Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1893-01-08
EARN THEIR LIVING.
OVER 10, ooowHiTE GIRLS EMPLOYED
IN RICHMOND INDUSTRIES.
p.,,o,m Their Duties Faithfully, Are wen
Paid. Have Comfortable "o"'
and Lead Exemplary LIVES

The tendency OF girls and young women
in reduced circumstances to MAKE tho''
own liylnp-apd even help to earn SUI
s,ste,ca for Others dear 10 them-has
grown greatly within the past Few ysats.
IN fact mite n short time back the faces
of but few young ladies could oe seen Ia
,ha factories behind the counters, OF at
the desks. Now 1t is very dineren.' ~
even in Richmond 10000 girls raining ~
age from 10 or IA years up are supp'i''"-
themselves by their own LABOR
This rapid stride in the matter OF iemaio
errlovmrpt. where male help nau ueen l
utiijzed has been brought apout ~ 80
conditious-oue. the imminent neoess ',a
for the poorer classes OF girls 70 t ne1V on
self-supportiug: the other. reaiIIas,n ators
Tho part OF manufacturers. proprietots,,,
and professional people that certain
kinds of work could be done oetter "
tbern than by the other sex, and that Ineli
services could be procured tor less nonef'
IN ALMOST EVERY INDUSTRY.
Tn Richmond female help IS being utli-
,,ad in almost every industry. Az tbe A.
len 4 (iInter Branch of the American 10
bacco Company 1000 girls are employe,ooo,
I 900 work at the p. Whitlock Brancn Zoo ~
at the Randolph paper-oox factory ooU , q
Millhiser's bag-factory; 500 at Cameron ~
Sizer,s factory: 100 at the factory OF the o.
r. Pace Tobacco Company; 100 81 l.. =,
Williams's factory. and about 2.OgO IN me
other cheroot- and tobacco-tactorleso Vi 'no
city. .,,,crparbars
and typewriters and as many saiesiaules III
the city, while probably 800 girls are earn
mo n living in the several shirt-tactoIles
and middleaged women are engaged III
dressmaklng. and are well remunerated
for tbis work. The wholesale drug-houseS
Give employment TO about lOO girls VINO
are kept busy putting up medicines
labelling bottles. &c. The book-blnderles'
prlnting-offices, and miscellaneous enter
prises utilize O great deal OF female LABOR
and on the whole TINS CLASS Oh eluElVsII
| ment il n much larger and more poWeriul
one-much more beneficial aud eleyatlng
| TO the community than might be imagined
| bv A person who has not looked into ana
| studied it.
WAGES EARNED by THE GIRLS.
These girls make salaries ranging from
S2 per week to more than 800 per month.
| Probably the highest-salarled ladies' IN
| Richmond are few of the best quailhed
| salesWomen who are connected with some
| of the leading dry-goods houses. Inc
ruling prices for store-glrls, however, Is
| from 50 to $40 week, and on this amouhI
these young ladies board themselves ana
| dress very nicely. The stenograpners, &C
| countants, and copyists are paid. generally
| from $3.50 TO $40 q week. In the factories
| the wages paid the girl operatives range
| from - to Sl3 per week. The latter Is
considered a fairly large amount tor hrst-
| class cigarette-glrl to make. In the box
| factories their salaries vary from - TO ~
a week, $3.50 being about an average.
| None of the Richmond factories allow
| tho girls to work, even at the start, with
| out receiving compensation. so from tho
time they begin as en- employee IN any
enterprise they receive wages.
HOW THEY LIVE.
| A great many of tho young ladies' who
are engaged in these branches are daugh-
tiers in poor families and reside at home
with their parents, though the greater ma
| iority ara those who have been thrown
upon their own resources and are com
PEELED to board in various places IN the
city, according to their income from thelr
labor. ...,
Considering their opportunities aad ad-
vantages thew live well, dress we'll. aud
many of them are in comfortable clrcum-
| stances. Quite number of these young
ladies have money in the various savings
! banks OF the city, and instances are
known in which these amounts reach $500
and 5000. and even more.
The girls who come TO Richmond rom
other cities and smaller towns and from
tho country to secure employment nnd
many nice places where they can secure
board at from 81 10 s. per week. One OF
the most worthy institutions IN the city ls
the home of the Women's Christian Asso-
citation. on Franklin street between
Seventh and Eighth. Here about twenty
five girls are now receiving nice accommo-
dation and every attention at tho small
sum of 50 per week.
THEIR PURITY UNEQUALLED.
The most gratifying tact IN connection
with the lives of the working girls OF Rich
mond is that they, as o rule, are pure and
chaste. 1t has been asserted by one who
il considered high authority in such mat
ters that larger number OF these young
ladies in this city 60 TO Sunday school and
church and contribute TO the cause OF re-
llgion than in any other city in the United
States with population of even 200 600.
Their behavior is always good and their
department ladylike. 1t is rare, indeed,
that one of them, even from the humblest
class, il seen at the Police Court. Large
numbers of these girls who have no pa
rents are prudent 70 such an extent that
they reside with relatives or intimate
friends.
THEIR CoNvENIENCEs UNSURPASSED.
The factory operatives of the gentler
sex work about fifty hours a week here,
while in New York they work tfty-six
hours in tue Same number Of days. The
store girls of Richmond have much
easier time than do those in large cities Of
the North. Another noteworthy fact upon
this subject Is that tho Richmond factO-
ries possess unexcelled conveniences tor
the health, decency, and comfort of the
operatives, and in almost every large en-
terprise the employees of both sexes are
generously remembered by the proprietors
on Chrlstmas-Day.
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