The morning call., 1893-01-08

~ ~ " 81 Now, every one muSb
IA w ~ have observed that in
~GLW many of the wholesale
L- houses cashiers. type
writer's and others perform their duties In
little glass erectiOns within the warehouse
and in the retail stores the cashiers are fTe-
ouently partti0ned off in glass boxes.
do these girls get enough air?' is ques-
ton that would naturally suggest Itself to
any one who thinks of comparing the cubic
dimensions Of these glass eases with the
cubic amount of air pronounced necessary
for the support Of human life.
At first sight it appeared DO trfing
matter to ask the opinion Of the girls them
selves upon the subject because every one
knows that what exists in glass cases Is out
Of the reach of ordinary mortals. An outsider
NAV fatten his or her nose against the glass.
but that is usually the limit Of the acquaint-
ance with what is preserved inside.
"Girls who are so precious as to be put
uudPr glass must be Well worth Interview
ing" said q prominent business man, to
whom l had stated my eTrand yesterday,
and lie added, Il 10 not keep my own type
writer in a case. but / can take you TO some
places where they de-, and was conducted
into large, draughty warehouse full OF
bales and boxes. that was tribe colder
than the street itself
The little Office was a perfect haven of
refuge from the bIeezes outside and al
though warmed by coal-oil stove did not
seem to be stuffy.
"It is very comfortable here" said the
girl at the typewriter, "and there is enough
air, too, because he glass does not extend
I'D to The ceiling, but | honestly believe
that some girls VINO have lids TO their boxes
have very insufficient ventilation, and the
girl went on to name some typewrteTs
n Fnmfnrfabla
her own.
Il don't mind saving what I think. pro-
claimed bright, saucy looking little
stenOgrap heT, pointing heaYenward 10 the
wooden roof Of her glass den. There IS
not enough air IN here. DO you see that
ven;ilator? and she indicated sort OF
revolving window over the door
at is the only means I have OF airing this
Office. When il is open the draught IS IN
bearable, and when it is shut'-the girl
drew a long breath that spoke volumes
about the difficulty of RESPIRATION
The next person interviewed WAS drum
mer who has had a wide and varied eX-
perience OF the glass boxes wherein girls
work.
IN windy climate like this II is hard to
get just the right amount Of air" he OBJ
served. Now. IN some Of the large uptown
stores. particularly those that have doors
opening on two streets. the girls behind the
counter complain OF the draught and envy
Tue CASHIERS lUElE GldSS otIbtHss
MY own opinion is that without winds
drAughts are more injurious than toe little
air." and he went on 10 say that the girls in
the glass boxes are as healthy, hapDy-loOk-
ing a set of workers as one can ind.
One pretty refined girl, who was sitting
at the receipt Of custom In q glass flee,
shiYered a little as she observed: ''In our
last place Of business | had not enough air.
but since we have moved into these new
buildings there are moments when l have
too much. Oh course, even here the only
ventilation Is through the front door, and
perhaps that is scarcely adequate where
there is no wind. indeed, people often eX-
claim, How very close on entering my
Office. but | have grown so used 10 1t my
self that | do not BOtice the clOsenesS.
"0nce," size continued. laughing merrlY,
I'VE had a patent Yentllator put 10 to ere
ate an artificial atmosphere. and il created
far too lively a one. | lived in a cons taut
gale. my papers were blown away and flew
down street. | had 10 rush aud give chase;
besides the noise lt made was like a mill
wheel. The ventlaiOr was only an expert
ment and vas sOen abandoned. We eau.d
not have endured lis CHATTER, even if we had
been abe TO exist in its artificial atmOs-
phere."
The next girl interviewed was in the part
If town where stores abound. She had
little den opening out II place Of business
Which itself was decidedly close, and yet 10
spite Of the yiUated atmosphere she was
bealthy-looking and pretty.
''COme in, said the girl Hospitality.
There was not room for two, so my enter
ing necessitafed her going out She sat on
the other side of the little window that
looked ke ticket Office, and we chatted
through the aperture. The girl seemed to
consider herself blessed ia that her Office
was illuminated By the light OF day and not
polluted, as some are. by constant gaslight,
and she remarked that though her domicile
vas small. it was her own, and she was
monarch Of all she surveyed there.
The l0okiug-giass hung on the wall and
her comb was beside it. To a girl who
values her appearance this would 20 far
toward at0ning for a certain want Of air
that was very apparent to a passing visitor.
Indeed, tie entire dimensions of that Office
would have nonplusei the learned physi-
clans who make statistics by demonstrating
that a girl can live and thrive on less air
than their researches lead them to believe
possible.
The girl who worked upstairs in a
cashiers case in one Of the large stores had
not much 10 say, rs the yitiated, impure air
that rose from the gas and the crowd of
customers below was kent away little by
the glass panels and she looked upon her
case as q friend.
Nov, don't you think have quite nice
Offlcr?" said pale, delicate looking girl
with an air Of conscious pride and propre-
toFship. glancng round her cOmfOrta ble
well-aDponted little den. 81 am warmed
by q eoal-gh stove that really has no disa-
gTeeabe odOr and my air comes in from
above. for you see the glass is not more
than ten or twelve feet high"
This girl seemed the very personifcation
Of cnntentment, but she aiteTWard eX-
planned that her optimism was partly owing
to the contrast her present surroundings
afforded to the Office in which she had
worked some years before.
TT was rubber factory" she observed
r-ssh cuf IF Il Z
shut M in a glass case, where the air was
conspicuous by its absence and the Odor If
the rubber was always present"
'And how about your health during that
time ?" / asked.
well, il did not hurt me enough 10 iniure
my health" she replied. but / suffered
terribly from headache. You see, in
sufficient air in itself is bad for the head
combined with strong scent Of indiarub-
Der II Is apt to make one martyr to head
ache But it IS all gone now" she added,
"and / do not think any one could have a
more comfortable Office, though no doubt
there are more snowy ones"
DO you want to interview me?" asked A
little girl with round startled eyes and fluffy
hair, peering timidly out of her cashiers
window. The glass case was situated near
the door in large retail store, and was
divided into compartments, each containing
a busy worker.
intimated that did want to Interview
neTs ana she puckereu up ner brow despair
ingIy. as if she had been asked to compose
q poem.
''What shall sayP" she demanded, tug
ging Il her pretty bangs.
"Iell me about your glass case" an
sWered.
''Oh. like it," replied the girl. "This is
such a public place. There are so many
people coming and going that one might
almost as well work out in the street as in
the open store. You have no idea how the
glass adds to our privacy. Every one who
comes i'll and out could see just what we
were working at, if ii were not for this"