The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1890-06-16
the BLACK soRpERER.
a Solemn Occupation which Sup
ports a Bright Girl.
New York Tribune


novels" said the girl in glasses. s'Some
years ago my father read in novel
which was then coming out in one of the
Magazines don't remember the name
of it now, nor in what magazine it was
coming out-that every girl should know
how to do one thing well enough to earn
her living by it, and he was SO much
taken with the idea that he determined
then and there that / should learn a
trade. l was his only daughter, only
child, in fact and there were but two Of
us in the family, as my mother had died
some years before.
First tried telegraphy, and found /
was no good at that, and then tried
typewriting, and found that wasn't my
forte either. l gave up then, and told
papa that if he couldn't support me I'd
either have to get married or go to the
Free Home for Destitute Young Girls;
but he had lately visited paper mill,
and so he suggested another trade, the
one you see me working at now. Do
call myself paper decorator? No, lam
black borderer; but, all the same,
am just as much of skilled laborer as
any girl who paints flowers and newly
Matched chickens on Easter cards, and
such things, though I do nothing but
blacken the borders Of mourning paper.
Thought that was machine work? No,
that itisn't
IRREGULARITIES OF THE WORK.
at is woman's work. They have tried
time and again to invent machines
that would do it, but they have all
turned out fat failures, and I am glad
of it, as this is the only kind of work by
which have been able to earn my bread
and butter for the last three years-since
papa was taken off suddenly by heart
failure, and it was found that he had
laid up no money, and his insurance
policy had ,apsed.
Profession much crowded? No, thank
heaven! this is one profession in which
there is little elbow room. One reason,
Isuppose, is that it is not so well paid as
1t might be, and another is Though say
1t that shouldn't say it) that it isn't every
girl who could learn the art. You
thought yourself that it was done by
machine, so you must have noticed how
very smoothly the black is laid on. OF
course l do not take such pains with the
inferior qualities as with the best linen,
such as l am doing now; but the worst
must be done well oritwon't pass muster.
My employer, when he advertised for
girl to do this work, didn't get more than
dozen answers, and most of them were
from girls who didn't know anything
whatever about it; they only thought
they could do it, as they had taken lessons
in water colors. They didn't know that
this kind of painting is trade by itself.
Trying to the eyes? Yes, when ones
eyes are not very strong to begin with;
but if find my eyes giving out can
always stop and rest awhile. 1t is my
own loss, you know, as mine is piece
work, paid for by the ream.
GOOD PAY AND SHORT DAY.
GLOW much ream? For fine qualities,
$3.50 ream; for the very commonest,
forty-five cents; but there is very little
Of that kind to be done, for which mercy
I am thankful. Unless we are awfully
busy, can come when l like and go
when like. Usually get here at half
past s in the morning and leave at in
the afternoon. In that time, if don't
give my eyes too many resting spells, /
can border ream and half.
Lonely? No, am too busy to feel
lonely, though sit here all day by my
self, seeing nobody but the man who
brings in my paper. That is, he brings
it to me in the busy season, but if the
work is anyways slack have to go for it
myself The slack season begins in
June, and work does not pick up again
till some time in September. In July I
live in daily fear of being laid off for
while, though that hasn't happened to |
me yet. am not like girls who live at |
home aud work for fun When a crowd
Of them have been addressing circulars
in a novelty establishment they don't
mind it bit when the superintendent
announces that the job is finished and
the mob is to be dispersed.
Treated as a lady should be? Yes,
my employer is as polite as pie when
ever see him, as, indeed, he should be
to girl who he knows by this time is
working for all she is worth. At first it
seemed to me to be an awfully solemn
kind of work, and used to think about
deaths and funerals, and sometimes
would get to crying, though I took good
care not to damage the paper by letting
my tears fall on it; but one can get used
to anything, and now don't any more
mind painting black borders than I'd
mind painting red ones