Industrial freedom. [volume] (Edison, Wash.) 1898-1???, 1899-05-27
Wornan's Work in Equality.

The women's work in Equality begins at
half-past four o'clock in the morning. Now
don't get frightened, good sisters of the re-
serve and think we all get up and begin to
work at that unholy hour, for we don't; but
that is the time at which the cooks, reused
by the night watch, begin the long, hard
day toll of feeding the hundreds of hungry
mouths. All is dark and silent in the big
apartment houses on the hill above, there is
no sound or motion from the line of log
cabins and tents beyond the btchen. but the
big range roars and its huge smoke stack
belches showers OF sparks into the blackness
of the early morning. Huge tin boilers of
mush bubble on its glowing top, great dishes
of the same standard delcacy hiss in the
great square pans used for frying and an i'm
mense boiler of Equality Cereal Coffee"
sends forth its fragrance
At the hour of six the first bell rings. which
calls the little waiter girls and the runners
into the kitchen. This bell is also a signal
for everyone TO be up and battle and dress SO
as to be ready when the bell rings at the end
of the next half hour for breakfast as YOU
are supposed to be on hand at that hour if you
through the dishes are cleared away in a
very short time and table set for the wal
tiers and runners from the kitchen. BY the
time they are through eating very YEARLY
all the other dishes are washed, by six wo-
men, two in each room, and two in the kitch-
en-. After the little girls have finished eat
ing they sweep the floor and wash the tables
and put the dishes on for the next meal, ex-
cept at noon when they must go back to
school, and the women take their places On
Saturdays when it is necessary we scrub the
dningroom by volunteer work. We have no
men in the kitchen now, as they are all need
ed on the land. About fourteen women
work in and about the kitchen beside the
girls.
The colony washing is done by two women
and two men. If you think we do not have
many clothes here, ask our laundry folks they
will tell you we have all the clothes they need
and more too. 1t takes them about three
days to do the work, but as they work very
long days they get in full time, at least the
women do. The men run the machines and
do the heavy part of the work and take the
rough edge OIL of washing, as we have been
women do the work at present in the ironing
room.
1t is very well done and quite a task to do
now, as there are so many light clothes that
require starehing and careful ironing. we
like to wear pretty things in Equality AS well
rs elsewhere and will do it if il does take
work.
The kindergarten occupies two womens
time. They have about twenty little ones
to look after, and it is no small task to do il,
| assure you.
The nursery takes the time of but one wo-
man, but the babies are well looked after. as
she has nothing else to do while she tends
them There are but four sweet little ones
between one and two years in the nursery at
the present time.
We have tailor at the head of sewing de-
partment and two women under him 10 do
the colony sewing, and very neat work they
turn out. OF course we are able TO do n
great deal OF our own sewing il we care TO-
as we can work after hours at what we please
we have one woman in the primary school.
one In the postofiice, two in the printery. two
who do mending and two loox after the halls
the transient rooms and the attics
we WORK live hours for the colony. and 10
~ Is not ali done in that time we do the res,
by volunteer work.
bundles OF 10 or more to one adarnas
Tor one-haif cent per copy.