The Yellowstone journal. [volume] (Miles City, Mont.) 1893-1901, 1893-08-18
OPERATIVES LIFE
A VISIT TO THE HOME OF A FALL
GivcR MILL EMPLOYEE.

selves In f'Dt In anew sfa'E ~" "
VII. Helps ucr Husband Z" Adj e" the
Family Tnc"mc-The Children.
Being in Pail River the other day.
so-,oht some facts concerning the otrrt-
tiyes. Fortune brought me int" u
home of what proved 10 be a rather
t.lliyert one. 1t was Saturday atttt
noon. and rs TIE mills close at noon =
h,,le family. including the father. Wa
NJ home. the home" was a tenement
II IA large double house. where three
.ther families besides the II 'h''s
viewed were living. Ii was III the rear
of Il populous street winch Is the hoae
| of Il large number Of the more thrlltS
| and sober operatives. Tins partleui.i !
tenement consisted Of u large room III
the center. where the stove was placed
and where the cooking was done.
Around this room three bedrooms aud .
sinkroom were grouped. The furniture
was better than one might expect 10 see.
though it was by no means luxnrious.
Entering into conversation with t'e
man, | found that he hal formerly NJ
tended the English church while IN Eng
land and that for some time after com
ing 20 this country he had been quite IN
terested in church work. In token of his
interest. l learned, one Of his children
bore the name of a clergyman OF the
Episcopal church. At the time OF my
visit. however. he said that he was not
attending church at all. partly because
he could not buy clothes with which Il
make a respectable appearanceat church
and partly because he felt that the clergy
were inclined to side with the mill owner
as against the mill operative.
His wife. as women usually are. was
more hopeful and content and explained
that she thought they could get along
very well. She was quite Wiling t'
work and had done SO. somewhat asaihs'
her husbands protest-a protest. now
ever, which was evidently huslcl by TIN
,ecessitv of the case. In order to worn
this good woman was obliged to hire
some one to care for her baby and to let
the other three ..shift for themselves.
chiefly in the street
The longer | talked with these people
the more Interested | became. ana tlt
P more confidence was mutually manifest
3 ed. 1t seemed to me that three or f"ui
things were to be noted:
. Neither of them had saved ny theli
a earnings as they might have done pre-
vious to their marriage. True. IN tn:
respect they were like ninety-nine hun
are,iths Of other young people. whatevs
their work or station i'll life.
i. This family was ut that stage wher'
=, there was iut one old enough to Wori
u unlessthe WHO did precisely as this wifi
, did n lart of the time-i. e.. hire som
J n 10 care for her baby While she wen
.,ut to work. y few years later antit III
cmldren. who may 80 into the mills =
IA. will ~ able to earn enough to mas
:, The family entirely comfortable. In
deed many sich families rs tins on
promises to I've in the course OF "A ley
~ wears can Il enough from their earl
~ ings to buy "A home for themselves att
,s awhile.
It seemci Ia me that il would |
&c quite "a practical thing for this family
" combine with other families and start
!" kind of Kindergarten. where not on
es The baby. hut all tire children unl,
III public school age might be cared for
Dr. far less expense than was now laia -
"miuding the baby.
n such IL movement rs this Won
% doubtless not only meet with the hear
and practical support of well meani'
people in general. but it would be 81
ported by the officials of the mills.
was especially pleased to learn TIL
n many Of the corporations VI these RI
II River mills support Il bed III the ioc
ne hospital for the free use OF their oper
mt ,,yes. The Kindergarten would he
uS philanthropy along the same line.
eli. 1t will be quite a practical thing togi
lti some statistics of the earnings OF II
family for the week previous. Those
'rd the man had been - u; those OF the wi
nd. A.. Deduct from this total $3.50 t
II ..minding the baby" and $l4.2: Is Il
=. Is the net income Of the household. r
rent they pay $50 per month, and
barrel of -four lasted seven weeks.
The wife explained that she was on
working for u spell to help them OF
IN debt" Ofcourse to do this all the hous
work must be lone after returning tir
,es from the mill at night. when both
them must work late and early in I
no, morning before going to the mill.
the mills start at about half past 6 in
morning it will be seen that very ca
rising is necessary.
Nor is this all. 1t makes life Q tre'
mill with no evenings for recreatl,
Besides the wife has no tim for
aid needle, and the appearance OF the cl
les dren must greatly suffer. The great
cir lief is found in the fact that, by the III
MI frugal living and by the strictest &c
omy. this wife was not compelled
work in the mill all the time. Still
La. seemed about impossible for the fam
with the strictest economy and sobrit
70 do better than was being done III
the boys get big enough to work
h a That visit enlightened my understa
,eir ing, broadened my view and deepened
s~ympathies. While there are many
,se the operatives who. like Us all, live
Ex below their privileges. still II many
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