The evening world., 1890-02-19

INl1In
no colored girls at any Of the tables or
boxes, only q few Americans and less
then fifty Irish girls. This predominRnce
of tho BUhemians. Germans and Italians
IL due in n measure to the nationality OF
the foremen, who naturally prefer to have
girls from their own country in the shop.
Then, too. the male operators are almost
wholly of foreign birth. all have families,
md their sons and daughters are brought
into the shop as soon us they are old
enough.
The girls frequently marry in the fac.
tory and n common interest. n common
language aud monopoly to an extent
make it an unpleasant place for the Eng
lish speaking girl to remain. Only n few
of the girls were able to talk to me. al
though many mad Leen in the country
three years or more.
To show tho variety of life I reproduce
the interviews.
Annie SalneL. a smooth-fnced, bright
eyed woman of twenty-five, was selected
from q division where iifty-odd men and
women work side by side at long tables.
All we're Europeans, strong and sturdy,
dressed in homespun, the men with
kerchiefs about their necks and tho heads
of tho women md girls being tod up in
bright Lued IandRnnas,
TWELVE A Al 1T.
81 was born i'll Bohemia, " Annie said.
IL came here twelve years ago and have
been making cigars ever since. Six years
ago | married. Two children died, and l
have a boy of five to support. My hus-
band died of consumption in 1883, and
now | must work as hard ns l can He
didn't leave me anything, but he didn't
cost mo anything. His funeral was 800.
but the lodge paid the bills.
II live in Fifth street, where ! keep
house with my little boy"
She laughed when asked how much
money she saved in q week.
"A few pennies. Always car fare lat
tachmg no importance TO the daily Jour
ney from Fifth street 10 T~hirty-ninth
s'reet). l pay S7.5O n month for rent,
81. so a week to tho woman who minds
my little boy, and / buy food and fire and
some clothes with what I make here-S6 a
week."
Rent, 81. 80.
Care of child, So.
Income, S2i.
Will some domestic economist figure
out this problem and tell the readers of
the EVENING Womb how, in the name Of
health and heaven, Annie Samek and her
child live on $40. 80 n month";
4 QUESTION OF MUST.
But to continue;
There ls no how about it. II must
keep me-"
What do | do at home? l wash and
iron at night, clean my house and do such
things, On Sunday l sew. Why not ;
Snail l let my little boy 30 naked or in
rags? Sure not. And | must not blind
my eyes trying TO sew ut night when the
lamp is SO poor. All the Sunday | do my
work, s%crubbing in the morning and
sewing or knitting tho rest Of the day."
Where do you go Tor pleasure :"
Pleasure! Oh, God Where will n
cis ar-girl go but in the street, have
none. In tie Summer | GO to the Gene
terry every Sunday and with my little
child make a garden on my husl and's
grave
" And do the flowers grow 7"
You should see them Most bsauti-
full they grow, In this country II Is easy
to make them bloom"
How can tell ii will marry again ?
Who knows If any man will take me ;
But the boy; Yes. yes, lie looks like
me, lie is my htt!e god. shall care
for him the hes, | know how. lie must
"a to school, and with the learning the
Americans give here and the chances to
make money be will care for me when
am old. | think lie will, for how eau a
good mother have u bad child !"
Don't get the wrong iGea of this noble
woman whose bright color, robust health
and beautiful face make her conspicuou,
among the faces uf universal Tailor. She
is unusually prepossessInC, thoroughly
wOmau.y eni cegta My deserving of r.
spect, ut the nCSt kindly consideration
and the most generous encouragement.
II would be interesting TO know what tie
good ladies of the Young Womau's
Christian Association, who debar the
cigar girls from the benefits ana priv
leges Of that institution, think OF this
brave toileT who SO sadly needs their help
and succor.
a HUsrLING BUSCHEE,
Mary Schlachter. suother buncher. also
from The old mouar, hy across tue Baltic,
VITO lives al Dutch Kills, LII. has a bus.
band. and together they support her
widowed mother. Mary Is . little bust
Ter, the paragon Of the shop and the very