The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-06-14
WHAT WOMEN DO DO.

A great many people have an idea
that the 'New Woman" talk is bun
combe. That it is not. The "New
Woman" is with US. The ''New
Woman happens to be the business
woman. The census bureau report on
occupations, which is just out, gives
much information as to the increasing
tendency of women to earn their own
| living and to invade amOst every field
of labor in doing SO. The bureau gives
a list of 221 occupations, and women
figure in all of them with two excep-
tons. There are no female army or
navy officers and no female soldiers or
sailors.
| The total number of females 10 years
old or over engaged in gainful toll in
1890 was nearly 100000. While the
number Of working males was q per
| cent greater in 1890 than in 1880, that
| Of women who worked increased 40
per cent. The ten years in question
were years of general prosperity. There
| was work at fair wages for all the men
who wanted to work. 1t is evident the
women wished to share in that pros
perity also and to earn living for
themselves and not be dependents.
AS might be expected, domestic SER
vice is the chief occupation of women.
Five years ago over 100000 were en-
ployed thus. The number was much
larger in 1890 than in 1880, not merely
on account Of the increase in the num-
Der of families, but incomes were
larger and more people could afford to
hire servants. Hard times, on the
other hand, lessen decidedly the num-
Der of those thus employed. Next in
importance come farmers, planters,
and agricultural laborers.' Only a
few of these, however, actually work
for wages. Most of them own or have
an interest in farms.
What are called the manufacturing
and mechanical industries give work
to more than million women. There
were 2SS,O00 dressmakers, $4,000
seanstresses, and 10000 milliners.
The census bureau does not report
what the total amount of the bills rem
dered by these persons was for the CEN
sus year. 1t is the impression of the
heads of families who pay dressmak-
erS' and milliners' bills that the sum is
colossal. and the profits of those en-
gagged in those industries must be ex-
cessive. There We're also $4,000 oper-
atives in cotton mills, and $1,000 tailor
esSes. Great numbers of women were
employed also in wooden and silk mills,
in tobacco factories, shoe shops, book
binderies, etc.
No one will be surprised to learn that
in 1890 there were 245. go female teach
ers. They have driven the men out of
the field of labor and monopolize it as
thoroughly as they do that of keeping
boarding houses. But it will be
cause of surprise TO learn that OBS 800
women are engaged in 'trade and
transportation" OF these. however,
$1,000 are saleSwomen. 21,700 book
keepers, and 21 600 are Stenographers
and typewriterS. 4 shorthand writer
be engaged actively in ''transporta-
ton" but it appears that in 1890 there
We're four women who were locomotive
engineers and fremen, 237 who drove |
hacks. drays, and teams, Twenty-Five !
who were sailors, and one who was 1
pilot. There were $500 telegraph and |
telephone operators. Other women |
woked ars commercial travellers. agents |
and collectors, peddlers, and livery |
stable keepers.
They were apprentices 10 black |
smiths. carpenters. masons, machinists. |
painters. plumbers. tinsmithS. and |
wagonmakers. They were coopers. /
diStillerS, gunSmiths harnessmakers. |
molders. brewers. butch
ers. hoat-builders and boilermakers. |
They were well represented in other
occupations calling for more head work |
and less hand work. There were in |
1890 $500 women actresses. 1880 ar
fists and teachers of art, $4,000 musi-
clans and teachers of music. 4.;,Oo phys
icians and surgeons, and 100 clergy
men. Women figured also among the
lawyers. the dentists. veterinary sur
geons, BARRIERS, and theatrical mana
gers.
These statistics show that there is 1
no field of labor which men can call |
exclusively their own. And Yet half
a century ago there were hardly n score
Of ways in which a woman could earn
4 living They at least have no rea son
to complain of modern Industrial con-
ditions and sigh for a return 10 the
good Old times