The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1889-06-27
WOMEN AND MEN WHO WORK TO
GETHER TELL TALES WHICH A
REPORTER HEARS

REPORTER HEARS.
He was a typical New Yorker. such as
you see on the road in doeskin coat, on
change, with rose in his buttonhole,
or up at the Foreground yelling to the
players by their names, Now he was
seated in a revolving char in his office
on Broadway, with his.derby hat pushed
we'll back upon his thick, waving hair,
and with one end of his big brown mus.
tache in the rude and nervous grasp Of
his right hand.
Mad" said he, "who wouldn't be
mad am trying to figure up whether
this is the day that my female secretary
doesn't come, or whether it is merely to
be morning when she is late. There
are always days when they don't come,
and the days when they are late are as
frequent as they please to make them:
This is the fourth girl l have employed
as an amanuensis, and l have about done
with that kind. Girls in business have
one-only one, popularity apart from
men-they come cheaper. And, let me
tell you, that there is no more to be
gained by getting cheap labor than by
getting cheap food or clothes.
"You take young man into your EN-
ploy. and, if he is any good at all, he
tries to anticipate your wishes, to think
for you, to help you beyond what you
exact from him. His first and constant
aim is to rise and to make himself worth
more money and fit for higher place.
This is not the case with some men
merely it is the rule with the sex.
Such qualities are worth whatever a
man has to pay for them. A good male
clerk is a another hand to his employer
sometimes he is like third lobe TO your
brain. The ablest business men are
those who select good assistants, and
then let those assistants make them rich
By the Lord Harry ! I'll fire this girl ano
never employ another as long as live !!
"Is that all that's the matter with the
girls ?"
"I'll let you answer that question your
self, as reporter trots about a Rrea
deal in and out of offices where girls are
employed. Tell me what you see the
young women doing between tasks. Are
they not reading paper novels or news
papers, or sewing, or eating-they ea
all day, every one of them-or sitting
with their hands in their laps ? Well
that is what SEE with each girl EN-
ploy, and with each one wherever fine
them employed. They care nothing
about business, yours, or mine, or any
ones. They demonstrate this in every
possible way. No matter how you may
be rushed at a given time, they will no
stay one minute after the dinner or thu
closing hour, not even if five or ten min
utes work would complete that which
they know it is of the utmost importance
to have done. If you ask them to do 81
of course they must do it, but it is SAT-
to say that they will do it ungraciously
and with scowling faces. have had ont
girl that would do such thing cheer
fully, and three that would not, and ye
all four took days off and days off an(
made neither apology nor explanation
When l hired the first woman believed
that women had been misjudged ant
that one sex had as much genius for di
versified industry as another now
know that it is not so, and that femal
secretaries will not long be endured ii
business. When you employ woman
you cannot criticise, scOld, or caution
her. She either leaves, breaks out il
tears. or flirts and flouts most impudent
ly. Then, again, there's house talking
you can't do business with men in
n lay way ~. mel saeon, w nonr oftice
NInety-nine men in a hundred smok
and swear. It's too bad, but It's the fact
They come into your office. and both you
and they feel crippled.
"Other men tell me that 1t is their ex
perience that whenever they ges real.
use'ul gltl VINO taxes an interest III III
once ne around her, she 10 certain !.
get married and leave her empowers
oreak ID newcomer wen, II nan al
nour iate' so suppose my young wonal
ism no by JoVe, mere She is' lou
late; MISS Johnson. .
Wei'' not eAactiy' am tns youn
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why, SAID she, "a great zeal OF ina
gentleman complaint comes from NJ
asking 100 much. A great deal OF IL
have often thought OF myself. nav
been In different offices nearly nVe years
and see that men make business IN
work of their souls as well as their head
and hands. They ENJOY 1t. They lov
1t. They lose their sex, their humanit.
and themselves in business, and becom
like machines. Now suspect that new
er can be with women-at least not Will
women employed by men. We canno
lose sight of our sex for an instant W
must always be on our guard and read.
to resent light language or behavior OF
tne part OF tne men AROUND u.s. Neeu
explain Iha' IL must oe So
AS to our only doing what we nav
to do, suspect that cannot be improved
Woman's ambition is to marry just as
mans is to get rich. While we are
Work II should be the aim OF every CIR
TO earn her wages and to give satlsfac
tion oy DONG all that Is asked or re
CURED, out 10 would not DO Tor girl U
attempt TO DO any more IN man 8 office
one would De quickly sat upon, as yol
men say, II she tried II IN most oihces
Besides, all there IS OF man ambition
proceeds from incentive, and wcmal
mas no incentive TO 40 more than sne !
employed to do. She cannot aspire
rise TO be salesman or drummer or
partner IN one OF these great downtown
establishments. AS for her poutini
when she is asked to give tYe minutes
extra time to her employer, all that
can say IS that they must be very un
gracious girls whom that man has EN-
ployed. There are many girls in bust
ness ofhces, but don't know one VIII
would not do anything within reason t.
help her employer out OF all extra press
ure OF work.
"But if employers complain of won