The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1893-10-20
UNCLE SANS MAllBAGS.
When Worn Out, They just Begin to Be
Really of Service.

When Worn Out, They just Begin to Be
Really of Service.
To see the government economically
administered, go where they mend mail
bags. When mailbag is worn out, it
is considered as just fit for service. A
new mailbag is stiff, unyielding. When
it has knocked about the world, had the
starch taken out of it and its weak
places discovered, it grows pliable, gives
when it can't force its way and is now
prepared to Go business successfully.
Like a human being, the mailbag has
had its experience. The most active
mailbags now in the service have scarce
ly hands breadth of the original fabric.
The ordinary jute mailbag is mended
by women. This is one of the now few
branches of the public service outside of
the civil service rules. The women who
mend mailbags are appointed by con-
gressmen or public officers in the old
way. A more democratic gathering can
if not difficult work. In the numbers Of
women clad in their worst clothes, their
heads hidden in paper fools caps with
long curtains, their hands guarded by
leather bands and at work on sewing SO
rude that it seems like a travesty on the
gentle art of the needle, it is difficult to
detect from one another the delicately
nurtured woman, the sturdy foreigner
and the negro. They are all there work
ing in perfect amity.
Each woman sits on low chair. She
has exchanged her street dress for her
working clothes in the commodious
dressing room. She receives every morn
ing mailbag holding 10 bags. Five
of these are comparatively good; five
are more or less bad. 1t is a mild sort
of lottery, which these women expert
ence twice or three times a day, and the
element Of chance is not the less excit-
ing though it lie in the depths of dirty
mailbag.
Bad or good the women are paid 81
cents bag. For the woman who can
not earn at least SLOT day there is nc
place in this room. They earn on an
average about $3.50 day, and some
women exceed this amount. Each wo-
man works with darning needle and
Irvine thread. Her first requirement is
| the sailors stitch. With this she can
patch, darn or embroider. When she
has finished the bags, they are carried tc
a central table, where on a bulletin
board her name is scheduled. There hel
work is examined by one of three mel
and checked off accordingly.
Not all sew. Some string the bags al
the neck and put on the tags and locks
One of these is blind negress. She ha:
not seen since child, but she works
rapidly and deity while she tells with
pride how she can embroider and sew
at home.
These women from such varied walks
in life work together in perfect accord
When to the foreman the dusty air ant
unsightly work seem to have depressed
the workers, he suggests to some one
generally colored woman, to start VI
some music. The wave of sound gath
ers until the whole room has joined in
It is usually hymn, for hymns COM
most easily to women's lips.
The government is kind taskmaster
The room is finely lighted and VENT
lated. The Mushrooms are abundant,
and finely equipped with marble mount
ed stationary stands. At noon tea an
AT the request of the defendant
the S25, 900 damage suit of Judson .
Humiston and Chas. Ell. Howard, e1
ecctor of the will of John J. Haggard
deceased, VS.. the Chicago & North
western railway company has bee
transferred from the Faribault cour
ty district court to the United State
Circuit court.
The new theatre seats 1000 pei
sons. and there is standing room fo
200 hundred more. The exists are S
ample that the house can be cleare
in two minutes.
&C. e. Musser's candy kitchen
now in full operation and fresh cand
is made each day. Those wantin
something nice should call.
The recitationist Emile Bennett
Roddey at the M. e. church Monda