Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1893-12-06

Wheo Ven 0zt. nay Jsss nee,o Z, n
8~sTly - Serssee.
TO see the governnent economically
administered, so where they mend mail
0SA When q mailbag il woru ont. il
= considered ~ just Ct fog service. A
new mailbag i ssiG. unyielding. When
u has knocked about fhe world. had the
search taken out Of it and its weak
places discovered. it grcvs r,iAble. gives
wnen It emit force its way and is nov
Prepared to do business srccexfuilv.
Lake a human being. the mailbag has
had It's experience. The most active
mailbags nov IN the service have scarr,-
y hands breadth Of thcozisiu.i fabric.
The o:Shnsry jIse mailbag is xnended
y wonea- This Is one Of the now few
branches Of the public service outside Of
The civil service rules. TIE women who
mend maiihcgs arc appointed by con.
g-essmen O. public officers in the old
way. A raore democratic gathering can.
no. lie found IN Washington. Il is dirty
not di46cclt work. In the numbers q:
women clad in sheir worst clothes. their
heads hidden in paper fools caps with
long cuFtains. their hands guarded BY
leather bands and at work on sewing 80
ride that 1t seems Ike a trsvestv on tine
gertle art OF the needle. i. is dificuls to
detect f.om one another the deicace.v
nur'ured woman. the sturdy foreigner
anc the negro. They are ali there work
ing IN rertec, amiry.
Each woman sits on : low chair. She
has exchanged her street dress fo- her
working clothes in tie commodious
dressing room. She receives every morn.
ing a mailbag holding 10 bags. Five
OF theso are comparatively good: FIVE
arc more o. less bad. II Is a mild sort
OF lottery, which these women expert
ence twice or three times day. and the
eie'neE: OF chance Is 10: tho less excss-
Ing though it lie in the depths Of q dirty
mailbag.
Bad OK good the women are raid 3;
cents bag. For the woman who can
not earn ~ least $40. = day there is no
place IN this room. they earn on an
average about Sl.S0 a day. and some
women exceeL this amount. Each wo-
man works with darr.irg needle and
Irvine thread. Her first acQuire,neu. is
the sailors stitch. With this she can
patch. darn OK e,nbroider. When she
has finished the bags. they are carried to
a central table. where on . bulletin
board her ran,e Is scheduled. There her
work Is examined by one Of three ,nen
and checked oS accordingly.
Not al sew. Some string the bags at
the neck AMI put on the tags and locks.
One OF these i blind negress. She has
not seen since a child. but she works
rapidly and deity while size tells with
pride how s..s can eInbroider and sew
II home
These women from such varied walks
in life work together in perfect accord.
When to TIE foreman the dusty air and
uns;ghtiy work seem 10 have depressed
the workers. he suggests TO some one.
generally coiOred woman. to start up
some EiIsic. The wave OF sound gath
ers Until the whole room has joined IN.
|: Is usually . hymn. fo- hymns come
most easily 10 .o.aen's lips.
The government: Is q kind taskroas.e-.
The room Is finely lighted and ven.i-
lated. the wssk-ooms are abundansly
and finely equipped with marble mount
ed stationary stands. At noon a tea and
coffee bureau is opened. and the workers
have ali the Tea and coffee they desire a;
tine expense Of their country. Washing
ton working hours are easy. Vacations
Of q month are given. and certain SICK
leaves are provided for. The sweat
shops Of the government. where tine new
maiibags are made by contract. are in
this city.-New York sun.