Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1891-11-12
WORKING GIRLS CLUBS EXTENDING.
Great Progress Made All over the Coun-
try, and Especialiy In the West.

Great Progress Made All over the Coun-
try, and Especially in the West.
This year has been one of wonderful sue
cess and progress in the working girls
club movement Other cities, particularly
those of the west are taking up the idea
and most actively carrying on the work of
organization. ST. Paul, St. Louis and other
places have sent on delegates to study into
the details OF the work, which is one of the
most purely cooperative schemes that has
ever been pushed to success SHvants in
and eXpounders of sociology come, too, to
sit down and learn of this body of girls the
practical ethics Gf associate self govern
ment and self SUPPORT.
In Chicago the interest is most active
and pregnant with practical results, though
carried on along somewhat different lines
from those laid down here. The Chicago
idea is II "lunch club" one Of which is al
ready very successful, and two more have
been organized under propitious condi-
tions. The lunch club rooms are usually
in some great warehouse, near business
centers, easy of access to the girl workers
in factories or shops Mt the lunch hour
They are fitted up with small tables, where
the girl may eat the lunch brought from
her home, supplemented by a cup of hot
tea or broth, or may buy at very reason
able rates warm luncheon. There is be
sides pleasant parlor furnished with
comfortable chairs, cOuches, books aud
piano, and here she spends her fifteen min
utcs' respite from work in reading. dane
ing, chatting or in enjoying simple enter
tainmcuts arranged by herself and her
clever companions. For the privilege of
these rooms the girl pays n small fee.
Not content with this phase of the work,
the Chicago clubs sent on for Miss Dodge
to come ont and assist them in organizing
the evening clubs 50 popular here, and she
has returned reporting intense enthusiasm
in the movement.
In the eastern cities, where organization
Is accomplished, the work of progression
and association engages the energy of club
workers About the suburbs of Boston
new clubs are being constantly formed
and united in the Massachusetts associa-
ton. Connecticut has recently gathered
all her various organizations into IA great
state association. Brooklyn has a club as
sociation, including the working girls
clubs and those of other societies.
New York city possesses the great typ
ical Association of Working Girls clubs,
self governing self supporting, co-opera-
tive in its most minute particular, and
The mother club, as the Thirty eighth
street club is called, organized with six
members nine years ago, now has $50 mem
bers, pays all its expenses, has a surplus
emergency fund in its treasury, occupies
an entire house, and never has vacation
or IA falling off in membership. All sum
mer the hospitable rooms were opened,
when half the churches in the city had
locked their doors, and the July and
August meetings were always crowded
with enthusiastic members.
The work is being carried on as usual in
all the old classes and university and
school extension is to be introduced this
winter. The design of this new interest is
to supplement the university and school
systems by means of outlines for courses
of study, class instruction, courses of lee
lures, correspondence, examinations, etc,
and thus to develop broader culture
among those who have been debarred from
the advantage of college or academic train
ing.
The great, all absorbing interest is, how
ever, the Worlds fair, at which the clu bs
have been invited to present such results
of their work rs may he deemed practical
BILE. The cluDs, as organizations, have no
particular industrial products TO present,
but arrangements are now being cOn-id-
cred by which they, or representative
members Of them, may be present to take
part i'll the discussions by the women
congresses of the economic, industrial and
financial problems Of the age. Among the
topics included in these discussions will be
"The Industrial Condition of Women"
including relative wages compared with
those of men, relative value of wages pro-
= li,-s,,,