayE'
'Pve been working two years, and
earn from s1.25 to s1.40 day." she
said. Another said:
''Only those who come in as new hands
are paid by the week. They work clip
ping sacks and get 81 week."
A general inquiry showed that the rate
girl by steady work can make living
wages. Quite number earn from 81 to
s. week, and the majority are able to
make Sc a week. The girls are much in
fear of breaking the various rules about
talking, eating, hardness, etc., as they
say the penalty is discharge for slight
faults. But many are willing to obey
the rules, though irksOme, for the sake
of decent place to work in an OppOrtu
nifty to earn fair living.
Happening to be on the east side of
the river one day few weeks ago, l Wis
tied two
FACTORIES WHERE MATTRESSES ARE
MADE.
At Salisbury, Rolph & Co.'s factory
the room where the girls were employed
was bright and clean, walls and ceiling
being finished with matched boards. 1t
was heated by steam, we'll lighted and
ventilated. Altogether it looked like
decent, comfortable place for the girls
to work in. Bed ticks and mattresses
are made on steam sewing machines.
One of the girls told me that an ordinary
perts as high as $2.75. "Steam sewing
machines have latNy been put in here"
she said, land the price by the piece cut
a little, but we work faster now, so that
makes it about even." l heard no COM
plant of any sort; the employees seemed
well satisfied.
Hearing that the Minneapolis Furni-
ture company employed girls to weave
wire mattresses, l next went over there.
Industriously avoiding the 'No adj
mission" signs, l at last found the shop
where the girls worked. This is what
happened: The ''for elady'' came along
just as entered the shop. Supposing
that was looking for work, she said:
1--WE don't want any hands" l looked
around the shop; it was long and mar
row, tOlerably clean, well heated and
lighted. The mattresses are woven on
tot ho v,1o n
cry at the end.
elbow do you pay?" l asked the "fore-
lady"
''By the pieces cents for each mat
tress you weave"
81 never worked in a place like this;
'Oh, no." she replied, '.you can see
the work is light and you can
STAND ALL DAY;
that's SO much healthier than sitting at
your work"
said never word.
''lt's real nice place to work." she
continued; ''you only have to work one
week without pay. then you have what
ever you can earn by the piece"
''H6w much could I earn a day if I
worked steady?"
"You could easily weave twenty mat
tresses day after you worked while.
That would be Sc a week."
''Do you think a girl could pay her
board and other expenses and dress her
self respectfully on 81 day?" Queried.
She lifted her eyebrows in astonish-
ment at my doubts. and then said: Il
should say So"
rather liked that woman, she seemed
so anxious to make the work seem
pleasant and profitable when visitor
asked questions.
1--WE don't have any wash basin, but
pail of filthy water that is changed
about once week."
sometimes the machinery won't
twist the wire right and we only weave
few a day."
''We have to go through workshop,
down two flights of stairs to closet,
and that is used by the men in the Office
as well as by the girls"
1--WE don't have any lamps, and in
winter we have to quit when it gets
dark"
-"They say the sforelady' takes the
contract for weaving these mattresses
from the firm at a good price and then
pays us cents apiece for them.n
Just then the whistle blew, and &C
cepting an invitation to dinner from one
of the girls, we went home. will de-
scribe the average girls home or board
ing place and what she gets to eat at
some future tine EVA CAT,