Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1897-04-29
WORKING WOMEN'S CLUBS.
Something OF Lottery Scheme Which
is Popular in London.

/ A walk down some of the streets OF
I Whitechapel and Spitalfelds. of Shore
/ ditch or Homerton OF Bermondsey or
Camberwell, will alike reveal the notice
I IN shop windows OF Clubs held here.
ana one firm alone neal the city road
/ has constantly 600 members coming
week by week for draperes and nil
Aaely, while anothar one regards them
] IS furnishing the largest and mos. re-
Liable share of their Trade. Nol is it
confined TO articles Of wearing apparel.
1t is not unusual for young couples
about to be married to unite to form
a furniture club; crockery club is
very common, and quite the latest de-
velopment of all is a photograph club
each member being entitled, as she
/ secures her turn, to go and be taken"
and have SO many copies for distribu
ton to her friends In all cases the
procedure-is the same, and talk with
al energetic and successful promoter
OF such clubs is curious little side
light upon the thrift question.
My infOrmants regular trade was
that of boot machining, but the organ
ization OF clubs was very appreciate
addition to her earnings. Her favorte
arrangement was a "five-shilling drap-
! cries" to which ten members paid six
/ pence a week, or, in case it was de-
| sired to wind it up quickly some of
/ the contributors would take two tickets
and thus enjoy two chances at the
drawing. This is done by putting ten
! pieces of paper into a bag, on one of
which the number of the week that the
/ club is old is written. Thus, in the
| third week the member fortunate en-
/ ough to secure the slip marked three
| is entitled TO the fiye-shillings' worth
/ OF calico or flannel that she wants.
/ The club-holder as she is called, de-
/ riyes her benefit from the draper who
/ allows her penny in the shilling for
every ticket brought to him. and as my
friend had four of them running at
the time Of her interview she was
looking forward to her is Sd in money
or in kind on Saturday night. There
is, of course, a social side to the pre-
A
ganizer into touch with a very large
circle of her neighbors, and in this
particular instance she said, with evil
dent satisfaction, that some of her sub
scribers Lived las far out as Dalston,'
Nor is it everyone who can be admitted
to the club privileges, and the promoter
is not generally DESTROYS of bringing
in stranger lest, should she be for
tunate in drawing the winning number
in an early week, she should not fulfill
her obligations to the rest of the mem
berS by continuing her subscription.
This, however, is an extremely rare
1 delinquency, and the feminine standard
Of honor on the point is very high.
Firms there are who discourage clubs
as much as possible, and have adopted
the penny bank system with a hand
some bonus at the end Of the year on
every members savings. Such. for in
stance, is the rule at Messrs. Batgers,
where over 600 women and girls are
employed in the wholesale manufac-
ture of jams and confectionery. 1t is
urged that it is just as easy to set
aside the siXpense or the shilling in
this form, that it is Immediately avail
able if occasion should arise 10 want
it for other purposes, and that there
is not the indirect reduction-mad
probably in quality-to meet the club
holders commission Many women be-
gin to see this argument and to adopt
it, but it must be admitted that it is
a more prOsaic proceeding to pay the
little saving from the weeks earnings
to the forewOman and see it entered
in book than it is to meet some ten
or twenty fellow workers, discuss one
apothers intended purchases, and en-
joy the speculative excitement as to
whether one will draw the lucky num-
Der In fact, the mild element OF
gambling which enters into the system
probably one Of its attractions.
Those even who are most opposed TO
the club admit how seldom it is dis
honestly conducted and point out, as
one Of the grounds Of their objections,
that The efforts TO continue the pay
ments during slackuess or want OF work
often result in the diTest hardship.
Men, it may be added, are not nearly
so much given to forming clubs, but
prefer paying by installments for their
. purchases, save in the case OF watches,
for which masculine clubs are not in
FREQUENT. On behalf OF the club for
hat or jacket, or dress material, there
is one final plea, however in favor 10