Fairhaven herald. [volume] (Fairhaven, Wash.) 1890-????, 1891-05-03
GIRLS In A BIG CITY.
DIFFICULTIES THEY ENCOUNTER IN
GETTING A LIVING.


To Those at Home.
OF the 100000 females engaged in various
occupations in New York city a very largt
number consists of young women who
have come here from the country near aD(
far to seek their fortunes. The constantly
widening field Of employment for females
combined with the allaremeRts of city life
causes perpetual stream Of applicants
from those who are country born. The
Numbers of such applicants are far greater
than can be supplied with work.
The story Of the various employment
agencies and of the societies that seek TO
furnbsh employment to women is the same
that the field is overcrowded. The num-
Der OF applicants is so many and the neces-
sity for refusal so frequent that the Young
Women's Christian association has been
compelled to adopt and print a circular,
which says;
SOBER WORDS
Almost every attempt to aid those who
reside out Of the city has ended in disap
pointment 10 the applicant, and often
caused the loss OF the situation to another
young woman, TO whom 1t might Otherwise
have been given, The reasons for this are:
Frst, that employers greatly prefer to hire
young women who have references from
places in New York city. where they have
been recently employed, in order that EN-
ployers may be able at once to assure them
selves of the capabilities of the applicants.
and second, that employers will not wait
for persons to be sent for who reside ont of
town. When the endeavor has been made
the places have generally been filled before
the applicants could reach here, and be
sides the disappointment 10 the applicants.
the expenses OF the journey are all lost.
And even II young women take board in
New York, the probabilities are that they
Will use up all their money before they
succeed in obtaining employment, and per
maps not even secure a place in the end,
because OF the preference given by employ
ers to those who have city references as to
their capability. The experience of years
proves that young women can do better
where they reside and are known than to
take chances in this overcrowded city"
One OF the greatest disadvantages for
country girls seeking employment in the
city is the cost Of living. Wages which
seem large 70 che country girl at home
dwindle very much when ompared with
city expenses. There are never enough
boarding houses for these poor girls, Tor
the prices they are able TO pay are often
not such as will secure decent sccomn,oda-
ton. The Young Women's Christian a.
ISOLATION has started a special home for
such girls, with accommodation for about
hundred, bat it has been found necessary
20 make IL temporary residence and TO
limit the time the occupants are allowed 10
remain.
WHAT THEY DO.
IL is with girls, perhaps, more than with
men that the ranks of unskilled labor are
overcrowded. While there are thousands
upon thousands Of these country girls who
can sew, the number of experts is quite
limited. Many OF them have no definite
idea of doing any particular kind of work.
but have merely a general notion OF becom- /
ing self supporting in some way. 1t Is I
almost the rule that they have neither the .
capital nor the disposition to serve a proper
apprenticeship to anything. They want 10
go to work and earn good wages at once.
unmindful Of the strong competition for
remuneraEye places
There are many country girls of good
families who apply for work in the CITY for
the winter, intending only TO earn pocket
money for the summer Some Of them
have artistic accomplishments that they
turn to advantage in one way and another
A wide field for the work ofcountrr girls
has been openedsy the comparatively mod
ern method ofexchaages for women s work,
where products may be sent for sale; but
by far the larger part of country girls look
70 the city, aud they almost unanimously
prefer almost any work, however poorly
paid, rather tbaa domestic service. Among
the occupations represented at a woman's
meeting were these: Artists, book folders.
bookkeepers, boxmskers, candy makers.
carpet sewers, carpet weavers, cashiers.
chair seaters, cigarmakers, clerks, com.
panious, copyists, dreSsmakers, engrayers
wood and metal, feather maker flower
makers, fur sewers, gold pollshsrs. hair
dressers, houSeAeepers, janftressv-, ladies'
maids, medical nurses, milluers, mission.
aries, musicians. nurses. passein eDterie
makers. photo colorists, proofreaders.
scarfnakers, seamstressss
silk weaYers, spectacle case makers, stenog.
raphers, straw workers, students, tailor
essses, teachers, telegraph and telephone
operators, typesetters, typewriters and up
holsterers.
Many Of these country girls get imposed
upon and have To go to the Working WON
ems Protective union to get their wages
collected. The lady superintendent saws
that many country girls are constantly an
plying there for work, and the stereotyped
possible One OF the latest claims placed
in the hands Of the society for collection
was that Of poor country girl who had
been engaged as typewriter and stenog-
rspher by clergyman who failed to pay.
There Is undoubtedly a considerable mum ,
Der OF plucky, clever, hard working young .
women who come to New York and make ,
heir way 10y patient plodding under diff
sulties to profitable employment They 20 !
.bout 1t in a business way. They have no
lime for frivolity. They join various socie- )
1es for mutual improvement They know ,
how to study. They take advantage of the ,
public libraries and art exhibitions. They /,
lre not afraid to 20 out unattended by men ,
They may be seen in couples going to the
concert or lecture or church or theatre
fhey go along about their buraness, and
Are unmolested. IL is a great crsfit TO the
atty that so many women are able to 20 ,
bout the city in the evening without es- !
orts, so kong AS their demeanor is decorpus
New York sun.