Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1894-09-21
PRACTICAL WORK.

Two Women who Have Made Successes of
Undertakings Conducted by Themselves.
A great lot of cant is talked these days
about opening new channels of employ
ment to women. Fifty years ago their
possibilities in business careers were
really hampered. But under the present
order of things any woman with pluck
and cleverness can hold her own beside
the best man in the country.
For example, witness the liberal in
come earned by lady in California
through commercial gardening while
another makes quite as much money in
New Jersey running big steam laun-
dry.
Mrs. Theodosia B. Shepherd of Ven
tura, Cal, has been established only
eight years, and, though she began with
tiny capital and a small piece of
ground, her gardens now occupy an en-
tire block adjoining one of the large ho-
tells. OF course her success was very
slow at first. One does not arise from
patch of garden truck to great hot
houses, structures for propagating plants,
besides five acres of cultivated land out
side the city limits, without plenty of
hard work. In those early days she was
an indefatigable laborer. Early and late
she toiled, as men toll, surmounting diff
fculties, suffering hours of deep discOur-
agement, yet sticking manfully to her
task. Then every detail demanded her
personal attention. with the irritating
friction always attendant upon minuti@,
But industry shortened that term of pro
baton, and now her business has in
creased in magnitude until, of course, it
is carried on by the usual business ma
chinery.
The New Jersey woman had, at the
death of her husband, just S., 900 to in
vest, and deciding that she knew more
about washing clothes than anything
else opened a laundry. Her fate was
the common fate of allan opportunity
to work and economic and add to her
talent, or drift, as so many do, toward
failure.
Slowly but surely thrift conquered diff
fiCulties. She first secured well pay
ing patronage among private families in
her town Then, finding how limited
such local work. must of necessity be, she
dtlcIIlllutAl W NY lOl Dl5SCl pIObLo' IlCl
initial move was to visit some of the
New York hotel managers and by facts
and figures prove that she could do bet
ter laundering for them in New Jersey
than they could have done at home
Some gave her trial, and for these she
washes today Soon, however, a more
important job than any she had dreamed
of came her way. This was nothing less
than a contract to do the washing for the
Pullman Car company wherever it could
be reached from her point,
From that time on her fortune was
made The capacity of her steam laun-
dry was enlarged, she was able to EN-
ploy an increased force, and of course,
with every extension of her business,
could afford to offer more and more pop
ular prices
This lady, who few years ago started
a modest trade in washing, is now a
prosperous woman of considerable for
tune. She has been enabled to take the
dignified position of a man at the head OF
furnishing establishment and has SUI
perintendents to look after details. Hel
son she has sent to college; her daughters
have completed their education in Eu
rope, and when any one pirates in hel
presence of the limited careers open tC
the sex she promptly suggests scrub
bing board.-Woman's Recorder.