The Pioche weekly record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1877-1900, 1894-03-08
PHYSIQUE OF WORKING GIRLS.
A Writer Gives the Results Of His
Recent Investigations
The Present stggH Occupations d Women viii Have 4
Dstauat.Eg Effect Upon Future Generations

The employment Of women and girls
Ill large buaines5 houses, postof1iccs. res
t&Urants and other occupations in the
/ place of men has recently led the writer
to maze Inquiries as to their physical
capublhty to withstand the long hours
and labor demanded of them. The re-
suit Of these Investigations may not be
unintcresting, although it should Of
coarse be remembered that III the ma
Jorlty of the cases to which reference
viii be made the observations are en-.
tlrely his own, and may therefore seem
to SAVIOR of prejudice 1t should, how
ever, be clearly understood that he be-
heves in the emancipation of women to
large extent, providing in all cases
that their daily employment does not
unfit them for those domestic duties
which only Il woman can perform, and
which untitness, in the case of married
women, it is regrettable to say, has often
ended in strife and separation.
But it is not proposed to discuss
whether it is advi4ble or not for women
to enter the labor arena. The question
is whether the many occupations now
being almost entirely monopolized by
females have any deteriorating effect
upon their physique, and beyond doubt
the answer must be in the affirmative.
Nowadays life is one continuous rush. |
The constant hurry skurry of a man :
busy existence, the early rising due to
suburban migration, the scamper to
catch trains, the incessant "go" as COM
pared with the fairly placid existence of
fifty years ago, all have their effectupon
the nervous system, but in his case he is !
by nature physically constituted to bear
the constant strain to which he is sub |
jected.
1t Is not so with a woman. who must
necessarily remain the weaker sex. how.
ever great her mental development NAV |
be. To be taken from the not over ex.
citing sphere Of domesticity and put into |
one OF the restless, active employments |
which they so ably and worthily fill, to
enter into the ceaseless field of competi |
ton which now exists, must necessarily |
have some weakening tendency upon
the organism to the detriment of future
generations.
1t may of course be said that those who !
are to follow Us must take care of them |
selves, and that we must think only of .
and abide by the conditions |
under which we now live. If this doc. |
trine Of sehishness is to hold good, then
Of course nothing need be said of the re
sponsibilities that are due to generations
unborn.
Granting that women must so occupy
themselves, do they deteriorate in ply.
slque: One has only to go into the large
aerated bread shops, restaurants. post.
offices and other public places to OBJ,
serve the effect of their employment
upon women. Notice their rounded
backs and shoulders the stopping gait
the (oftentimeS) hollow chest. the palil
faces. Compare these with the healthy,
upright and buxom appearance of those
young women who are country bred or
who are not compelled by circumstances
to work for their living, and it will no.
be denied that their occupations are re.
'pOnsible for this deterioration.
\ census of 100 women was recently
aiken at random, comprising mattresses.
oarmaids, shop assistants and postofice
employees, and no less than sixty-four
were found to answer the description
above given, while the majority of the
thirty-six, although apparent,
y not outwardly imperfect so far as
physique was concerned, appeared to be
lnRmic and anything but in a normal
condition of health.
Manufactures are not here referred 10.
because the baneful effects these have
lpon women and girls are too we'll
Known. If the conclusions arrived at
IRE correct, what is the remedy, if remedy
here be: We certainly ought not to be
'ontent to witness this gradual decay in
physique without at least max.
nS some effort TO alleviate or abolish
he evil from which she suffers.-London
it-Bits.