The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1896-05-08
THE GIRLS MAY WIN.
THE STRIKING SERVANTS AT suPE-
R,OR, WIS.,, STAND FIRM.
Ovcr Fifteen Hundred Concerned In the
Novel Movement For Higher Wages.
American Maids the Leaders Many
Housewives Ready to Give In.


| American Maids the Leaders Many
Housewives Ready to Give In.
The strike of the servant girls of Su-
perfor, Wis, which began the other day
is proving to be more serious affair
than the housewives Of the oity i'm
agined it would be. They had supposed
that before many hours had passed AWAY
it would be an easy matter to get ali
the girls they wanted, and that they
would be overrun with applications for
places, but in this they have been mis-
taken, for not a girl is to be had. A
few girls who have been in their pres
emit places for long time have remained
loyal to their employers, but outside Of
these not n serving girl in the city is at
work, and not one can be had anywhere.
The strikers number possibly 1,5OO
and are for the most part Scandina-
vians. There are also many Bohemians
among them. The leaders, however. are
American girls, who acted as organizers
for the Serving Girls union.
Notwithstanding the fact that times
are hard and money scarce, tho demand
for an increase in wages from S13 to
$40 month was made with all the
confidence in the world, and at the
present time it looks very much as
though the girls would win the strike.
In organizing the union the leaders held
no public meetings, but made q house
to house canvass, with the result that
nearly every serving maid in the CITY
had become member Of the organiza-
ton before their employers realized
what was going on.
The demand for an increase in wages
was made by all of the girls at the Same
time, and in every case where it was re-
fused the lady of the house was left to
do her homework the best she might
When it was found TINT some of the
ladies of the city had granted the de-
mand, the leaders of the union decided
that all must grant it, and so the girls
who remained Mt work were called out.
Nearly al obeyed the call and left things
at skies and sevenS-disheS unWashed
floors unswept and the dinner uncooked.
A large proportion of the girls who
are on strike have their homes in Supe-
rior, and those from outside are being
cared for by them. Several meetings
have been held by the strikers Mt q large
iiii AiOttl III tllc StCSl plluu
division of the city, where addresses
have been made by labor agitators. Su-
perior is strong union town, and the
labor element is with the girls, who are
more than hopeful of winning the bat
tie. Several ladies have brought girls in
from points outside the city, but in
most cases the new arrivals have been
met at the depot by delegations Of strik-
ers and carried off in triumph.
None of the girls who went out on
strike has weakened particle, so far as
working in Superior is concerned, but IL
number have gone across the bay to Du-
luth, where they have taken positions at
wages said to be trife above what they
received in Superior. Many of the EN-.
ployers are already willing to give in to
the demands
Several ladies who have suffered great
Inconvenience by reason of the strike
got together and talked Of having the
leaders of the girls arrested ON charge
of conspiracy. Nothing has been done
in this direction, however, and as a
meeting of the girls and their former
employers was held the other afternoon
to talk over the strike it is not improb-
able that a settlement will soon be reach
ed
This is the first strike of the kind ever
held i'll the northwest. New York Jour
nal