Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1891-12-10
WORKING eIRLs, CLUES exTgNoINe.
Great Progress Made All over the Coun-
try, and Especially in the West

Great Progress Maue All over thS touA-
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 otret
/, places have sent on delegates TO study lnte
the details OF the work, which is one of the
most purely co operative schemes that mas
ever been pushed to success. Savants ~
aud expounders of sociology come, too, to
sit down and learn OF this body of girls the
practical ethics of 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 a .'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 nc the lunch hour.
They are fitted up with small tables where
the girl may eat the lunch brought from
her home, supplemented by cup of hot
tea or broth, or may buy at very reason
able rates a warm luncheon. There is be-
sides pleasant parlor furnished with
comfortable chairs, cOuehes, books and a
piano, aud here she spends her fifteen min
utes respite from work in reading, dane
ing, chatting or in enjoying simple enter
tainments arranged by herself and her
clever companions For the privilege Of
these rooms the girl pays a small fee.
Not content with this phase of the work,
the Chicago clubs sent on for Miss Dodge
TO come out and assist them in organizing
the evening clubs so 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 Il great
state ASSOCIATION. Brooklyn has a club as
soeiation.; including the working girls
clubs and those of other societies.
New York city possesses the great typ
zeal Association OF Working Girls clubs,
self governing, self supporting, co-opera-
tive in its most minute particular, and
vital with energized purpose and effort.
The mother club, as the Thirty-eighth
street club is called, organized with six
members niue 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 falling of in membership All sum
mer the hospitabe 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 clubs
have been invited to present snch results
Of their work as may be deemed practical
bic. The clubs, AS organizations, have no
particular industrial products to present,
but arrangements are now being cousid-
cred by which they, or representative
members Of them, may be present TO take
part in the discussions by the women's
congresses of the economic industrial aud
financial problems OF the age Among me
topics included in these discussions will he
1.-THE Industrial Condition of Women
including relative wages compared with
those OF men, relative value of wages pro-
portioned TO cost Of living, occupations,
benefits derived from organizations, etc.
1.-THE Economic Dependence OF Women"
and Social Theories and Experiments
are among the subjects, in all of which the
girls clubs have been engaged, carefully
and freely discussing for years,
until their practical ideas and opinions
are worthy the most thoughtful consider
alton aud attention, and thoroughly illus |
trate the influences Of club life on the
working girl as means Of education and
elevation.-New York Sun