The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1888-01-25
WOMEN AND GIRLS AS BREAD WINNERS.
Interesting Particulars rs to the
Hard Lot to Which Poor Women
and Girls arc Subjected In New

The stranger in New York, if he is out In
| the streets carly enough, Will be aStonlSir'
| TO SEQ the tbrorg of women, girls, an!, llttl,
children hurrying to their respective places r o.
work. They are of every condition, appear.
ancc, and age, excepting the old, ana ne VIII
not see many of this class, rs "thc crime ol
being an old woman is severely visited in
New York, where work Is concerned. Incse
old women may be quite competent, Dut thcy
| must give way to the young, ana consent 70
he retired from the ranks OF the WORKERS.
| What becomes Of them? Perhaps they have
MANAGED to save Il few hundred dollars with
which TO buy their way into an old woman's
| home if not, the almS-house receives thcm
| or some other place for paupcrS. They were
dutiiul daughters IN thelr gay, ana cti ain,oeu W
| mother. They toilcd on. year after year, pa,
tient workers, glad to throw the sunshine ol
comfort around the declining days of the old
folks at home eseemng G tIS nIS GTy arse nre 70
resi-, and they in turn, have grown Old, ana
there will be none to care for them as they
cared for others. ,.,s , -
cross the river to reach their places OF work.
They live in Brooklyn, NewarK, ElizaDeln,
and the smaller places In New jersey: Ihey
must be at their work precisely at eight
o'clock, or they will be fined, In order TO be
nunctual, they must be up by daylight In
winter then take long ride or tramp 10 inc
boat, then when New YORK Is reaehca mere I, Is
another long tramp or ride, and this often
through the Ice. the snow, and the rain.
Some of them stand on their feet in the stores
until six o'clock at night, and then, TO reach
home 90 through the mornings ordeal again
Mt night. Even to strong and vigorous men
this is a trying experience; what then, must
it be to delicate young girls? Some OF these
are mere children, who do not carry nome az
tho end of the week more than one dollar ana
n half for all that is endured by tho, youthful
worker. Saturday night many OF the stores
do not close until eleven, and after that honr
the streets are full Of these tired breau-win'
ners hurrying home. H.. , .,,o,,
then the wear and tear of getting to and from
work is very great in winter. They i've IN an
kinds of ways. Some; who nave no fanny
ties hire q small furnished room and do their
own cooking and even their washing Ihey
NAV. perhaps, cat their dinner at restati'
rant. but this Is luxury In when the maJori.
ty cannot indulge. Some ooard IN h9Unes iol
Young women, and by paying four dollars q
week, several have the eprivilege OF occupying
one room. Others, again, earn enough 10 pay
for n small room in boarding house: but the
majority OF the working Women ahu eitos t its Hi
support. Sometimes girl VINO is earning
sufIiciency, gets above her humble hol G. anu
goes to a boarding house, ana, as hSe cOhse-
Or mn unwomanly fit Of selflshness comes
over her and she determines to spend her
earnings on herself alone. These cases are.
however, not common, anu there arc nun mu,ieir t.
Gus instances where every dollar n earned ,hs Is
handed over to the mother for tho use Oh the
household. d.,
differ. The little "cash girl rarely. eSceeuS
two dollars and q half week, and frequently
her earnings are much less. Inc girls IN
stores are variously paid, from five dollars up.
Those who address wrappers In Offices receive
sometimes seven dollars week. but they are
expected to write one thousand day. While
soine women workers are fortunate IN pcins
we'll compensated, it is to be feared that inc
majority barely keep the wolf from the aoor
rsI.z tn,o an hon
to be the worlds bread-winners. That time
has gone by, and now women are, from some
cause or other, compelled to crowd INTO inc
avenues of work and take tnelr place Sestue Sshn,
when he sends forth his little daughter OF the
tender age Of eight or nine to toll from eignl
until six to add her mite to the household IN. IN
come. The crowded drinking saloons olteh
answer the question "Why?'
"aow long, o cruel nation,
VIII you stand, to move the world, OH
childs heart
Stifle down with mailed heel its palpitation,
And tread onward to your throno aihio 'i'e
mast"
Sometimes larger girls prefer going out to
sell in stores or write in offices TO remaining
at home and assisting the oVer,ouIuen
ed mother in her work. She likes 10 DO earn
away from the maternal eye all the day, and
She often makes an excuse for being away
from it in the evening too Homc. " ne,
means dullness and latiSue' ana SMe oon he
seen in droves, these kind OF girls Waihitis
until late at night. in the principal avenues
sometimes with their escorts IN attematHiciG q
II is a restless, unhomeikc life these girls
lead and. yet, they are tho worlds mothers
and housekeepers.
There are two sides to every question; anu
while there is something admirapG oat IN ,,1n tme
iority of these working girls and women, Inc
question naturally arises, what is tne clect
upon the home and the character? IL must
be remembered that among these ,,S ',"an,
have husbands living. These women arc ao
sent all day from the place they cali hoiIie I
The children, If very young, arc put lu uiS
nurseries and the mother calls for them IN the
evening when her hours of work are over II
the children are not young enough lol tne
day nursery. they amuse themselves oS Plas
ing in the streets, and imbibe the streets per-
The home is Woman's rightful sphere, and
here her glory shines the brightest. 10 lilS
view. advanced thought" Is opposed; 4ut Ito TO
won,anhood clings lovingly. No money, NO
fame can com pensate n woman for the loss OF
home.life. @ life Yet this is what we SEQ to-day;
hundreds of women struggling IN tne aLiG
deserts of work, toiling beside the world S
natural read-winners-always an nnequal
|contest-while, for them, the sweet blossoms
of home bloom in vain, and its sweet music Is
unheard amid the clanS and noisy mum Oh Ia
Dor. A., c,
We are forced, however, to accept the fact
that the majority of women are. in these lat
ter days, compelled to be bread-winners. rms
being the case. women should endeavor 10
rise above amateur work. Some OF the work
ing women of New York are skilled laborers; !;
but many never reach this condition. Young
girls arc often looking to tho uncertain
chances Of matrimony to rescue them from
their tolsomc life, and they do moi, think it
worth whilo to conquer all the details of
work. A Southern publisher says, ."During
the last few years we have employed large
number of ladies in different departments OF
our business. AS a general thing, not more
than one in fivo enters into the work with
that hearty interest that is essential TO sue
cess" OF course not, when the day Of release
from 1t is wished for, hoped for, ana prayed