The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1896-06-18
NO.. H..


HIM until now. He was on one side
OF the bar and I was on the other. He
took drink and [ took the money.
we are about even on that score"
What's the difference? A nice, sweet,
well-mannered girl or young woman
who waits on the customers in q large
dry goods house is on one side of the
counter and rich. aristocratic lady is
on the other. One had money, the
other had goods and they exchanged
that's all. Which is ahead in the
comedy of life and which will be ahead
when ihe play is ended and tnal Judg-
ment is rendered? With one life is
fashionable farce; with the other a
struggle fer bread. "Give us this day
our daily bread" is her morning
prayer.
The position of these working girls
is hard one at best, but kind words
and fair wages soften it down greatly.
They beg for these places and get
them, but why women should not be
paid as much as men for similar SER
vice I cannot understand. My infor-
nation is that they are paid about
half and the EMPLOYERS excuse is that
competition is very great and as others
cut rates they must do so, too, for la
Dor is worth only what it will bring
and q woman's labor can be had cheap
er than a man'a. That is not good
excuse. 1t is not to the interest of the
employer to get labor on such terms.
I'vun tv 1nl Iar will - L
q young woman in good health and
good clothes and leave anything for a
sick mother or child, or for doc
tor's bill. A big hearted, generous
man will inquire into the condition of
every female employe he has, and as
far as possible make it his own con-
cern. They are, as it were, his wards
for the time, and he cannot escape the
responsibility.
Before the war there were no shop
girls, but for thirty years this great
transition has been going on, and now
the south, like the north, is full of
working girls. The children and
grandchildren of those who once were
proud and independent are now forced
to become their own bread winners.
There is no perception for them. It is
daily food for daily labor. The rich
are growing richer by short cuts and
questionable means, all of which in
their last analysis come from the earn.
Jugs of the toilers and grind the faces
of the poor Widows and orphans
whose husbands and fathers left them
stock or bonds in great railroad have
lived to see it wrecked by the unscru-
pulous schemers and by the time the
wreckers had done with it their
stock and their bonds were worth
less. Daniel Webster got a fee of
$4,000 for making speech in
the Myra Clark Gaines case, and it
was noised by the press as an enor-
nous fee, but now common lawyer
gets $4,000 for bringing the money
of wrecked railroad into court. An
incorporated company accumulates
million dollars surplus and asks the
court what to do with it. There was
no fight, no contest, but the lawyers
who took the decree are awarded
SIS, 900 for bringing tho money into
court. Receivers and lawyers prey
upon the carcasses of corporations like
| buzzards upon the carcasses of brutes,
and but little is left for creditors or
stockholders. These are the things
that fill tne people with distrust and
disgust and paralyze industry and in
timidate capital. l know lady and
she is sitting near me new whose father
left her $4,000 of stock in railroad
in Alabama. 1t was good stock and
had good prospects, but the schemers
got it into court and had a receiver
appointed and it was wrecked and sold
to the bondholders for song and she
lost every thing but the certificate.
When she comes across it now among
her archives | hear her humming that
sweet old song, ''This world is all fleet
ing show" But let the working girls
cheer up aud always look on the bright
side. If they can't get married let
them look around and see how much
misery marriage brings-how few wo-
men are happily mated. Encourage a
cheerful disposition, and if you can't
be happy, be as happy as you can.
Trust in the Lord and do good. 1t is
not all of life to live nor all of death
to die. There are many blessings that
cost us nothing / never pass by my
neighbours Mrs. Field's) front yard
that is radiant with beautiful flowers
but what think how cheap they are
to me. 1t is good idea to sometimes
think of that poor little boy whose
mother covered him with straw one bit
ter night and put an old window shutter
: on the straw to hold it down
"Mother," said he, cit isent every
little boy that has shutter to hold
3 down his straw, is ito" And there i
some comfort in Persian proverl
l that says: "Bessed are they who hav
| but little, for they shall rot be en-
3 We'd. BILL ARP, in Atlant Constitu
0 ton.
A homicide occurs every two hour
In Italy. This was one of the man
!. startling statements made by Baro
! "a nfnln icIa ta