Johnstown weekly Democrat. (Johnstown, Cambria County, Pa.) 1889-1916, 1890-06-13
THE BLACK BORDERER. ..l5'..'' :
A SOLEMN OCCUPATION WHICH
sUPPcaT5 A BRIGHT GIRL.

She T.,.,cd at First in Several Lines, but
at Last Discovered Her Forte-S:.ilIsd sd
Lanar Stat F.aH Little Compctition-Is
Is R4the4 :,ice Work.
"You can tell me there is TO good in
novels, said the GIL in glasscs. ''Sople
years ngo my father read in a novel
which was then coming out in one of the
amagazinc. i cont remember the nanie
of 1t no-r G2g in what magazine it WAS
comm :; ;ol--tt II every girl Should know
how TO do c;,c hi3g well enough to earn
her living by it, and he was so much
taken with the i.ca that he determined
then and there tha5 | shoull learn d
trade. | was h only G;Iaghter. only
child, in fact aud there were but two Of
MS in Tie family, rs my mother had died
some years before.
First | tried tel2graphy and found |
was no good at that, and then tried
typewnting, and found that wasn't my
forte either gave up then, and told
papa that if he couldn't support me I'd
either have to set married or go 10 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 ct now.> Do
call myself II paper decorator? No. | am
a black bordereT; but. al the same, l
am just as much OF a Skilled laborer as
any girl WHO paints flowers and newly
Matched chickens on Eastar cards. and
such things. though | 10 nothing but
blacken the borders Of mourning paper.
Thought that was machine work: No.
that it isn't
PECUILARITIEs OF TIE WORK.
1T is woman's work They have tried
time and again 10 inye.r machines
that would do it, but tA.y have all
turned out fiat failures. a:.d am glad
Of it, as this is the only Il. of work by
which have been able to earn my bread
and butter for the last three years-since
papa was taken cir Suddenly by heart
failure, ard !, vas so;nd that he had
laid up no 1iO-,r ard his insurance
policy had l22s (.
profession I!uch crowded: No, thank
heaven! this IS one profession IN which
there ia Il iitjla elhowrc0 One reason,
suppose, it at il IS Tot 80 NH paid as
it might b, and auoJnor istth.v-l say
it that shouldn't sa~ i.' that it in every
girl who co,ld learn the arr. You
thought yor. alf th"r it was done by a
machine. SO you ,a--..:; Lave noticed how
very smoothly tire ,-.-t is laid on OF
course do uor t#ll, sucE. pains with the
inferior qualities a. With the best linen,
such rs am doing now: but the worst
must boGc well oritwon't pass muster.
Ny omrloycs, when he a!ror.iscd for a
gi1l to 20 his work, G.ll't more than
a dozen mn Wcrs, and mos q. ,hen were
from ciri7 l,io didn't know anything
whatever ahoat it; they only thought
they could Do it, as they had ta:cn Lessons
i'll water co'cr3. They didn't ,;aoW That
this kind Of painting is trade y itself,
Trying to the eyes: Yes, Nl1n ones
eyes arc no. very strong 70 begin with;
but if finG m eyes giving ont can
always stop an rest awhile. l. is my
own loss. you NOW, IS mine is piece
work, paid for by H. rea,a.
GOOD PAY AND SHORT DAY.
How much ream? For fine qualities,
$3.50 ream: for the very commonest,
forty-fve cents; but thera is very little
of that kind to be doa. for which mercy
am thankful Cnless We are awtally
busy, | can come when like and 90
when l Ike. Usually sot here at half
past in the morning anI leave ut in
the afternoon. IN that time, ii don't
give my eyes TOO many re55ing spells, |
can border realn and u hIlf.
Lonely: No, mn TOO busy to feel
lonely, though | sit here all day by my
self, seeing nobody Int the man who
brings in my paper. That IS, he brings
it to me in the busy season, but if the
work is anyways slscl, have TO so for it
myself. The slack season begins i'll
June, and worl; does not picl; Up again
till some time in September. IN July
live in daily fear of being laid off for a
while, though that hasn't happened to
me yet. | am not. like girls who live at
home aud work for fun When II crowd
of them have been addressing circulars
in a novelty establishment they don't
mind it a biz when the superintendent
announces that the job is finished and
the mob is to be dispersed
Treated as lady should be: Yes.
my employer IS as polite as pie when
ever l see him, as, indeed, he should he
to girl who he knows by this time is
working for al 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 took good
care not to damage the paper by letting
my tears fall on it; but one can get used
to anything, and now l don't any more
mind painting black borders than I'd
mind painting red ones. New York
Tribune.
Where Stamps Come From.
Where do stamps come from"