Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1890-12-22


Work They Turn to Artificial Siimulant
Special Correspondence
Female life in a factory town is a com
pick affair, and in many instances has al
the elements of tragedy. In the great
majority of cases it is a ceaseless grind
so monotOnous that almost anything
would be relief. The mill girl is ia
vorite topic with writers whose lot
throws them into such village or city
But it is the girls presumably in theil
teens. the girls who have not turned the
corner and started around the block Of
old maidhood, that come in for the de-
scription. There is II big class, indeed, il
anything full half the female operatives
in large cities, to whom this does not ap
ply, and who fail of description OF men
ION; that is, married women who work
in factories. Ex-President Cleveland
recently showed considerable interest OF
this subject, and could not see why sc
many women, and married ones at that
were working in the cottQn factories Of
Fall River.
Several very valid reasons exist to &C
count for this. A mill girl mal1ios, fire.
quently another operative, and for some
months she takes care of the home they
take up. Then she begins to feel the
difference between having to ask a. mar
for every cent she has and having 6
pocketbook Of her own. Perhaps fol
five years or longer she has earned hel
own money, drawn on it when she
pleased, saved it if she felt like it, ant
in fact has done what she pleased y.itf
her own Individual earnings. She thin:
how she could earn every week at Least
two-thirds as much as her husband does
sometimes quite as much as he can il
conditions are favorable. She counts
mp how many things could be bought
for that, and it isn't many weeks before
that woman will be at work again
Soon after that children begin to arrive
and if the husband isn't made of pretty
good mettle he finds the family too
much for his scanty earnings, and be
tween the arrival of additions the WON
ar has To go into the mill to help keel
life in the children. ft
If she goes to work after the appear
ance Of the first child she is pretty sure
to be doomed to mill life the rest of hel
days OF until her family have grown NJ
and can help support her. The plucl
and bravery exhibited by these womer
are wonderful. and frequently they worl
ND to the very birth of child and arr
again at their looms at the end of ;
week. Such instances are not at all rare
A slight young woman stood in thu
police dock not many days ago. Sh'
was charged with drunkenness, thirt
Offense, and to make matters wors,
carried in her arms a baby six week.
old. She held it up and begged TIT
Judge to let her off because she WASH
very well and she took the beer to giv'
her strength to work for her baby. Sh'
said, 1T is 6 weeks old, your honor
and I've worked in the mill ever sine,
twas IA weel; old to support it."
To try to number the women wh'
have to do just as that one did is ilnpos
sible. 1t is easy enough to say wha
contributes 10 this state of affairs, blu
to remedy it is a matter beyond the con
troll of the average man. But one thin:
is sure. there are many cases where hus
bands are brought before the court 70
non-support Of wives, and another fac
is that half the women who have Il
make these complaints are compelled t.
work in the mill if they would no
starve.
AS to the question of intemperanc
and beer there are many excuses made
Factory life IS perfect suicide for SOM