The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1901-05-22
THE FACTORY GIRL.
HOW SHE SLAVES AND BARELY EXISTS
ON $3.50 A WEEK.

Pays Part of Her Board by Drudger,
In Her Resting Time and DreEse.
ON Fifty Cents IA week-One Day In
the Life of "Annie smith"
Most of us who live In st. Louis
know that factory girls receive small
pay and have hard work, but how
many of us have thought out in detail
the problem of living on $3.50 week
less than SO cents a day? When one
comes to think how many times ONT
can spend sc cents In once round the
clock, the problem Of living on that
sum for "a hours becomes one of grew
pome fascination.
There are hundreds OF factory girls
In this city who earn less than $3.50 q
week, but probably most of them live
at home or have other means of lessen
ing the cost of existence. But the CIR
who lives and pays her own way or
the sum named, and there are hun
dreds of her, too, has q fight against
starvation that she wages outside the
factory as well as within 1t, a fight
that never ceases.
When one of these $3.50 a week girls
young woman OF Is years, was asked
how she did 1t, she said:
"Well, It's hard work. Sometimes
feel discouraged, but what's the USE
l can't get any more now, and It's that
or nothing. hope / shall get a raise
after awhile. The way I'm fixed now
have 90 cents n week left over after
pay my board
Dress myself?' she said, with q
laugh that was not exactly pleasant &c
hear. well, manage to keep myself
covered That's about all you can cal
1t. II don't get more pay pretty soon
l don't know what shall do"
Then she told little of her story
which VIII serve as the story of those
other thousands. This girl lives within
walking distance Of her factory, for OF
course none of her earnings goes tC
swell the dividends of the trolley cal
stockholders, even on Sunday Hei
home is boarding house run on pc
culiar economic plan. While 1t Is con
Quoted In a way to be of benefit to Its
owner II also does sort OF hard
lines" missionary work among the
girls. The girls, six or eight In mum
Der, are boarded for 81 or $3.50 pei
week, as the case may be- according 10
what they earn. They sleep two and
sometimes more in room. They also
have the privilege of doing their own
washing and ironing and some sewing
Sometimes the boarding mistress keeps
one servant, sometimes she keeps none
for each girl supplements the small
amount she pays for board by her own
work, utilizing her otherwise leisure
hours In homework.
This particular girl. who may have
been named Annie Smith, once had a
good home, kind parents and promls-
ing outlook. She was reared In the
country and did not know that she
would ever have to earn her living.
But reverses came. She became an or
phan, with no occupation, no money,
no income. She came to this city,
where she still lives, and entered fac
tory. Being unskilled, she could not
command wages to begin with and had
to accept $3.50 per week. One day OF
her life runs as follows:
Many months of constant rising at
$50 in the morning or earlier have
formed the habit of waking, and Annie
finds 1t less of hardship than might
be imagined. So she scrambles out In
to the cold atmosphere, for the rooms
are not steam heated in this boarding
house. There is some floor scrubbing
for her to do before she goes to the fac
tory, so she dons an old skirt and hur-
ries down into the kitchen, where some
of the other girls are already engaged
In getting the breakfast. secures the
pail of hot water, the brush and soap
and gets TO work. By the time she has
finished her hands are red and rough,
and they smart from the application of
cheap soap and the strain of labor.
But she is growing used to that. She
must now hurry back up stairs, comb
her hair, don her other dress. put her
room in order unless it happens that
her roommate has had time to do the
latter, eat her breakfast and get TO the
factory before the bells ring I.
To the factory she walks and sets to
work. To be sure, she always feels as
though she had done days work, but
that doesn't count She must not allow
herself to think OF 1t. Her duty is now
to keep steadily employed until the
noon hour. Then she hurries home and
eats her dinner, meanwhile helping to
serve the others. Then back again to
the factory until @ O'Clock. 1t is al
ways hurry, hurry.
But while she is returning to the
boarding house she must not look back
at the quiet days in the country, where.
although system reigned, there was
still time for rest, recreation and a
moments thought and a prayer. She
must give all her thought and energy
to her work, because the pittance she
receives and the extra labor she gives
stand between her and cold and home
lessness.
After supper there are great piles of
dishes to wash, dry and place again on
the table. ready for the breakfast to-
morrow. This done, there are potatoes
to peel, perhaps turnips to slice or on
ions to make ready for tomorrow's din
ner. Any vegetable that can be pre-
pared and placed in cold water ready
for the next day is taken care of by
the girls.
Perhaps the next morning is the one
for laundry work. If so, she must rise
earlier, gather together her garments
and hurry down into the kitchen and
do her washing. hanging 1t out on the
line before she leaves for her days
work. The ironing may be done In the