The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-04-08
THE DARMAlD,s LOT.
One UahaDpy Phase Of English In.
apefxial kafe.
Pail Mall Gazette

Pan Mall Gazette
ma barmatds very much misunder-
stood class OF women. To the ordinary
mind barmaids are bright fiashy-loor1ng
women. who will serve beer and chaff, or
split Scotch and repartee to any man who
pays the price at . public bar. They are
always cheerful, have a word and smile
for every enc. and have a decided PEN
chant for peroxide hair and painted
Cheeks. The result Is that their morals
are considered elastic, II not lax, and they
are subjected to both temptation and in
suit. And yet these women are volun-
tarily working f~~m 102 to los hours per
week. in bar rot as where steam, tobacco
smoke. fumes OF beer and spirits and gen.
eral stencil vie with each other for SUI
pfemacy. Such an atmosphere is not con-
ducive to the welfare of maidenly bushes:
they soon die out OF the face of a new
girl, and as her appearance is a matter Of
no little Importance. she must resort to
rouge. The peroxide" follows in the
same way.
Imagine London bred women, who are
never robust at the best of times, UNDER
taking work that compels them ito rise
before a. m. and retire at or about 1
o'clock the next morning, and without
any appreciable chance to rest on the Sum
day! And yet 1t is quite true, for the bar
maid must be at her post between and
BUSY with serving customers she must
busy herself with polishing glasses. bot
ties and metal taps. No seats are al
LEVIED behind the counters, and the bar.
maid must stand and smile, draw drinks
and talk and polish glasses for five or six
hours consecutively before she can rest a
moment. Two hours are allowed to her
during the middle OF the day, usually
from O'Clock to 8 But at she must be
back at her pos. again. still looking
pleasant and smart, and. save for half
hour or SO for q meal must 60 on with
her work until 1880 at night, which IA
closing time. Nor Is her work then done
The crowds of customers have made the
rooms pigsish; everything is In disorder,
and 1t rests with the barmaid to tidy up
the place before she leaves the bar. Of
tentiines 1t Is after O'Clock in the MORN
ing before she has finished her work and
can go to bed. One would expect that.
after six days OF this, the barmaid would
be allowed to rest on Sundays, or at least
to lie abed until opening time at !, but
this Is not the case
Even on Sundays the barmaid must be
up at 7:O and start work. for the day
affords an opportunity for kind Of spring
cleaning. and the barmaid must put an
extra polish on the counters. and the met
al taps must be made to shine and the
glasses TO giisten. In fact. everything has
to be put In order. and the traces Of the
Saturday NIGHTS crowd done away with.
With break OF half an hour, for break
fast. the morning work goes on until
1880. when the tarmaid must change her
working clothes and make herself look at
fractive for the Sunday opening at
o'clock. Work then goes on until in the
afternoon, when the barmaid has her din
ner and may be at liberty until 8. But
she works from to l o'clock on Sunday
- lob n.<A - H.. -
seif on her day OUT L. from Z to o'clock
and this only every other Sunday
For thus working from lee TO los hours
per week the new barmaii gets nothing
When she has learned her Duties she thinks
herself lucky TO get from to shillings
per week. and II at the end OF two years
she can command shillings per week she
considers herself very fortunate. Out of
such sums the barmaid must dress her
self and pay for her own washing, and
more often than not this pit,ance must be
stretched 10 meet the needs Of her people
at home
And yet barmaids have a bad reputa-
tien. one delicate girl told me. Don't
you think II too bad? II makes men UNI
Wiling TO marry usand turns friends from
Us. And yet I know a lot OF Girls who
spend their time of in doing their own
washing and ironing to save a little more
money Tor their mothers who, perhaps
depend on them for part Of the rent Some
OF them walk miles on their Sunday OF to
save bus fares: 1t Is their only chance OF
seeing their people and they can't afford
10 ride
The barmaids do not as a rule, have
their meals with the publican and fam
lily; they are served separately and ae-
cording to all accounts. there IL much
room for Improvement In the food given
TO these women. for the meals are always
poor. often bad and sometimes unfit to
eat