The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-03-04
WOMAN'S REAL PLACE.
A CONTRAST BETWEEN THE SHOP
GIRL AND THE SERVANT.
Tho Former Tries 70 Keep Body and Soul
Together with Scarcely More Money
Than the Latter Gets as Pocket Money.
The Cause of the Evil

Tho FORMER IffeS 70 hccP 1>cos s"a Soos
Together with Scarcely More Money
Than the Latter Gets as Pocket Money.
The Cause of the Evil
The kitchen and nursery versus the
factory and store question has long en-
gagged the attention Of women VINO are
deyoting their lives to the improvement /
In other words, those philanthroplc per-
SONS are wondering whether, after all, I
the working woman has done wise /
thing by leaving the sphere which was |
peculiarly her OWE, with different sur |
roundirgs, since the days OF Adam, and |
invading the occupations which are, by |
their nature, adapted TO men.
Some opinions on this subject have re-
Gently been given. They came from wo- |
men who thoroughly understand the ex-
isting conditions of life, and their eI-
pressions were echoes which are heard
everywhere nowadays. The best friends,
male and female, of the working women
are asking the same question-Why do
women put themselves under circun-
stances where they may De led TO starva-
ton or shame when they can readily
avoid both by remaining within their
natural sphere:
The answer given by leader of the
working women is the only one that COW
ers the question IN many cases. Ii is the
lady craze" The ''saleslady" and the
factory lady" have an ambition TO
eclipse the wives and daughters OF their
EMPLOYERS in the matter of dress, and
they see nothing absurd in carrying out
their purpose. And the community seems
to agree with them.
WAGES IN TWO LINES OF WORK.
Careful observers say that in this mat
ter the girls act just the same as the
young men OF the day who crowd one an
other for clerkships, ETC., whose pay Is
81 or s. week. rather than learn trade
In which they can earn three or four
times that much. The puny little clerk
and the pale, unhealthy ''saleslady'' think
they are gentlemen and ladies and would
be Mortified if any one offered TO intro
duce them to the rosy, healthy servant
girl who has an account at the bank, or
to the robust mechanic who can produce
alarger roll of bills on Saturday evening.
The '"lady" who sells handkerchiefs
and toilet boxes during the day for an
income of fifty cents is the other half OF
the gentleman" who sells cufTs and col
lars for sixty or seventy cents day.
They are the natural product of the new
American lady and gentleman craze, and
they never realize just what 1t means IN
less they get married. Then the gentle
man" clerk wishes he had mated with a
girl in domestic service who knew how
to cook and who had little money LAID
by; and the 'lady" regrets that she did
not devote her smiles to a mechanic who
could support her. The police courts and
the divorce courts give the culmlnatlons
Of these stories every day in the year.
But the purpose Of this article Is to
give further particulars that enter into
the contrast between the women IN do
mestic service and those who have flooded
mems occupations. According to the
most accurate statistics obtainable, the
wages of servants in this city average, at
the lowest estimate, $15 month, besides
board, lodging and In many cases all the
clothing needed. Perhaps $3.50 week
might be fixed as the average money COM
pensation of all the women in domestic
service.
Now, according to the statement of
Miss Ida Van Etten, Mrs. Creagh and
Miss Foster, the average wages OF WORK
ing women in stores and factories Is, at
the highest estimate, 81 a week.
1 COMPARISON.
That is a half dollar difference in
wages, and that half dollar represents,
In comparison, the board, lodging, ETC.,
of the servants. OF course, no woman
can live on fifty cents a week. 1t takes
her whole 81 to pay for board and lodg-
ings if she gives anything ike proper
| nourishment TO her body. So 1t amounts
| to Just this: At the end OF week the
servant has $3.50 to lay by. while the
"saleslady" has not a penny.
| AS to lodging, the average servant has
her own little room, nicely furnished
| and heated IN winter. The ''saleslady,"
| if she boards, has cold room at the top
| of the house, shared by three or four
other unfortunates. The latter works
! On an average OF ten hours day, while
: in the holiday season she works as much
rs sixteen hours, and never does penny
/ Of extra pay reach her pocket.
| The servant has no longer hours. and
she can rest during great part o. them,
and. besides, has her two or three ''eyen-
ings of during the week. Her work,
On the whole, is much lighter. and she
/ does not know what fines are. II she
falls i'll. il a good family, she receives
| the same cordial attention that her mis-
tress would, and is surrounded by KIND
attentions. And her wages 60 on ali the
time.
But how about the "saleslady' up IL
| the top OF the boarding house If she
| should get SICK! Wen. unless she L
absolutely a. the point CT death she il
packed OF 70 a hospital when TIE tine
for which she has paid ner board mas
expired. But even If she IS ALLOWED tc
remain there till ere gets well. she re
sunes her work with her Trunk under
bondage TO the landlady, and with a
10 her, heavy dept staring her IN TIE
face. Is it any wonder that many
naturally good girl seeks escape from
| such troubles IN the concert halls
And isit any wonder that tie comfort
able servant girl generally ends he
career Of working for others oy U1arTy
ing an honest man and setting down II
a comfortable home.-Sew YORK Gem
uereial Advertiser.
Valuable Ancestors