New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-08-28
TIE MILL LIFE or FIFTY lE1RS AIo.

Lawrence OIassD correspondence of The Boston
Today Miss Matilda rav,s of this city, begins
her fifty-hrst year as a weaver Her "reminiscences
of mill lifa and labor told this morning 70
Globe T. porter proved both Interesting ana aHus-
Miss Davis was born in Woodstock Ne. In !S3o
@nIv tbirteen Years Old She did housework for q
while earning 80 cents week. soon 'rlns Vi ms
girl For this work she received O. cents a week ana
her board At the end OF year she went 10 nd fo
IL nfty wv Years she has followed this trade
During this time she has MAJ ony susn er to
take. These fifty years of labor have been spent IN
Dedham Newburyport Lewiston NE; ana ana LEV, aa~
r rTncI and in s ,hc Paci RhsM Mil VIC '
when / look back" she remarked ITO the early
days OF my work the long hours the poor pay anu
rude conveniences Of the mills together WIN ins
rough corporation houses we We're cop~el 20 copS
ton OF affairs regarding mill life ard labor,
n,,I of once in three months and considered our
Selves very fortunate girs when We made J. ~ a
xeek MANY OF the mills hal no regular PAYDAY.
The operatiyes going TO the counting room wnen
they wished for little money. ard their accounts
would thus run along. oftentimes for wno.e year:
..The gr's d,d not pay their own board. but II was
collected by the boarding mistress at the mill COUNT
hThe Corporation boarding houses OF those times
bore little resemblance TO the comparatively cU ON.
Portable ones 9t 'o na6y IN quality and scarce
IN aaSnly US T TSs P BIZ varied
c 0Tr 6nd sduEhns We hid good butter when
bad but,ar which was not often. 'oieo anu hhS
The coffee was sweetened with moiasses. and tns
milk boiled in with II. 10 save putting MIX aI9
ntchers on the table one day In every week we mao
bread and milk FOR dinner. and on the other rayS
.or,e kind Of meat was given The suppers dlHerc!
utfie from the morning meas. oilcloth covereo
Tho tables No teaspoons or tuinDers Were eNcr
seen. for you know, with s'hHe' "''P
could be stolen and glasses broken ,.,
Chairs considered an t s nth in
,pd benches were therefore furnished Tor Doth UNI
ing and sitting rooms. Carpets were uhhnown ~
ma eAen the floors OF the boarding MISTRESS Pr'-
vae apartments were bare IKE on, own >" he IN ou-
"At 10 O'Clock were supposed 70 pe III wur
h>ds with Iii lights out At s.i5 a be-. was runs
20 remind ms OF the rule and In fifteen minutes tne
,,..er Of The house started on tour or lnNesusa-
zion 10 see that the reputation was Voyeu' ~ III
ua.chr,an on the street saw any lights burning
- ,h,t hour in the boarding house ne would ctI
mn the master and together they wou'd prhs INC
offender TO book ~, 49,. houo,, WAL
,,ou see after working fourteen hours uay "
adv, think much about recreation, though WE oso
sometimes attend singing school, when was OUT
chief form Of amusement. once a year Il C",u,
W. The great event Of the year 10 us mill g.ris'
,,r,,ss,ng in It's manifold attractions even lnde-
CONFIDENCE Dav We had few holidays: ana ,,hristmas
was not then kept as Il - now ne mn onie.a.s
Thev complained that 1t took too much money OUT
Of town. -, Al, ,,o,r ou,r sowing so Won
can see we had very li;te spare UNI I'M .,o ,,u n,
Mise Davis came TO Lawrence before the ran OF
the Pemberton MIL and has very vivid recosecsaonS
~ that horrifyng calamity In spite OF tne many
Gears 81 what most people would consider haru ana
disaere-,be work. she Is decided opemis., III
the present hard times IN particular she says sne
has worked through many a period or business w
nressIon and has always noticed that times were
enough better af;erward 10 make up Tor all iosse~