Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1893-05-11
SHAMEFUL If TRUE.
The woman,s Christian Temperance U,

The woman's Christian Temperance Union
Charged With Maintaining Sweat Shop.
Before the Woman's templewa erect
ed the Offices of the organization were
located in the Mercantile building, 161
and 1863 La Sale street. Every one was
cramped for space, but a change was
promised when the temple was COM
pleted. Finally the last stone had been
laid, and the grand edifice to woman's la
bors was complete. All the offices were
at once given quarters in the structure
and many of the departments. But no
one thought of granting the poor victims
who are dying by inches in the sweater
shop new lease of life by change of
quarters, and to this day there has been
no step taken looking toward succor for
them. In the basement of the old Mer
camille building among coils of steam
pipe and huge crates of worthless paper
is filthy little room about 12 by IL feet.
The ceiling is hardly as many feet re-
moved from the foul smelling floor, and
the place is indeed veritable deathtrap,
yet here is where this modern ''reform"
institution quarters its bindery girls and
! SApcSbo tlloil W w llll utlly.
Strong in the belief that the members
of the temperance union were well able
to care for every outside sweater shop
that might materialize, reporter for
| The Dispatch determined to look into
that den to which personal interests re-
strained the ladies of Mrs. Carse's insti-
tuition from drawing public attention.
Going down loose board stairway into
the basement of the Mercantile building,
the reporter found himself in long,
narrow hallway. To the left was a
Y saloon and to the right small hole in
the wall which led to stuffy pressroom.
Passing through this apartment the Wis
itor at last found himself fairly in the
pest hole.
And it was o sight indeed. Crowded
closely around half dozen wornout in
candescent globes were 10 girls, whose
| pinched features told only too plainly of
the want of fresh air. Not a CLEAN of
daylight ever reaches the little hole,
though there are three windows opening
on the alley. These, however, are below
the level of the ground and serve only
one purpose-the admitting of current
of foul air from the filthy passage.
Overhead are strung great masses of
steam pipes, which, when in full blast,
make fhe place so warm that the girls
have frequently found it necessary to
steal to the street entrance for breath
of fresh air to prevent fainting spell.
On the other hand, the flooring is of ce-
ment, and it is said that during the chill
ly weather this was absolutely too cold
to stand upon.
AS the reporter stood taking in the re-
ally disgusting surroundings there was II
shrill scream, and then piping voice ex-
exclaimed, "For the Lords sake, girls,
there's another rat!' Then there was a
! lively scrambling on top of chairs and
! tables until the foreman told the fright
ened girls that the rodent had gone. One
of the workers was asked if this was a
common occurrence, and she replied:
"Oh, yes. They run over our hands
when we are working"
The foul smelling den has made it i'm
possible for a girl to work there any
length of time without becoming i'll.
Whenever an employee is taken i'll the
only notice these reformers and charita-
BILE workers take of it is to shut off her
pay. There are strange stories told by
ex-employees of the place about the pc
culiar methods employed by the women
running The Union Signal to get their
work done at the lowest rate possible.
When the reporter was leaving, four of
the girls followed him into the corridor
and taking his mission for granted
begged that something be done to allevi-
ate the sufferings of the poor girls who
eSe out a precarious existence as binders
for the reformers in the Womans Chris
tan Temperance union.-Chicago Dis
patch.