Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1892-04-26
reLeeaApH SCHOOLS ron WOMEN.
An Incident In the Western Union huild-
ing Unseals an Old Operators Lips.

An Incident In tne WESTERN uH'"h A'"'A
ing Unseais an Old opcrator's Lips.
.Do YOU see that pretty girl walking
down Day street," asked an old gray
haired operator recently in front OF the
biv Western Union building. "She was
inst ,lp stairs and applied for situation.
Az is the custom she was taken to a side
table to have her speed tested. The test
was not very crucial one, but it was
enough to tell her ability When saw
ali tile chiefs throwing plying glances at
the girl, and she got up with her face
sufTused with tears, | knew she had
made Il dismal failure of it and had been
rejected on the ground of incompetency.
I'm privileged character up stairs, you
know, ana can do about what l please,
SO / followed the giil out to the elevator
and tried to cheer her up. Every day
ono on two unsuccessful applicants are
turned away, and | generally resolve
myself into a committee Of one TO SYM
natlize with them and get chance to
come down here for an airing.
s.This GIRLS story continued the te-
ienrapher, who on account of his long
sely ice is regarded as one of the fixtures
of the Office, varies little from the rest.
When questioned her she dried her tears
! and told me that three months ago she
had been a clerk in an uptown dry goods
store, Her mother, who is an invalid,
earned d little money by sewing, and be-
/ tween them they had managed to lay by
few dollars. One day the girl saw
this advertisement in a morning paper:
sWantoll--Three young ladies' lnne-
diately, on our lines, to learn telegi Apply
and take situations, Si5 to $125 monthly.
Apply to superintendent - Telegraph
COMPANY. - street.
.sWeil, Z" sa;d the operator, ''she was
l,ired on by that al. suppose the pros
pcct of earning $125 q month was too
BRIGHT to be ignored. Accordingly she
went to the school-we call them plug
factorics'-and in three months time
was sent forth fullledged operator. A
situation was not found for her, but the
iconoclastic professor said he would see
Lis friend, the Western Union superin-
tsndent. and all she would have to do
was to take q sl00 situation as starter.
You SEQ how, she Jared. She now has
three months experience rs a teisgraphic
student, has learned nothing practical
whatever, no position and no money,
wililo the professor adds another victim
to his long list. Why, do you know that
these fellows themselves cannot even dt
Justice TO third class wire? They can
not earn decent living here, SO they re
sort to other methols-and get rich
I've worked in every important offic'
from Maine to Frisco, and in all M.
travels never met first class operate
whose origin could be traced to plug
factory
NOW, III tell you," continued the oil
timer as he gallantly lifted his hat an,
smiled serenely at bevy of check girl
who were tripping into the building AM
shouting '.Good morning, daddy" a
.r HIM, "the telegraph business cannot b
n learned in two or three months. On
/. cannot acquire state Of proficiency i
O. that space OF time to become even q tllir
re class operator. These plug factorie
d promise everything under the sun to sc
10 pupils. There Is not an operator in TIL
oiIlce-600 all told who gets salary {
% G195 per month. The average salary fc
y first class operators is SO per nlontl
" No sinecure, is it2 There may be son,
i that receive from 800 to $125, and prot
+. ably more, bat they are distributed anon
n the newspaper Offices and press associ;
20 tons. and are all men Of great reputatio
I'd and Of speed records.
r. ssNllat 90 the women get? Well, Il
average salary is about $50 per mont
a ] never knew but three first class lad
Y operators in my life. Ono Of them is
~ Denver, another at Rochester, and t
ht third at Bridgeport, Conn. The two la
It, ter arc employed by ono Of tho big pre-
9n associations, whose wires are worked
re killing pace, and even they don't r
ae ceiye any such fabulous salaries as tt
ets professors advertise. Women can't star
20 the strain on the nervous system, al
1d then they don't generally use the Cox
or judgment required. The managers al
IL srperintendents contend that it is a bui
all ness for wcnlen Only. To disprove til
as you have only to go upstairs and see f
IN, yourself. All the heavy circuits q
ry manned by men, and they are not era
sst yates of plug factories, either. The fl
irt is, women can't work the heavy circuit
en- They are not built that way, suppos
use They do good work ON the lighter G
1T cults, hut invariably become rattle
whom put to work on quadruplex
III fast wire. There's one thing in favor
ifa the girls. though. They all report
ID duty on the morning following pay da
Its and that'e more than | can say of sol
atv vi the mcl. New York Sun.
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