The Lamar register., 1899-01-04
SWEAT SHOPS
JENNIE M'oouoH GRAPHICALLY
TELLS HER STORY.
To Perceive That There 1. Something
Fundamentally Wrong In a system
That Ersst. the Impos.ibls AsaIn.,
Nature. Protest.
Especial Letief.l

Miss Jennie MeGough. Young
woman employed on the editorial stan
OF a daily newspaper in Chicago. Ill.
recently made a tour OF some Of the
twsaishops OF that city. 1nasmuch as
a strong effort win be made at the
next national meeting OF the Fedora
ton OF Labor, which occurs next
month, To devise ways and means to
alot out these curses OF great cities.
the narrative OF her experiences is OF
Timely Interest at present The pic
lures are from sketches made by Miss
aeGough, and tell their own sad
zteEy Narrative aud pictures alike
bear the impress Of careful ohserva-
uon- and are free from exaggeration.
Miss McGouss writes; Al the first
shop l visited ! vas obliged TO COM
manieate with the proprietor through
"a Interpreter. This shop, like most
or It's kind, Is on the second floor OF a
rear building over a stable. and IS
reached from the street by a narrow
board walk between two brick houses.
Here, where two score pinched and
pailid human beings spend the great
eF part Of thrlr lives, there Is little else
than foul ellis. hopeless drudgery
and weary hours that too frequently
drag their length far into the night
A | approached the entrance TO the
stup a man came out and spoke 10
Ee IN a foreign tongue-Bohsmisn.
aftcrwnrd lcarned-but as we could
rot reach 4 mutual understanding he
1sHH L. q
BE few words Of English. when
said vas seeking employment they
seemed 70 feel treasured and after BE-
les questioned as TO my ability as \
lailcrcEs I was told TO come TO work
ns1, morning at 6 O'Clock. Next
tsuTping l was up at s, and after
rEali0wlng a hastily prepared break
fast set out II required great husiling
&c reach the shop al 6. but managed
Il somehow and vas at once put to
SoTk on a sewing machine and given
a small pile Of Innings TO sew together,
with Instructions that no bAsting was
allowed. Five or six men. about 20
women and IS children constituted the
force az this place The larger girls
Sere operating machines. the children
finished the garments as they came
from the operators. and the men were
variously engaged In cutting. sasting.
pressing. etc Some OF the children
assisted In cutting. some In bas,ing the
material TO the Innings. and others
werc pressing with irons almost As
heavy as their own fraiI little bodies.
Daring the forenoon headache waf-
ers we're frequently passed along the
work table A pretty little girl who
sat near me was Obliged 10 so home
because OF illness. but I noticed that
she was hack al work again in the
afternoon. II the men and women who
patronizc the stores where sweatshop
goods arc sold could see the double
row OF emacIA,ed little fncss around
the work table. II they knew. from ac-
tual contact with these creatures. what
their daily lives are. they would turn
from the sight OF a bargain forever
more, and the more phi'anthroplc ones
would direct their energies toward the
retirement OF these children. for whose
condition they are so largely respon-
sible. At Il o'clock most Of the wom-
en- and children went home for dinner.
Work was resumed at 1915. During
the afternoon many were still COM