The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-10-22
WASHING rows WOMEN PEDLERS
Ways of Making Living Presented by No
Other City In the Country.


Ways of Making n Living Presented by No
Other City In the Country.
WASHINGTON Oct 21-There are certain
avenues Tor earning living open to industrious
women in Washington which could have devcl-
oped in no other city, and which have gradually
expanded as the number Of women employed in
the Government service has increased. Women
doing Office work in all cities, II is true, but
nowhere else there be found many women
in building doing clerical work as are found in
every Of the departments of the Government
service. They range in age from twenty to eighty.
There is supposed TO be age limit, but in prac-
tice there is none. because women entering
Office are apt TO say they are years younger than
their actual age. The result is that most OF them
fall down in the Office harness from sheer ex-
hauston before they are set aside on the score
Of having reached a certain age. Now this army
Of women Of all ages and all dispositions has TO be
catered to. and their needs have been appreciated
by other industrious women not in Government
employ, who become the purveyors OF comforts
and neccssaries to their official sisters.
In some Of the Government buildings there are
strict rules that no shall be admitted during
Office hours except those on official business
but women who want TO get in TO dispose of their
wares 10 the clerks know how TO get in. Women
clerks haven't much time TO sew and they have
less time TO run around TO shops to buy the things
with which TO sew. and the woman who brings
satchel full Of neat little parcels, each con
tanning piece OF skirt braid. a spool Of silk hooks
and eyes, ready made pocket to insert in a skirt
and loops ready-made TO tack on for hanging UP
skirts is hailed with delight her parcels are
up with unofficial eagerness and a fair price is
paid for them. Certain Of these women pedlers
as the doorkeepers call them get the cream of the
trade, Of course There is one old woman who
has never offered anything for sale but aprons
and sleeves, such as school children wear and with
which the clerks protect their clean shirtwaist
cufts In summer and their cloth sleeves in winter
She has white and black aprons and white and
black sleeves. and her basket presents a funereal
aspect She herself dresses always in black
and wears most distressed expression az though
IT really hurts her to part with the aprons she has
made. but ii is currently reported that she earns
more in a year than most OF the clerks
The desks OF clerks are supposed to be busted
ana Their belongings kept in order by the official
chatwoman but II is a mere superstition. As
rule every woman in office takes pride in having
her desk look well and her needs for this purpose
are met by a cheerful lame girl who brings for
sale to the dcpar tmens the incest kind of cheese
cloth busters with loops to hang them at the back
OF the desk when not in use She plies a lively
s ad sm nm nss We. the ssT1 T.s nT 9
has also learned that old kid glove wrists are the
6es, o, all things on which to wipe pens and she
little packages OF them. five in package. for ten
cents
The shoulderbrace woman is always well pat
ronized Constant leaning over a desk develops
round shoulders and Government clerks have as
ms ss6vs vanity as other So when they
OF braces. 1t would be troublesome to buy them
in a store, but it is no trouble to have Shoulder
brace Mary" as they call her. come at noon
and tit them on while they are eating luncheon
Many fifty cent piece is exchanged for pair
oil braces which Mary guarantees will cure the
worst case Of round shoulders and which she
makes herself according to her own ideas Of an
atomy.
The inner woman is not forgotten by the Office
vendors either. At noontime certain favored
small merchants come hurrying in with their
who makes the best doughnuts ever tasted by
department. clerk has her basket emptied and
an eye, A sweet voiced woman brings delicious
!angeloake to those whose orders she has
is always Re sHoe a S9S
are two little girls, one about twelve, the other
ten. who can scarcely stagger along under the
and rubbed until they shine allurngy and which
quickly find their way to the desks Of the clerks
who take their luncheon in the Office.
Many OF the women clerks make tea for lunch,
con 1.-The. They are no Longer nlowed TO heat water
having, occurred but they get plenty Of hot water
from the engine room Of the building. A poor
woman who knew that clerks liked tea. also that
they were always in a hurry and often forgot to
bring II from home comes around daily with
neat lit'! L. drawings Of tea done up in Japanese
clerks are willing to pay fair price for it,
The homemade jams and iellies Of a certain
Nanny Jones are bought by the clerks il il
takes their last cent No living woman having
tasted blackberry jam of Nanny Jones S making
can resist buying a glass of il whenever Oppor.
tunity offers Mammy's grandchildren pick the
berries and nanny makes gallons OF the Jam.
whose fame IL widespread In the departments
In midwinter nanny brings little oyster pies
for sale and as the number Is limited the rush is
suggestive OF a football scrimmage In summer
she draws the dimes with devilled crabs which
can't be excelled
In short. any one who pities a woman Govern
mcnt clerk because she hasn't time to shop for
small articles and because she can't go home TO
luncheon can save sympathy for more deserving
objects The clerks wants are looked after in a
most complete way. and the industry Of the out
side women who cater to them is rewarded