Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1900-10-13
I|)R WORKING GIRLS
Dos noinss Women rrovfds ! Home
For Girls Who Earn Z
Living
Not : Charitable Institution But )
Good Home at Reasonable
hates.
-. - -
The Character and Aims Of the In.
stltut.on-Help from Outside
Sources
Special to Times-Republican.

I &
Des Moines. Oct. 13.-An Organization
in this city known as the Business
Womens' Association has purchased a,
valuable piece Of residence property on
Pleasant street, and will build q large
addition to 1t for the purpose of accom-
modating about 125 working girls The
object OF this association, which has
been in existence for eleven years, is to
provide respectable home with whole
some food and clean and pleasant SUR
lroundings for working girls in the city
who are unable to pay for first-class
board elsewhere.
I Many girls come to Des Moines from
country towns or from farms, either
from necessity Of finding employment or
from desire to get into the city, and
find themselves unable to earn more
than from 50 to S. a week, and the most
of them 81 to $5 These girls are sub
jected to great temptation. If they re-
main virtuous they must either live in
some poor room on such food as they
can cook themselves, and very little at
that. or they must find some such in
|sltuation as this one, which will give
them a. good home for what they can af-
4 ford to pay. The accommodations pro-.
(vided are such as would cost from 81 to
IS per week elsewhere, yet no girl pays
more than So, most of them from s1.T5 to
$3.50 OF course this requires the most
careful management and considerable
charitable work and contributions.
/ The institution is managed by board
of women who devote a great deal of
4 time to the work. The business men Of
|Des Moines, especially those who un-
lderstand the working of the association
land it's benefit to the working girls, have
done much to assist it by making con-
ltributions and furnishing supplies at
.lcost price.
4 The business men say that the girls
who live at this place are much more
VALUABLE employees than those Who board
themselves or live in cheap boarding
Ihouses, where they get insufficient food
4 and have cherries, surroundings. The
matron of the club house, Mrs. Sarah
Hutchins Calender, makes it real
jhome for the girls, takes a personal in
|terest in each one and helps her to find
Unemployment when she needs help The
institution has the active support of
many OF the best known women and
business and professional men in the
lefty. for they know that it is doing a
thoroughly practical work and saving
lmany girl from destruction.
4 The members Of the club family, the
Igirls who live there, we're not residents
OF Des Moines before they went there.
Almost without exception they are girls
4 from out of town who have come to Des
Moines without friends. and who have
found in this place the protection and
4 comfOrts which unnecessary to a girls
4 happiness. So 1t is really a state insti-
tuition, rather than local one. Many
Iwomen outside of Des Moines have ta-
ken an active interest in it and have
Iaided the Des Moines women who have
charge of the work
4 Now that it is proposed to build new
home the management of the association
Hopes to secure more help from people
outside of 5Des Moines, since it is taking
care of girls who come from all over the
state. The place accommodates about
A fifty girls now, but the building which
hit occupies has been sold and must be
Vacated early in the spring, hence ii is
necessary to raise money to complete
1 the new home before that time. The
8lpresident of the association is Mrs. j. g.
4 Cumnins. The other officers are: Vice
president. Mrs. F. w. Bicknell: secre-
ltary, Mrs. "A. U. Quint; treasurer. Mrs.
sIC. B. Van slyke.
4 They will be very glad to hear from
Slany one who is Interested in this Work