The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-01-27
OFFICE GIRLS APE EMPLOYED.
The Rising Generation of Femininity Il
Supplanting tho once Boy.

The Risins Generation of Femininity II
supplanting tho Once Boy.
The rising generation Of femininity
has been invading fields hitherto re-
gardcd as peculiarly those Of the boy,
has been acceptably filling positions,
situations and professions which were
formerly regarded as suitable only for
the male sex. The Office girl has ap-
peared in Chicago during the past few
months to take her place beside the
army ofwomen stepographers and type
writer's.
No one knows exactly who began the
innovati On. Perhaps the idea was bor-
rowed from the big department stores,
which employ cash girls almost exclu-
sively. A few years ago these stores
used to employ boys and cash girls were
seldom seen. But in course of time the
girls became more and more popular,
until the cash boy is now the exception,
while the cash girl is the rule.
Much the same transition is predicted
in the ranks of Office boys. The old
fashioned Office boy, who swears.
smokes cigarettes and Is impertinent
usually. and reads dime novels in a cor
nar or loafs when he is sent on some i'm
portant errand, is fast disappearing,
and it is predicted that in course of
time the office girl will have entirely
taken his place
Office girls are now employed in a
number of the offices in the big build
ings downtown. The success OF their
sisters has suggested the idea to other
girls of invading the field hitherto
monopolized by their brothers and
earning more wages than are paid to
the cash girl. Every now and then man
who has put al advertisement for an Of
fee boy in the papers finds among the
applications a letter from a girl, or il
he asks that the boy apply in person
one or more girls are apt to be among
the score of youngsters who answer the
advertisement. At first the man does
not take kindly to the idea. and the
would-be Office girl finds it difficult
work to secure place. The men are
prejudiced against the idea, just as at
FIRST the men were prejudiced against
the idea of employing women as stenog-
raphers or typewriters.
Those who have had Office girls In
their employ are, however. very well
pleased with them. They say that the
Office girl Is superior to the Office boy
in many particulars. In the first place
she docs not know how to whistle, and
she does not smoke cigarettes. AS
rule, she has absolutely no taste for
dime novels. She is usually bright,
quick and energetic, and ever so much
cleaner and heater than any boy can be.
Testimony upon this point is almost
unanimous, and most of those who havo
tried Office girls declare that never again
will they have an Office boy around the
premises.
Most of the Office girls are ambitious.
They are like the Office boy of a genera
ton or two ago, who entered the employ
of their masters with firm determine
ton to rise TO the topmost notch They
realize thatin this day every occupation
IS open to them, and that they them
selves may be lawyers, bankers. brokers,
insurance agents, or anything else, II
they are able TO master the details Of
the business. They therefore keep their
eyes open and learn all that they can
about the business. that they may put
the ideas 50 gained into practice, some
years when there shall be an CpPcr-
tunity, some years in the future, for
them TO 20 into business OF some sort
for themselves.
Most of the Office girls Immediately
begin TO qualify themselves for promo
lion. They practice on tie typewriter
when they have few moments &c
spare, and SO qualify themselves for sit
uations as stenographers- Some Of
them have already learned enough
tvpe7vriting to gain an increase Of sal
sry and position which calls for more
:ypewriting and less OF the Office boys
duties-('hicayO 1Irss-E sTald.