The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1889-08-28
WOman's Work for Woman.

A most promising woman's exchange,
the United Workers and Woman's
Exchange at Hartford, Conn, has its
quarters at 271 Main street. The ex-
change keeps ten per cent of the sales
for its necessary expenses, and pays
ninety per cent to the poor woman who
has made the needlework, the cake,
the preserves, the caramels, or what
ever the article may be. How great
work has been and can be done by
these exchanges is shown by the bust
ness that has been done by the eX-
changes in Boston and New York.
The latter began business in April,
1878, and has gradually expanded its
sales, both in variety and amount, until
now they are immense. The cake and
preserves alone soil for S12 900 year,
and in all departments the consigners
number $4,000. A great problem of
the exchanges is to teach women to
help themselves. 1t is discovered that
many women possess undeveloped
taste and capabiity of which they are
unaware; these women are put to
different tests to hit upon the right
thing. A destitute woman who pre-
sented herself to the exchange one day
could think of nothing that she had
ever made that would sell except old
fashioned molasses candy that she used
TO make for her children. Her first
trial resulted in candy that was snapped
up at a good price, and now two de-
livery wagons are kept busy delivering
goods in the domestic department, in
Guiding candies, preserves and other
foods. The New York exchange brags
that not at Delmonico's or our best
fancy groceries can you get such seal
loped oysters, such salads and pre-
served cages. Dainty, clearly fingers
do this work. When you buy chicken
broth or calves foot jelly you can see a
white-haired, aristocratic old lady, who
stirs and strains without loss Of dignity
that she may keep a roof over the head
of her invalid husband. The preparer
of scalloped oysters nets $50 week
during the season, and the same amount
or more is made by the woman whose
specially is bouillon. The brown
haired, hazel-eyed maiden VIII makes
delicious pound and chocolate cake has
earned as much as S940 year. which
has enabled her to maintain and soothe
the sufferings of father out of work
and health. There are two ladies who
earn in cake and roll making over $500
each year. One is educating younger
brother and sister, and the other is
paying the expenses of her mother in
private hospital. A bright-eyed girl
who invented puzzle, and who makes
it at a cost of seven cents for materials,
gets twenty-five cents for ii, and pays
the DOCTORS bills of her crippled little
brother. From So TO S25 dozen is
paid for small doylies of the finest linen;
they have been drawn to resemble
delicate lace and are marvels of handi-
work. Orders are taken for any sort
of fine sewing. That the art of needle
work survives the ravages of the sew
ing-machine may be seen in the thou
sand eXquisitely made articles for the
baby's outfit and the BRIDES rousseau.
A fashionable woman, not long ago,
gave an order for a dozen old-fashioned
night-caps, TO be made by hand, the
price being no object. A consignor
who has had rheumatism so severely as
to be unable to leave her chair gets
nearly $500 a year for making infants
slips. The great idea of charity that
underlies these woman's exchanges is
self-help. One kind of charity helps
others in such a way as to make them
helpless; either the consequences of
their ills are shouldered by the charit-
able, or no opportunities to labor are
offered. The other and true kind is 10
provide those who are not absolutely
helpless with the means and the oppor-
tunities to produce something or per-
form some service, and this is the
field of the woman's exchange.-Good
Housekeeping.