New-York tribune., 1892-01-02
GIRLS WHO ARE BRUTES.
SOCIETY WOMEN AS MISSION WORKERS.
MISS GREGORY TELLS OF THE EFFORTS N LONDON
TO RECLAIM LOw-CLASS wAGE-EARNERS.

TO RECLAIM LOwCLASS wAGE.EARNERS
The steamship Wisconsin. Of the Guon Line carried
among Its passengers when It sailed from New-lork
on Tuesday Miss Anna l.. Gregory, wealthy young
EnSlshwOman who is greatly Interested in the work
of elevating the owcrclaSs working girls Of London
and who has spent some time in America investigating
the various lines of charitable work done In the large
cities from san Francisco to Boston. While IN this
city she the guest of Miss Martha Kennedy she
pursued her Investigations under the guidance of Miss
Grace II. Dodge.
Miss Gregory is An attractive. brShl-faced Young
woman of high social position and remarkable attain
ments She together with a few others rom the
wealthy classes of London, have devoed their talents
to their less favored sisters Of that CITY, The story
of her work is an interesting one, and was given to
Tribune reporter on board the ship. In answer u
the reporters questions she said:
Il first became Interested in this work ahout three
years ago, by hearing young clergyman say ulht
efforts being made for every class In our LONDON
population except the Iower-class worhing-eirls Two
or three of us told him that would work fr these
girls He then brought eleven girls t. start "i'l
and We opened room in schoolh0uSe IN one oi the
lowest parts of the city. We were wirneiSboth by
our friends by thc police that II was dangerous
place for ladies to be in buc we perseveied pur heu
OF action is at Whecapel and Bchna Green portion
of the city which is marked black on the latest stua-
teal maps Of London, because it is the home Of the
vagabond the criminal and the vicious. OF the eleven
We started with, only has gone hopelessN |" ue
bad. We can account satisfactorily for ule otHcr V'
The school of eleven has grown TO over 100 now
We fitted our room to BE- comfortable hh"
cosey as possible We went from own homes every
evening and opened the room. and then Invited the
,r,s Il, And thev came They were Wild rough,
had girls mere brutcs They are known as IN"
.whte.apro girls in London, because thcir pfih'i-
pal article of wearing apparel is big apron SUPPOSED
to be white They wear no hats III the street VI
anywhere, and go IN gangs. WIcn VIC hisV WIN
among them we were cursed hssed and inNnlied gen
rrally but they soon were not aii'id Oh 'eh'
ard then they began to admire us ana wonder ''
us They ale rougher and more Ignorant thah any
clnsscs that have in America When tieS seU
excited or are intoxicated when they come ih'o '''
rooms they frequently knock our ladies' ABOUT anu
one of our ladies kicked so badly by ahs'S e"lS
one night that she left the work altogether bu' now
am clad TO say. she is better and will 30 to "orh
again The girls think IT is wonderful that she should
he willing TO return after the treatment she mas re
ceived
At first we said no word about religion or even
,ton of any sort We simply invited the gfIa
IN TO play the rough games which they uhuefs'oou'
Then little by little VIC introduced games "moh re-
a,ired a knowledge of reading. and thch tle sr''
asked TO be taught to read. We got them 10 Sihs
,ber low songs 10 U.S. and then would sing some
thing Ia them and they that our songs "'''
urcttier so we 'baite the hook for our i''' Il" 'o
way along until we have classes III se"ihs' '""
Ing stitching. gymnastics, reading ana Wrlu"r' ''"o
ing wood carving. painting and dressmaNlhs' 'S'
have Bible class twenty, held In the home Oi ono
of the GIRLS with her father permisson lie Is Il
,,cions fellow there is 10 crime In the calendar "o"
h has not committed and yet he gladly lent Us HIS
room. . .s
..rhe girls who work are cigar rollers. sweater
| match box makers at 4 l. cents Il e'"N'' P"'
ing for the paste twinc and firing and cork oieac''
| o.fx~ut ttrn IL.
range I'm earnings from 80 cents I" - ~ "''"
wa ALWAYS 90 among them looking nicely rs we can
Our workers are society girls from the id>b"h''o ~
Of wealthy London. The girls VIII come 'uou"' -
and stroke our velvets and handle our cio'ihs Gun
ously as IL we were creatures OF dherent I'i'u'
Curiosity and wonder drew chem at h's'' O'. '''
hecun 10 change 3, love. They do not ny u n'i'i"
-. foy they belong to their g~pg aud are tied by
! their customs anu habits lhcr +i' -
| They will continue to be 'whiteaprOn gri''
| aTbe system OF government is as simple ms posi-
be- Each girl pays one cent a week. anu VIZ '0 Wv
| same There are no rules. We did try col"''e'
NJ the girls but they began fight at once tealns
each Others hair out, throwing chnirs nj can o'le
] nd banging heads against the wall or floor. We
hove nine ladies interested in the work and we taH'
| turns IN being on the ground. am th'Te loH ''e
| Of the week IL is all volunteer york. noht Do
lieve in paid ma''on'' Inc "o'h u"' 49,
| nowhere near as checuNc'
i tdlk Ia
han I come In th0t the giis wuL I"il"I ia lth''
| snd the Indy sniggcrd,' meaning mat - hu =
@"ht and me lady In charge CRED ' -I'''
| nb vary among the girls and som" '" ""r
and willing hands but awful enoianoe o tg H", , 81
| deccnry purity and society. NJ ni>t We tI'' - P,
veuI e,rlt marriage among them. but nov +he'c
,b.t II = nv far the lesser evil. . A..
| rodnm under the Recreative Evening echo" AsNp
r,ation which work IN cOi!uncil0h WIN ue ~iN1lnpn ~
| Schcoi rnl,is The manager meet fr cohieft1l,e
| m,I,rlr The duchess of Ecdford ls our .haA
| ,ntn a1d am secretary one col thc n,"sl Il.
| ,Iv. % an the committee Is the Countess ApeNt''h'
| Tn our Whtcchapel club We reach the lowest chs
- boe in thc clubs and, in fart the lowest cls III
| london Every year we have competition be,"ecr pew %
Ta ninc ,lups and this is very useful Sne oi "ll %
| VIZ nv hest girls carry of large proportion OF uc
yi1es 5ur club has carried of all the h0lorS ~ Sg 4
| rr II i really wMderful. how they Shf. lhls - -
AZ in a large measure To the dramatic hi"ln'' ~
u,hcb they have been taught. almost act Oh, 'no m
rnn,e snng 10 them before sne II " thcl' ara a.
bev snr they have the picture OF the song III '"o"
have visited the clubs for wording grsl ec,, nH ~
J ,hs crmntfy from New York To san fiancI,'o %.'u %
bay. ,ser greatly interested, but nowhere dl1 ni' ~
i"w a class Of hnrnan beings Is our L"hdDu elh'
| fonnd however a great gap between Nonr io"ci -
~ cInh Girls and those whom found III )d so VI w.,
| must b, th,ee who fill the gap. but cannon nnu M u
ANYTHING is being done to reach this cia'S III "'o'