St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-04-22
MIR. PURCHASES VERSION
Of the Situation of Affairs at the
Cascade Laundry.

Cascade Laundry.
In your issue of April Is, in reference
to articles being published concerning
the working women of our city, you
say: eff any employer feels agrieved
and wants to present his side, space
will be gladly rendered." or words to
that effect. In the article, "WOrking in
the Wet" published in the same issue,
the Cascade laundry is mentioned in
terms that are not in keeping with the
facts in the case. Our wash room is re-
ferred to as being so dark that the
writer could not see the floor; as being
lighted from two windows below the
level of the sidewalk; looking more
l.'Ie rat hole than a place
where women were forced to
work, and disgrace to humanity;
and that it is no wonder that we re-
fuse admission to visitors.
Now the above statements are so
wide of the facts that they can but i'll
jure any object which they might have
been written to promote, however
worthy such an object, more than they
will assist it or injure us. The wash
room referred to is lighted by fifteen
windows, instead of two, twelve of
them being about six or eight feet
high and two to three feet of each of
these twelve is above the level of the
sidewalk, and two smaller ones which
are entirely above the level of the walk.
In regard to the floor being wet, this
we do not deny; but will say that it is
not unreasonably wet for a room de-
voted to such work, we could
not be expected to keep it
like parlor. Look into the kitchen or
washr0om of any ordinary family on
any wash day and then make proper
tionate allowance for the greater guam
tity of work handled here and we will
compare favorably. You might as we'll eX-
pect to find flour mill free from dust as
a Mushroom without the floor somewhat
wet. In regard to our refusing admiS
years we have advertised our entire
laundry open to the public every
Wednesday, and invited them to visit
us. and without exception take them to
the Mushroom first. We have had many
accept the invitation and this is the first
time we have heard anything, even I'M
complimentary.
Perhaps the ordinary visitor may not
have the faculty of junging as to what
condition such room should be eX-
pected to be found in.
The article states that SIS week is
the most the girls can earn, and that
some of them earn but $3.50. Now. in
regard to this it happens, fortunately
for us, that John Lamb, the state sta
tistician on labor matters, was in our
place but short time previously, and
he will show any one who feels
interested enough to investigate that
he found but one girl who re-
celved less than Sc, and we have
some sixty or seventy girls. There are
number on our pay roll who have
been steadily employed here for more
than seven years, and large number
for upwards of five years, and girls are
not kept so long where they are forced
to work in such place as is described
in that article.
l feel that you have done us an injus-
tice and injury, and will also say that
some of our girls already feel that they
are stigmatized in the matter and have
so expressed themselves to me, and l
hope you will give this communication
space and prominence equal to the
former article referred to.
j. r. PURCHASE.