The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-08-29

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Lately a sort OF epidemic for employ.
ing women in the transportation serv.
Ice OF the country has broken out. It's
not a local epidemic, so It's going to bt
dinicult to quarantine Il. though many
OF the trade unionists have been trying
their best to stamp II out. They're not
iikely to be more successful than US
ual. however. s
The epidemic seems to have started
last winter at Middleton. Conn, where
woman got employment as a motor
man on street car The notoriety
the fine got as a result was discourag-
Ing so the pioneer was discharged. but
the notion that women would make
nrst- class conductors IL not grip man
ipqiators In small towns struck more
than. one street railroad manager
Out in Vincennes. Ind. month or so
ago the local street railway company,
In mt OF economy. decided TO dis
charge its men conductors and employ
women. Fifty women applied for the
job and five were put to work at Sc
week
AT chilllcothe o., the experiment has
been running along successfully for
several months, and the superintcndent
OF the Electric Railroad, Light and
POWER Company. w. j. Meyers. has
written an optimistic letter TO the Elec-
tricai Engineer on the subject.
We could not afford to employ men. l.,
and we could not see why women would
not make as good conductors as men
We keep them on duty ten hours a day
ana pay them $l4 per week, and they
are proving themselves in every way
and efficient. We are very
particular I'm selecting them, and had
no trouble In getting good applications
ana great many more than we are
able to employ. 1t gives us a very
clean service, and we think this Will be |
new field for the employment OF la
dies"
Madison. Ind. has caught the epi-
demic, too. but somehow It's citizens |
seem TO have been innoculated against |
i. The families of the men who have |
been thrown out OF work by the new |
women conductors have been making a I
Dig russ about II. and the citizens de- |
clare that they Will walk before they |
VIII patronize cars conducted by wom-
IN.
The steam railroads are falling into
.-'Ns ~ ~ iOdt VI uNt Years ago HOW
'fnce vigorous howl went up because
he brooklyn Elevated decided to en-
hoy women ticket agents A few
months ago the Baltimore and Ohio
abroad put women In charge OF eight
en OF its Offices Time and again il has
'een rumored that the New York Ele-
'ated and the New York Central Rail-
DAD would substitute women I'm its sta
ions all along the line. Already there
re moro w0nan sxn ~ 4
rails offices than on any other road.
But after all these are not pioneers in
new Held. AS a matter OF fact we are |
way behind the rest OF the world in the
mpioyment OF women In the railroad |
ervice. England hires a few, while In
rance women railroaders are common.
ne French woman ticket agent regarda
erself as very well off. and her post
ne of the plums Of the industrial world.
ne has separate entrance at the sta
ons and little Office all to herself. |
UGH thing as working elbow to elbow
'ith mere man clerk would not be
1ought OF for minute. Before she
an get an appointment as ticket seller
he French woman must pass an ex-
In reading, writing and
)elling. No school certificates count
'r anything. All the women i'm the
'rvice OF the French railroads are the
idows or daughters OF employees. The |
)urs or labor are not so bad from
the morning until in the afternoon
and the pay ranges from $2G0 to $3.50.
hich is as much as the Vincennes con-
ictors receive. After twenty years
rvice the French railroad woman re-
res on pension.
In Holland, and Germany, too, wom-
are employed in the stations OF the
vernment's railroad and telegraph
les. Woman is said to love brass but
ms and uniforms. In the land of the
suton she has chance to discover
w IL feels to wear them herself. In
nter the railroad woman wears q un-
'rm OF position blue cloth trimmed
tn red braid and brass buttons. and
summer similar uniform of lighter
aterfal with white braid decoration
worn.-The Sun.