New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-01-19
IN EMPLOYMENT OFFICES.
NOTES FROM A HOUsEKEEPER's DIARY:
SETTING FORTH THE TRIALS OF WOMEN WHO

tircmcnt and placed beside me to be mtcrvewcd'
A. a rule they slOvcnly in the extreme. often
their untdincss being Of that peculiar nature which
is easily removed by soap and water, and could
not have been caused 10y that days sojourn in the
Office. The interviews, with slight variation, ran
something like this:
Have You been doing general homework IN the
city?"
ayes, num-"
"have vou reference I scc7"
At this point n soilcd paper is brought ont from the
dep,l.s Of her pocket which usually says that soand
so Is sober honest and industrious" which Is well
and good so far it goes. often enough the rcer-
cnce merely covers a period of three or five months
"Ten ne what You can do
No answer to this usually, being too abstract
question. ! try again.
"Can you do plain cookingf'
eyes, num-"
"Can You make bread ~
: "Nor lin a slightly surprised tonc).
ANY kind Of plain breakfast rolls or muhns'"
"Oh. no: them was always sent in by the baker
~Can YOU make any kind Of plain soup''
Sometimes Yes; sometimes No.
can You make plain pudding or cake OF
plain Glin being used 50 as not 10 frehen hei' ue'
>ert> Of any kind
Occasionally the answer 10 this viii be: ian MAKE
rice puddin' and tapoca puddn''
Il suppose you know how 10 wait on the table
The answer t. this is often 40. sometimes " Yes
Did You do the washing and ironing
Tile mi-ss She always sent ont the Narchcd
clothc, IN fine laundry inst did the plain washing
~ want a competent girl who know, how f. do my
work II is not heavy. There five Of us-threc
children. and the apartment is very convenient What
wages have You received 2'
sixteen dollar month Comctincs II is ZIG 70
S1-l aud only two in the family. "ouldh l - l"
such large family, anyway
..vorv VOL Ny va.c- arr. sli % one who is will
ING fl do INV work. 80 Won wouldn't do anyway
F>it tl,o dau-ol with A TO-. Of the head.
I saw a bright tidy looking girl Who demanded
SIS and had lived i'm a family of two" turn from
one lady after another day after day. she was in
the Office sin when lcft il I'm despair 10 hunt up al
,orti.or,ont. and may BE- there now in her deter
,joa.ioo to ~ot that SIS i'm a family NJ two
,,, ~ ..u, ., ,,,o ., mo with ,le same tale that
-, - t ain. ,,,,,ti,, She had had
il sic "'' w., L ,-i,- .b ,.,vc mo,
very -''' '''''- 49,, ,-',,,,, .,, .,. ,,r,llod
'"' ,,,.. ',.t , .bc ,,or bor
49,. ., d.. ,, .,.l,
leave ''I' h'f very '"'.''"'' ,''
s, ono mont vcrv .spcct,lIc younc girl. who asked
81" VIZ 49,, , .. ,r., rori,,,,c,
and unable to do what required. She is the only
o, Z ro,,o,,,or s.cipc ,,lo wanted 80 LITTLE at
near a pleasant faced woman WHO Wa IIA'"- VIII
an ovcr,rc~,cd girl who wore bangles .ucd" gloves.
etc. caught scraps 81 the ''hN'r''""I "l'' ''''
WINGED me That the girl wa offered liberal wa1e' ana
t. - C,,.t think the room ,yoald suit me- and
,-.a 49,, go, c,.. r,,rs ,.,,. .lo maj, have ,lcpt
m'-'eli''e'"'N WIN ~"
/ ana pig OH H'I Hd'N' "'''''
It j, the woman VINO Keeps but one servant WHO
t h,nbazard that may suit
paid any P'I'c' nap '"i''' ' M
the caprice or purse 81 her employer. without
~, r,,, i. =, he demanded Of her. and tins is
| 49,. ,.,,io ,r.,,ic V,r instance
! at the root "i inc M""o , - t,,i,.
|
Of Two She buy, bread cake and all desserts, hen
She has friends TO dine " has -'ine one IL L. h,lp'
puts ont all The siarchcd cl"ihe-, ana pays -"
,,o,,b, Size a.. doing an unfair thing. paving higher
li'.''' -, ,lg d,-c,,c. Il doc. r,t rcou,rc
""tc ","' Nv 1.o -, ami, ,.,,ro,,. mi.
the wisdom Of solomon 10 see inc gun O''"e'h '''
household and one in which servant }, required 20
d. the work. ha- G,c person, 10 work for. rnc !, paid
9If "a month Nhch seems " NciS IT," 'i'"l' Pl'' '''
ordinary hou,eworf' especially 's Ii is done. ''Ir
say were Il servant, should prefer 80 ana an easy
time TO ~ and work enough to keep ID, muscles ia
good condition. And here lie, tine trouble
Ihc-c girl. 50 far as am aoe L, judge from my
agencies ioi the cas- place. that are not -, i'i"4,
a. the " large lmlIi'' oil l"u' oI h'' iI'1N'n .P
the poo mother Of ,lA or clshi cmdi'h u'NcY,I,
sie '"uo NOV l"'e| ~, ~ t WI ,, g ,r t',,,
a Ne" oh Mt, 80 "c " ID drop ,'h I'i '' n"i'-
Ia one h~sc agency, somc" where ON >Atha'e.' thc
girls are not very anNI,u, for places. ou making
~cil 10 a GD' anu M, am, nnc, IN. dam
/ -aw any number OF heads. Only or two girls
re- ondcd and they were not what wanted. went
t. THIS agency some year az. Wf7 10 pay 'Np
dollars engaging a servant IhcN advertise Il"
"mvc>tigatc references / finally engaged gtI
She the door about That afternoon ana t"d
me she had 10 20 Tor her uuNh. u IcinE ,o'htu uP
in some storage place but She "onil be back mat
night. lcing Young and inexperienced. ana not haV
iug the Intimate acquaintance Win serving tiiio anu
their uuaccouutablc ways now haze believed her
Need say never saw her more me 81 ne pr"
pUctors came 10 the house that evening i"r hlr l"'
being. a ] said before Yonng ana W'Np'rlcnc'd,
pad IT, telling him the gil had not come. seed
ny
SPINNER there nothing else to do and
needed little diversion. would take car ana
spend the dat, 30 10 speak, WIN inc anahlc pr"
lrctors oi I'M, agency lHclf onlt worn pI dp""-l
on not being able 10 produce what wanted Wa that