Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1892-11-10

returned to his office he was minus 4 /
stenographer.
Miss c., a girl of a good deal of snap.
was from a little town in Wisconsin.
She went into an office where the man
said he travelled and wanted Steno-
grapher for a travelling companion.
She slammed the door of the private
office in his face and went out into the
main room, where there were several
other girls waiting. She told them the
story and there was a haSty exodus.
This same girl went to a stenOgraphic
agency ON LaSalle street. The proprie-
tor said that "a girl of your shape
ought to get position anywhere" and
proposed that she go on the stage.
Miss D., another country schoOl-teach-
er, this time from Indiana, told of go
ing into an office on Washington street
where the porly gentleman wanted "a
congenial stenographer, one who could
drink wine" He said she could have
many of her afternoons off, but that
she could make up by working even
ings. This girl went to an agency,
where she gave up s. for the privilege
of registering her name. The proprie-
tor was to send for her as soon rs he
found her position. She is still wait
| ing.
Miss T., a bright-faced girl, told an
amusing story of her experience in
working in a private house. She was
from Michigan and was engaged as
private secretary to wealthy gentle
man in the suburbs. After she got
there she discovered that the wife was
business woman and would also re-
Quire her services To use the girls
own expression, " it was perfectly aw
full She said: perhaps | would be
right in the middle of a sheet on the
typewriter when in would rush Mrs.
- with something to be done at
once and if l didn't drop my work
and attend to her she would be mad.
She wrote out what she wanted to say
i'll long hand first. And l really be-
ieye," continued the girl, that she
learned it all by heart. for she ratified
it off so fast it would take a phOno
graph to catch it. Then she would
look at me in a superior way, as to
say: You are not much of a stenO-
grapher.' "She bothered me nearly to
| death, too," said Miss E., with her
domestic and family affairs. Every
time she had a row with her servants
she came in to talk it all over with me.
Then I overheard her tell her husband
| that l was terribly slow. Then, and
here her voice sunk very low, ''her
husband became so complimentary to
Inc that I gave up my place"
Miss F., tall, rather fine-loOking
girl in spite of her pale face, told with
good deal of indignation why she
left her last position. 1t seems there
were two propretOrs to this establish
ment. There was also another StenO-
grapher-a very gay grass widow.
And" said the girl d" the conduct of
those two men with that woman was
so outrageous that | could not stand
it. These partners seemed jealous of
each other, and they We'd in their at
tentiops, so that they actually would
leave a customer standing while in
dulging in some pleasantly with that
woman. She always had fruit and
flowers and [ have often known her
to go home in a carriage. | saw one
of those men introduce his wife to her,
too"
Miss G., or rather Mrs. c., for she
was a bright little married woman,
| WHO is working with her husband,
helping to pay for a little home in the
suburbs. When asked about her eX-
| perience she gave vent to q merry
laugh. She said: ooh, yes, I have had
some few experiences, but my observa-
tons are perhaps worth more than
my experiences, as [ have had an office
of my own and had occasion to employ
girls. I was once discharged because
I was a married woman. My employer
kept asking me to go out to supper
with him. [ kept putting him off and
suppose he thought it was only bash
fulness. He became impOrtrlnate, so |
told him my husband would object.
On Saturday night I got my salary
with an envelope saying my services
were no longer required. The very
next day I met a girl on the street and
she asked me if I knew of any place.
[ told her of the enc I had left, but
L
girl could work there. She said: Z
don't care; I'm going to try it. / am
just bare; look at me, my shoes are
all worn out. I've been out to the
stock yards working for Sc a week and
I'm starving 81 had not seen her
since till the other day / met her on
the street." continued the little woman,
"and she was so beautifully dressed l
scarcely recognized her"
Miss H, a quiet, business-l1ke girl,
said: 81 have never been treated other
than in the most courteous fashion.
But I came here with letters of intro
duction and I have held but two posi-
lions. But" she continued, "there is
a girl boards where I do who left q
place the very first morning she went
to work because the proprietor tried
to kiss her. He did kiss her on the
forehead, and he was an old man, too. !
Miss J., a slender, tired-looking girl, :
told Of going to an agency (she gave
the building) kept by a woman. This
woman offered to get her a position If
she was willing to ''shOw favors" to
the gentleman whom she would send
her to see.
A number of girls told the same
story of their experience with agents.
Several We're asked to take off their
cloaks ito see if their figures were
good
Not all of the stories told by these