Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-11-10
STATUS OF WOMEN
Wonderful Changes Have Come About
in This Century.
LARGER FIELD OF OPPORTUNITY
Many Doors Open Now That
Were Formerly Closed.
IMPROVED CONDITIONS

Written for The Evening Star by Mary Lowe Dick
nson. Honorary President National Council Of
WonIeI.
Perhaps there is no better record of the
true progress of any century than that
which may be found in the progress Of its
women. Equally true is it that there is no
be tier Indication of woman's progress than
is revealed by the progress OF her time.
Most inadequate, therefore. would be any
study of the status of nations that does
not include the status of woman.
In our own country the best evidence of
woman's rapid growth and exalted position
lies in the fact that we have already ceased
to consider her as a separate factor in
our social economy, and recognize her not
as an individual only. but in her relations
to humanity and life. Thus it has come to
pass that, while the one woman still holds
for each of US the charm that belongs to
the best beloved. it is wCmanhood as a
who,e that challenges our thought and
study.
The Mysteries of Womnnhood.
That the world should have placed woman
on it's list of topics worthy the trouble of
investigation, is significant fact DurinS
the nineteenth century no other material
force has so challenged and stimula,ed
curiosity as has the mysterious power Of
electricity. In the Intangible world, Curl
osity has been beguiIed or batfied or re
Waried by the mysteries of WOmanhOCO-
Indeed the woman nature might he termed
an electric element, revealing Itself cn!y
by its effeCtS-an OmniQOtent. vita, suite
force dazzling with a smile, staying win
a touch beneticent or destructive accoIu-
ing to the skill with which ii is handed,
factor impossible to eliminate and. except
by experts. not always easy u control.
In knowledge of this element the century
has made progress. Even in It's nfSI
decade it loosened its grip upon the fallacy
that men knew all about women that was
to be known. and every succeeding decade
has held its feeble fallacies concerning
women less tenaCiously, until some of them
have been abandoned altogether. Thus
have slipped away the old fctlons about
her proper sphere, in which she was sup
posed to revOlve plac:dly around some mas
culine object of loyalty and devotion. Thus
has sunk out of sight the old plummet, by
means of which was sounded the depth OF
her capacity. Thus has snapped the line
that measured her possibilities and changed
the judgment that OWNED her limitations.
Progress in Industries.
There is something in a dear, old-fash!on-
ed book about the work of her hands prais-
ing her Pro. 31:31. Certainly in the earlier
centuries. If she was praised for anything
1t was for the work of her hands, and
while we notice great progress along edu-
cational, social and political lines, her
dence in her changed Industrial LIE From
the United States bureau of statistics, and
various other sources, We learn that IN 1886
there were only seven occupations open to
women. She could get employment as
teacher of a low grade. a seamStreSs,
tailor. a milllner, dresSmaker, a servant
or factory operative. Up to the time OF
the civil war, aside from factory employees,
Womens work, both north and south, was
carried on chiefly in tie home. AT the close
of the war great army OF unframed work
was thrown upon the labor market, de-
pressing wages to the lowest degree.
Meantime the avenues Of women's labor
had increased. In 1850, out of 10,CO.00J
wage earners. 100000 were women. These
Were employed almost wholly in New Eng
land in the clothing factories, cotton mills,
shoe binderieS etc.
In 1850 wage earners had increased from
ten to twenty-five millions, and the half a
million women had grown to the number of
100000. AT this time the seven trades had
increased to leo. Ten years later there
were over 300, and in 1891 women were en-
ployed in over 400 money-maklng ocupa-
tons.
According to the census the gain of the
women in the trades in 1880 over the enum-
GRAFTON of 1870 was GA per cent, and the
total percentage Of women workers for the
whole country was ~ per cent. The next
ten years, until 1890, shows a still larger
percentage, and many more open avenues
for toll.
Changed Industrial Conditions.
In 1894 the investigation of the United
States commissioner among the poorer
classes of the population showed. in the
four principal cities of the United States,
that out of every 100 women workers an
average of As We're earning less than So
a week. The testimony, with reference to
their use of money, says that, in the saw
!ngs institutions women deposit nearly dOu-
BILE the amount thus saved by men, that Of
the dependents on charity, men are large
~ IN the majority. and the labor statistics