The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-02-18
HELPING YOUNG GIRLS.

of women in the work of social and In
dustrial Improvement Day by day, in
almost every city of Importance in the
country, the ladies are showing not only
an intelligent understanding Of the fail
ures and shortcomings which are visible
in many directions affecting the general
well-being, but they are making 1T plain
that they have the ability to remove
many Of the worst impositions which are
the product of the happy -go-lucky meth
DDS Of the past.
In all the work which Is now certain
Of accomplishment in the immediate fu-
ture along the lines of improved social
conditions women can be expected to
bear an honorable part In New YORK
city. through the agency Of the university
extension system, and by the active CO.
operation of the State Federation OF
Nomen's Clubs, the cause Of the thou
sands Of poor school girls who are never
able, through the poverty Of their pa
rents, to reach the high schools, is being
I
dren Of both sexes are in attendance In
the public schools of Greater New York
OF these 1t Is estimated that at least two
thirds leave school when they reach the
grammar stage,5a large proportion Of
them when they, reach the fourth grade
What Is being done to,enable such young
folks to carve out honorable and pro-
ductiye ways for themselves through life?
Literally nothing. They drift into the
lower callings, and the girls among them
find their little lfyings in sweatshops and
factories. and as eash7girls in department
stores. There are estimated to be not
less than 100000 Of such girls under four
teen who are thus started in life with g.
handicap which cwill bear them down
with certainty to enduring poverty, and,
it may be, to even worse
To remedy these conditions the ladies
of the big city are already active in many
directions They have started cooking
schools in all the poorer localities. In
such instruction as will enable, them,
when they become housewives, to make
much more of their limited resources
than they could possibly do entering On
their lives as wivesJeof poor men with
limited incomes, without even the slight
est knowledge of, the art Of cooking or OF,
household economy This may seem a,
small matter; but how, much It counts to
a man who, on $50 day, is trying hon
orably to maintain family, at least
those who belong to the masses will fully
understand. . 80 aitw -
Side by side with this splendid work
the ladies are moving to secure the es-
Establishment of Industrial schools for such
children, in which they may be taught the
commonest arts practiced in industrial
life by women to make a living. They
Will have dressmaking classes, millinery
flower-making, tailoring. branches Of do
nestle science, and all the other cailings
and pursuits by which the social and
commercial usefulness of these children
will be enhanced, $50 that after year or
so Of such training. which might, as I'M
der the ordinary school system. be dissi-
pated in studies OF drawing and geogra-
ply, to them worthless knowledge, they
can enter serieuss life to advantage 40
tual investigations made among the poor
er families of the city, show that the pa
rents are ready with the utmost enthusf-
asm to send their girls to such classes,
and to have them learn the pursuits
which will. enable them to go into the
world capable of making from s. to $40 a
week instead of being compelled to strug-
gle along during tlleir,young womanhood
on S15o or 81 week, ignorant of all
knowledge which might be made available
for the good Of themselves and their chill
dren in the future.
Nor is this general movement being con-
fined to Greater New York. In a small
er way it has been inaugurated In other
cities, like Rochester, n. T., whose exam
pie, unhappily, has not. up to the present,
been followed by results especially val
been in progress for some time which Is
certain to result In the establishment OF
q servant girls school. The plan has
r.et with general approval, and 1T is pro-
posed to build a 100000 college. wherein
experienced teachers will give instruction
in all the household arts. Public patron
age to such extent is already assured as
will leave the institution In large measure
self-sustaining. circular asking the
views of the people as to the feasibility
of establishing and maintaining such an
institution has been generally circulated.
and the answers have been such as to
give the fullest assurance Of the prac
ticability and SUGGEST of the undertake
ing.
Such activities will soon redeem the
face of society. We have in our public
methods Of instruction been running
wholly on artificial lines. and the barren
ness of the results which show them
selves from the purely scholastic system
of education are waking thoughtful peo-
pie up to the needs Of the hour in these
directions. Upon, the women of the coun-
try must depend the success of all such
undertakings. 70
IF 1t is true that Aguinaldo was pris-
oner for four days and was allowed to es-
cape, Gen. Otis will probably lose enough
hair before he Is through pulling 1t out to
stuff a souvenir pillow.
The Republican idea Of Mr.. Roosevelt's