The Savannah morning news., 1901-01-21
e Women workers of France.

In business houses Observation-Disclosures. 2i50
Land owners OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. 500, coo
Factory girls ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. $1,000
Domestic servants .................. $50 G0J
Seamstresses Observation-Disclosures. $4,000
Farm laborers ........................2, 7OO,OO
The patriotic American-especially of the
stronger seX-ponts with pride to the in
dependence and self-reliance of the be-
ginning -of-the-century American girl, and
is wont TO feel that her ability to fend
for herself makes her unique among wo-
men. and is a subject for national self
consratulation. True it is that scarcely
a profession remains that is closed to
women in the United States-and the por
tails of all are ajar. ready TO be thrown
wide open when she wishes to enter with
in. Yet in this countrye out of l6,534,6.O
women, over ~ years old, but 27S7 S65. or
about II per cent, are engaged in wage
earning toll.
The International meetings of women
interested in the question pertaining to
womens pace and mission in the world,
held of recent years, have done much to-
ward making the women of different ma
tionalities acquainted. and have revealed
a much greater degree of equality of op-
portunity and position than was antici-
pated. While the American woman may
be the pioneer in many paths as yet trod-
den only by masculine feet. the French
woman follows close upon her heels.
Cheerful Workers.
The women of no other nation in the
world are more cheerfully industrious,
more frugal, or more endowed with the
clear common sense indispensable to
business success than the mothers. the
sisters. and-aboVe all-the wife of Johnny
Crapaud
French women are the most economi-
ca! Of housekeepers Nothing is wasted,
and the pod of the pea and the parings
of the apple reappear disguised saw
DRY dishes The habit of household thrift
forms the basis of their business success,
The French woman of the bourgeose
is the partner of her husband in every
way. Her dot is part of the assets of the
matrimonial firm and she Is by no means
an inactive or a silent partner in the fam
lily business. In the myriad, cosy little
shops which share a large portion of tha
business transacted in the French republic,
her beaming face and shrewd, twinkling
eyes are a Familiarity pleasant feature. At
the tinkling of the little bell as the shop
door is pushed open by an entering GUS
toner, her motherly figure bustles forth
from unknown regions in the rear, fol-
lowed by the cheerful din of chldren's
voices and the homely, appetizing odor of
the family potage.
The French Woman's Choice.
Aside from purely domestic and person
al employments, which may be said TO
occupy the greatest number of women,
both in France and America, the French
woman's choice of a profession differs
widely from that of her American sister
In this country, with it's thousands of pun
lie schools crowded with girls. as well
as boys, the school ma am" represents
numerous and intelligent body of work
ers feminine. These same public schools
turn out yearly many thousands of bright
young girls, too well educated to be con-
tent to do manual labor, who flock to the
typewriter and the bookkeeper and cash
ter's desks, overrun the department stores
and besiege the wholesale houses
From the table given above il will be
seen that not only are domestic employ
ments more popular among women in
France than is business, but that the aes-
thetic professions have a wider follow
ing than the scientific Among a people
so artistic as the French have always
shown themselves to be this is but a nat
ural outcome of the national genius
From this same artistic instinct ex-
pressed in another form come the $50. 900
seamstresses and dressmakers who orig
mate the fashions followed by the whole
civilized world of women.
The religious element is more largely
represented than would be found to be
the case in the United States. Secular
hospitals and schools are not so common
among the French, who are apt to be
either extremely devout or advanced
freethinkers. The sheltered life of the
women of the upper classes inclines them
60 the former state, and the numerous
converts and church schools offer well
come occupation to the unmarried daugh-
tiers of many a family OF che old noblesse.
No Prejudice Against Farm Labor.
The striking fact, however, to the Amer
lean mind, is the large predominance OF
the class Of women employed as farm la
borers-2 100000 women engaged in farm
labor! The sight of woman. generally
In combination with a dog usurping the
place of the horse as motive power-a
frequent one in certain portions of la
belle France-causes ell properly consti.
tuted American hair to stand on end with
horror, so repugnant Is It to the Anglo
Saxon ideal of womankind
This deeply rooted prejudice against the
employment of women in rough, out-of-
door work, does not exist In France, and
ha 81 nrIa