The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-10-22

lOlhS. L he HdTueSt ana QirtleSt work
falls to the girl. and after that she is
factory girl. The constant surveillance
and petty fault-fnding possible under a
domineering mistress gives domestic
work the hard name it has and in
creases the belief that it is the charac-
ter of the work that is intolerable when
it is only an unkind overseer
A Serious Charge.
"These two things are so interviewer
1t is hard to separate them. Ignorant
help makes the mistress strict even
domineering, and an arbitrary mistress
drives girls of ability away from the
occupation. This dislike for work
would be partially removed if mis-
treses were kinder, and then capable
persons would be lured from the over
crowded circle of sewingw omen. One
reason why girls dread domestic serv-
ice is only whispered, and that is that
they fear the men of the family. In
terviews with ruined women show that
the majority of them took the first
wrong step in domestic service at the
solicitation of the husband or sons in
the family. Women in outside work
are less unsophistcated and less often
led astray. This seems strange, for
homework is recommended as such
safe employment. There are even mis-
tresses who have been forced to en-
ploy men servants because no girl was
safe in their houses. When the men en-
pioyers are purer more capable girls
will be willing to accept domestic en-
ployment. And when woman is digni-
fed with the ballot the wages of serv-
ant girls will be raised along with sal
aries in every other line of employment,
and then there will be more incentive
for girls to do housework."
One Practical Case.
Mrs. Myers came to Chicago several
years ago and began doing dressmak-
ing, going from house to house at her
trade. Mrs. Myers had a young daugh-
ter TO support and found that she was
not able to accumulate any money at
her trade Of dressmaking, and could
not be with her child to watch over
and protect her as she should do. SO
after mature thought she decided to
try housework
The first place where ! went to
work" said Mrs. Myers, they treated
me shamefully. J was not allowed to
sing at my work. My mistress said
call in her friends and give them
free show if l persisted on singing.
Then ! was told that l must never
address member of the family on any
occasion unless it was on business. L
must never laugh in the dining room
IL SOHletIl1lS iuuliS was w HdpDeii. -
/ wanted to laugh | must go out into
the kitchen to do it. I was compelled
to eat with with the colored coach
man. My room was little cubhy hole
off from the furnace in the basement
and when ! wanted to turn around
in 1t ] absolutely had to go out in the
hall and turn around and go in back
ward. When the family went out ev-
cry door in the house was locked ex-
cept the kitchen and the dining room.
I was told I could not have any COM
pany, and especially gentleman COM
pany, on any occasion. under any con-
dition. Now, what woman of spirit
would put up with that? | left that
place and at last found place where l
can have my child with me and where
I am treated more as if am woman
and not a block of wood But let me
say that many women for whom l used
to sew and who treated me as an
equal In those days and invited me TO
their table as a guest do not know me
when they meet me in the house or
God to-day under my changed condi-
TONS in spite of the fact that | have
attended, the same church with them
regularly every Sunday all the time
If I was young girl this would break
my heart and l would give up house
work rather than put up with 1T, but
am old enough to know better, so
don't mind it"
Urges Some Objections.
"a girl might as well be stamped
with the name of criminal as to be
stamped as a servant girl said Miss
II. r. Howard, secretary of the Wom.-
ans National Home Club for the Pro-
motion of Health. THAT is the princi-
pal reason why girls leave the work.
Then, too the hours of labor are not
controlled as they are in every other
field of industry, and the girls feel that
they prefer work under the protection
of the state laws than work where
there is no protection for them of any
kind. Women are cats, and hard TO
work for and I, for one. do not blame
a girl under the present state of affairs
for seeking other employment. You see
Chicago is a peculiar place. You will
find here so many poor girls who have
had to work for their living marrying
rich men or becoming accidentally rich.
There is no master so hard as serV-
ant, and these girls are not able to
stand their prosperity. A little au-
thority is dangerous thing. and they
feel they are compelled to take advant-
agile of the little authority they have
and boss the servant. l imagine this
I'D the hue and cry about not being
able to get girls to work for them"
Another servant girl, when asked why
women are hiring men to do their work.
replied: You will find that the women
who want men to do their Homework
are all newly married and they are
afraid to trust their husband where
there is pretty girl around Chicago
rhropieIe