The morning call., 1891-02-06
WOMEN IN BUSINESS.
Is 1t Better for Women to Become Man
aUars nv To Pc E,npIoyas


| Is 1t Better for Women to Become Man
ayers to Be Employees?
Editor Romans Column, Morning Cell !:
| recent editorial in THE CALL, after dis
cussing the subject of women farmers and
orchardists and other matters appertaining
to the employment of women, asserts that
''There is neither law nor public opinion to
prevent woman from engaging in any bust
ness she may select. Yet in all kinds of
| business we find men managers and women
employees" Then follows the question,
Can our lady correspondents tell why it
is sop
There is an old adage which says, "a
! child may ask questions which wise man
cannot answer" how much less an unwise
woman, and the answer to this question
! seems to be one OF those things (which no
fellow can find out"
However, the gantlet having been thus
| flung down, it behooveS the sisterhood to in
| Quire why ''this is thus?"
| We all know that country mice and city
| mice" are radically very much alike, save
| that the former have much more extensive
| hunting-ground than the latter; but then it
| is often found that the more restricted the
| conditions the more fertile the expedients to
! overcome those restrictions, and women's
| brains are becoming SO well furroWed by
the sharp plowshare of difficulty that they
| Will soon, perforce, cease to lie fallOw mod
| eTn methods of cultivation being alike bene-
| fetal in intellectual or i'll agricultural mat
| ters
The question of the law being a help or
! hindrance to the business operations of
women has been so often discussed that it
| seemS futile to enter upon this branch of
| the subject
The woman who enters upon business
| career usually does so from necessity not
! from choice. She knows that the field of
! business though It may be somewhat allur-
| ing In appearance is in reality but a vast
| quagmire. Beaten paths extend hither and
| yon in every direction, crowded with a
| Jostling. snatching, struggling mass of
humanity. each apparently eager TO crowd
! the others from the firm pathway and into
the surrounding quicksands, with no after
| thought as to the fate of the unfortunate
victim thus sacrificed. Here and there she
beho DIS the hardy tree of commerce stand
ing, and vertabe tree Of life it seems TO
her ncw-under whose wde-spreading,
richly laden branches are pitched the tents
Of the fortunate ones, who have, after mani
fold hardshipS, reached this haven of
vantage.
DRIVEN BY THAT STERN DRIVER
Necessity, being more conservative, moro
timid and less ventureSome than man, she
starts out with fear and trembling, tightly
claSplng her little hoard and dreading lest II
| be snatched from her at the first onset
Ii married it Is necessary for her to be-
come femme sole in order to do business
legally in her own name; If single she is
her own mistress, 1t is true, and so account
able 20 no one and for no one; her profits
are her own and so are her liabilities.
Should success attend the efforts of the mar
ried woman, she, in nine cases out of ten,
not only supports herself and children, but
probably worthless husband as well. III
the unmarried woman be successful, She or
her establishment, soon becomes ian object
Of interest" to some needy gentleman ~
who wishes to be supported, aud should she
be weak and he plausible, it is but too apt to
end IN his becoming 'ma9ager, while she
becomes the "employe." Truly a cheerful
prospect Tor the woman anxious to engage
In business.
Now, as to public opinion, it is vast deal
easier to meet and face that hyGra-headed
monster when some one else is the target
than II is when It's shafts are aimed at ones
own person, even # those shafts be only
tipped with ridicule instead of poison, and
the cOndennatOry verdict of Mrs. Gruudy
Is disastrous thing to woman. But we
are told that public opinion will not deter
her from selecting any business which suits
her. As looked at from mans standpoint
perhaps not, from womau's point Of view 1t
is different. One phase of public opinion Is
caste, and the woman who enters store or
shop invariably loses caste with her former
associates. Other women, III their inter-
course with her, show this by the omission
of little cOurteSieS which they had always
been wont to manifest. The ordinary mans
hat is not lifted with quite the same alacrity
as previously, and probably he does not
think it necessary 10 remove the cigar from
his mouth III her presence as he once did.
Had she vote there might be some def
erence lett in his manner, for 1t II not for
her. IneSe are but pueTIle reasons, says
MI Skeptic, aud any sensible woman would
either ignore them or treat them with con-
tempt.
But, my brother. where will you find a
sensible woman? AS well search for the
missing link" 1t has been said that each
human being possesses or is surrounded by
an atmosphere which Is as distinctlvely per-
sonal as the odor which emanates from any
object in the vegetable kingdom.
This atmo sphere-to sensitive organza-
ton such as most women pussess-is as per-
ceptlble and as keen as the subtitle, pene-
trating influence of ether, but between two
women, one OF whom feels somewhat above
the other in social position, this odor is not
| apt to possess anesthetlc properties. Woman
| Is of three types-the butterfly arrayed in
all the beauties Of gorgeous attire, fitting
| from flower to flower of pleasure; the bee,
| in somber guise, also fitting from flower TO
| flower, but busily gathering and storing
away the sweetS-even those Of adversely
| for future use; and the ant, "toiling from
early morning till dewy eve" for the support
| of the community aud lis drones. The first
| type represents the gay VOtary of fashion,
| the second the intellectual sister who, by
| long years of arduous study, has fitted her
| self for some honorable profession, and the
third the worker, who, If she have sufficient
| money and Is brave enough to risk It's prob
| able loss
| IN TIE COMPETITION
| Which she Will most certainly uncomfortable
| being pushed to the wall by those who are
physically and financially, stronger than her
| selt-enters business. This business, what
| ever its nature, usually occupies the front
| room or store, while her household gods
| her lareS and penates-are installed in the
| back rooms, which are sans space, sans
| light, sans air Here she is "mauager,"
and smart woman indeed if she manages
| to make both ends meet" If she nave but
| little business ability disaster is apt to FOL
| low fast and follow faster and the climax
| reminds one of little episode witnessed one
| windy day upon one of our city streets
| A balloon-vender stood upon the corner
| with his pyramid of rainbow-tinted bal
looms held alolt by the cord which confined
them. A sudden and furious gust of wind
| swept around the corner and tore this cord
| from his grasp, and the bright spheres
| scared heayenward far beyond his reach.
ClaSping his hands in dire distress, he gazed
| after them, eXclaiming in pitiful accents,
"Oh, my God Mine business! Eve lost
| my buslness!' The scene was at onco
pathetic and ludicrous.
The shores OF time with wrecks are strewn
| Anu prOoaDiy tnree-nitn5 OIL those VINO en-
gage IN business, be they men or women,
meet with failure.
To refined, sensitive woman the en-
gaglng In business does not present an en-
llvening aspect, ana many times she will
"of two evils choose the least" prefer
ring rather to become an "employe' with
its attendant diSagreeables than IMAM
ager" with its many responsibilities and
dangers.
Now, there are always two sides to a
story and every cloud has silver lining -
l have given the dark side of the story
shown the somber outside of the cloud.
Who will give us the brighter aspects?
San Francisco, Feb. !, 1891 l..
WOMEN AS FARMERS.
A Writer Who Thinks Women Cannot BE
Expert Fruit-Growers.
In recent issue of the Oakland Tribune
a writer nresents the fnlInwinr ON the sinh