The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-01-06
THE FIGHT FOR BREAD
EXPERIENCES OF WOMEN WHO TRY
TO EARN A LIVING IN NEW YORK.
Condolences Exchanged Around the
Tables i'm the Restaurant of the
Margaret Louisa Home.
New York Tribune.

good positions. \ young woman in Lon
don wrote thus to the secretary of an enl-
ployment bureau. The secretary replied at
once, advising the friends not to come to a
strange city with such insufficient pro-
vision; informing them of the great COM
petition for all desirable positions, of the
possibility that they might be weeks or
months without employment, and of the
high cost of living in New York. Under the
circumstances they wisely decided not to
leave their native country.
Yet under the impression that it is easy
to find pleasant positions with large sal
aries in New York, young women from
abroad and from the Western and South
ern States continue to arrive here without
knowledge of the difficulties which await
them. In the Margaret Louisa Home.
whose main purpose is to afford a tenn
porary residence for those seeking en-
ployment, and where many applicants
congregate, one often hears pathetic tales
of disappointed hopes. In warm summer
evenings chance acquaintances exchange
condolences on the roof of the building.
In the chilly days they tell their stories in
their comfortable bedrooms, which they
must exchange for such lodgings
often dreary ones-as their purses permit
An English girl. who came to New York
seeking a position nursery governess,
was thankful, when her purse was almost
empty, to accept a place chambermaid.
Another came from a distant State. She
had been educated at home by governesses
and called accomplished" but she
had not been trained to teach or to do
any practical work. She had reference as
to character and social position, but when
questioned about her experience in teaching
She had none TO t d
appointment, and her money was almost
gone. To pay the rent of her small, un-
heated room, she sold some of her clothing
for fraction of its value. For weeks she
lived on broken crackers, which she bought
from baking company at about cents a
cents a loaf. OF course she lost strength,
and, consequently, her natural hopefulness
and determinations yet she had resolution
enough to continue her efforts to find work,
and at last was temporarily employed
by a business house in folding and adj
dressing circulars. For several months she
had occasional work and her income aver
room, was insufficiently fed. and unable
to replenish her clothing. BSt after con-
in an office on stated salary. This
place led the way to a better one and when
courage respondent seeker for employ
ment she was in receipt of a good income.
and set aside all educational advantages.
and take any kind of work. said girl
who had sought vainly for the position she
| desired.
SAD EXPERIENCES.
'I agree with you in part. said a slen-
/ der. soft-voiced woman. LAS rule, what
| we call well-educated women should not
| take positions that can be filled by those
| who have little education. But If it is rec
/ essary in order to maintain herself, wom-
| an should be willing to do any kind of
| honest work. Once when I was in great
need in a strange city I took place as
| charwoman. and, by chance. a man who
1 bod oica IL, ~ g
| ferent circumstances passed the house
1 while I was washing windows. OF course.
| it a little awkward for both. butt
| don't mind now. The difficulty was that
| my physique untitled flor such hard,
! manual labor, and my hands were in an
| awful state. Ones muscles require train
| ing. Nevertheless, kept at 1T till found
! something better"
Once, when 1 could find nothing else to
spector of gas meters. Would you like to
see my badge? keep it as a memento.'
m makes s, ne heart sek sal said de-
| struggle, the ceaseless competition for the
bare existence. I tempted sometimes
| to end it all. One could do 1T SO easily
..Oh don't say that don't lose heart"
said one who had been silent; your bright
| days will come again.
| ITS the old story of Live horse, and
you'll eat grass remarked the respondent
Listen and I will tell you my story"
| said the other. 81 had advertised and an
swered advertisements. I had paid fees in
|
| work that | was able to do. My money was
| almost gone, ard L was in debt for my
board naa not relative or pr near ar 1rle e
| after our arrival here. The one spot that
belonged 10 me was his grave. and could
see no sin in fastening TO my place beside
| it. / gave my last cent TO a messenger
| when / sent for crlorcforrn. Then went
| to INV room threw myself or the bed and
| covered my face with . handkerchief sat
| urated with chloroforn. AT last, thought,
| / shall sleep. Many nights had lain with
sin Lis fnfn hon
| Inconsistencies, when, through tiny dulled
senses, heard a loud rapping at the door:
/ wished to- I did not yemember that I
had not turned the key ~ the lock. Pres
emily L heard the sound of many voices,
but they seemed dull and far away. When
/ my consciousness returned the landlady
and doctor were beside me. She had
heard of my sending for chloroform and
had come in alarm to my room / was i'll
for days, but while / lay there | told the
landlady my story; and she said should
and must never think OF my bill till | was
well able to pay 1t. 1t was not long before
her r.. In the years that have passed since
then / have had my dark hours, but I've
had bright been ao9 and that many wa
| rested my way to seif-destruction."
WHAT THESE WOMEN ARE.
For the most part the women one meets
| in the Home are brave and cheerful-look-
ing. Some have come to the city to seek
| employment and have found it. Some are
self-supporting women from other places
and are spending vacation at the home
| Some have come to attend meetings or lee
lures Others. who have positions in NeN
| York, avail themselves of the accommo
dations of the home while they look fol
boarding places. One made long journey
to seek an erring brother and found hin
sick and remorseful. The limit of time il
| any one year is thrty-five days. All yacan
| cies filled Immediately and applicant.
| are often necessarily sent away because
| there is no room for them. Therefore ii :.
| advisable to make applications some tim,
| before the room is required.
.Oh, for a permanent home like thisi', i
| the cry of those who have come to the en-
| of their time. At the luncheon hour tn,
restaurant is always crowded. At that tim
| many women who are not sslf-supporting
| and who are shopping in the neighborhood
find it a convenience. A large number q
girls from the shops and business places /,
! the neighborhood also lunch there R;lf
with the exception of the dodgers in hi
home, the women who breakfast and din
| in the restaurant are usually seif-s,,pporf
| ing women who live in furnished room
in the neighborhood. Some cook thai
breakfasts in their own rooms over gas I,
oil stoves, and take. dinner only at tn
restaurant. Before the dinner hour tne,.
is a line of waiting women in the hall frou