Omaha daily bee., 1888-03-25
WONAN'S LIFE in NEW YORK.
She Has Little Chance Of Making a
Living Without Help.
SOME NOTABLE EXCEPTIONS.
Thousands Have to Succeed I'm Sup
porting Themselves, But Few
Earn Mofe Than q
Bare Living.

barn Wore InhU "
Bare Living.
The problem Of earning their own
living is one which o great many thou
sand women in New York are brought
face to face every year. 1t is a very
ugly problem, seen from squarely in
front, with restitution in the back
ground and hunger and cold snarlingin
the middle distance, says the New York
Sun, and, whatever rosy aspect it may
assume, seen from a distance or through
the glasses of the professional philan-
thropist, as a cold, hard, and unget-
~aroundable fact in the life OF a woman,
it is something much easier to general
ize about beforehand or talk about af-
terward than to experience In the i'm
mediate present. The idea of earn ing
ones Owl living and the belief in the
independence and freedom which Is
| supposed to &c with il has a fascination
for many m who know little about
it and a comfortable satisfaction for men
who know less, but as a matter Of fact
| the bitterest dependence that a woman
can know, the most calling tyranny a
woman can suffer, the most cruel an
noyances that a woman has to endure
are the lot Of nine-tenths OF those
women who are compelled by
circumstances to depend upon their own
resourcesf for a livelihood.
The case is different with women who
have friends able and willing to give in
direct help, and the girl with a smat-
tering of shorthand and a lawyer friend,
a little knowledge of type-writing and
a friend who needs an amanuensis. or
an editor friend and q little cleverness
| with the pen, can get a start which, with
the exercise of a fair amount of energy,
will place her easily above want, if it
does not result in her building up a
profitable and easy business. There are
many women in this city now managing
typewriting and stenographic bus
inesses or getting along well in other
lines who have begun their success with
such help of a friend or two in establish
ing a small business. There are some
others who have succeeded in business
or professional life without any aid ex-
cept that which was brought to them by
their own energy and ability. or have
even had to overcome NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
thrown in their way because of their be-
ing women, but their number is few.
Nine. Demorest is a striking instance
of exceptional pluck and success in this
way, She came to New York a poor
girl, and by her own eXertions started
and built up the great business she at
present controls and which has brought
her such wealth that she and her hus~
band now own, besides the business,
most of the real estate in the vicinity OF
/ th.y,, lN,t1lt-r ON ENt,,,tnnrfh cf,.nnf
and large blocks of it, it is said, in other
parts of this city.
Susan King, the female real estate
speculator, is another woman who
worked her way up from the financial
ground floor to somewhere near the
roof. She is understood to be out of
active business now, but once she was
one of the best known women down
town. She was the first woman, it is
said, that ever took a meal in any of the
business mems restaurants down town.
She tells the story that one day she had
been down town all the morning, and
was very hungry and very tired, and
there was no restaurant where
| women We're accustomed TO 60. She
hesitated a good while, and then
hunger conquered scruples and she
made the plunge. The men and the
walters all stared, but she was trusted
with the greatest respect, and after that
never went hungry when there was a
| good restaurant near. She amassed her
wealth in real estate, just as a man
would have got it, and never permitted
the fact that she was a woman to pre-
vent her driving a sharp bargain or
| making u good purchase.
Success in a different light has at
tended the efforts of Miss Benedict, now
and for many years the agricultural
editor of a New York paper, and recog-
nized as one of the best in her line in
the country. She had her own living
to make many years and is said to have
been a bright and interesting young
woman, but without any particular APP
parent talent for 9 special line of work.
Another girl, situated about as Miss
Benedict was, but with steady employ
ment on a newspaper, insisted that Miss
Benedict could get along by writing for
the papers. Miss Benedict tried it and
failed, it is said, dlstinctively in about
every assignment she got. Her friend
persisted, and when once there were a
lot of farmers club meeting at Cooper
union to report, urged that Miss Bene-
dict be given another chance. 1t was
plain, straight work, she said, and Miss
Benedict couldn't help but do it as well
as was necessary. Miss Benedict was as
signed to the work, and did it after a
fashion; was kept at ii, took an interest
in it, and found it developing in various
directions. Energy and pluck did the
rest, and in time did the whole agricul-
tural page of the weekly edition, for
looking after which the proprietor OF a
leading agricultural paper had been
paid a high salary, was entrusted to her.
Besides this, she now edits an agricul-
tural page for one of the press associa-
tions, and does IA large mount of writ
ing for other papers and magazines.
Another young IN who had tried
almost everything from factory work to
typewriting, and had got along at none,
a shAt time ago developed a talent with
the pen that attracted attention OF one
of the city papers, and now has regular
employment and prospects OF being a
very successful newspaper oma
The head of the millinery department
of Aiken & Miller's establishment in
this CITY came to New York "a girl, with