The sun., 1903-11-08

Kansas by communicating WIN young
women employed in the big stores here ara
in Chicago and persuading them to go out
there to be servants.
Mr.. Gerow's bait is the promise OF 80
or 81 a week, with board and lodging thrown
In, and possible husband from among the
Young Kansas farmers, many OF whom are
lust beginning to work their own land ana
make home. Hundreds OF girls the
superintendent declares, can find husbands
among the young farmers, and severai
thousand servants are needed az once III
Kansas.
New York which is having troubles OF
its own on the servant question: Is iuiiy
able and willing TO condole with Kansas OF
any other State on that point, but the
notion of enticing New York shopglrls
into domestic service out in the West VIII
make many New Workers laugh.
New Yorks employment agents nave
tried it many a time, only to meet invarlaole
defeat To be sure they had no young
farmers to put alluringy in the oregrouiiu
Of the picture but then--and tins iact Mr'
Gerow has evidently not discovered -tlie
farmer ceased long ago to be Leading
attraction in the eyes of city girls. IL ne
doesn't believe this let him come and nave
a chat with some of he young women VINO
are employed in the New York stores. lie
will learn lot and be sure to enjoy hlmse1 .
Marry farmer?' said pretty glri
behind Sixth avenue notion counter, with
shudder. well. I guess not. The very
idea makes me sick. | read magazine
story not long ago about girl that married
one and went out West to live. 1t was nm
possible for her to get any help, and the
poor thing had to cook and wash and IRON
for a lot of farmhands as we'll as for her
husband, and wait on them, too She
never had an hour to read or amuse herself
and no pleasures whatever. and after
baby came to add to her cares she went
crazy and died in an asylum. Ugh. shall
never forget that story
"I come from the country, said another
girl in the same department but when l
20 home for vacation l am always glad 10
ret back again If had to live out would
rather live out in New York than in any
other place, for when one does have an
afternoon or an evening out here there Is
somewhere to go to and something TO see
Rut in Kansas" with an accent OF deep
disdain, what is there 70 see in Kansas
But YOU forget" it was suggested, that
husbands are more plentiful out "ese
than they are here.
Are thew? But who wants to marry a
farmer? A farmers wife Is q drudge
that's all she is. She has to work haroer
than any hired girl ever would work, and
without any wages. Why, even the New
York servant girls would know better than
n 90 out to Kansas to marry the best look
inc farmer that ever lived, let alone girls
who are earning good wages in stores.
.'rhree or four dollars q week, echoed q
nerf,,mery saleswoman in amaZement
sWhy any but the very young girls mere
have more than that left over after paying
their board, and for doing much easier
work That man, whoever he is. hasn't
any sense. Now, il he offered six or seven
q week. that would be more like it. Even
then T don't believe he could get any girl
emnloved in store to go out as servant.
I'm yery sure there isn't one in this store
that would do it. have been here eight
wears and I wouldn't dream of such h a
thing"
$50 YOU think life in store is easier for
q girl than living in comfortable nome
and doing housework?'
well don't know about it being easier.
When we work here we work pretty hard
as a rule, but then we know when our work
is done and we are perfectly independent
after the store is closed
"I have a cousin who lives out, as they
saw. She came from Ireland to take
a nlace as general housework girl, and a
GOOD place it is. too. But she begins never
Later than seven in the morning and is
never done before half past eight at night
She must be in at ten o'clock, even on her
afternoon out, and she never has one whole
clay to herself. | couldn't endure such a
life.
In this store, which is like most Of the
others around here, we don't come until
half past eight in the morning, and we
leave at five-thrty in the afternoon. After
leave here my time is entirely my own
On rainy DAYS one-haf the force of sales
people is allowed to go home at three O'Clock
in the afternoon, turn and turn about.
Every legal holiday the store closes
we have every Sunday all day long, and II
summer Saturday afternoons, and week
vacation during which we are paid. Some
people have very wrong ideas about store
life There are a lot of pleasant thing:
about it, and nowadays the managers dc
all they can to make it pleasant for thei
EMPLOYEES Then we have the excitement
of meeting all kinds Of people from al
over the world, and of hearing lots of inter
esting things
Even for double the money, l dom
believe you could get a store girl to liv'
out--do you. Jennie?" appealing to com
panon at the same counter.
"You told it right replied Jennie, -I'v'
often heard of servant girls trying to ge
places in stores, and even in fact tories, bu
never of store girl wanting to live out
/ don't believe that Western man will ge
any recruits from this establishment"
"As to a husband. Why, any nice cir
can get husband any time she wants on'
right here in New York, and she won't hav'
to work like a slave for him either. My
sister, who worked over in the neckti,
department, got married year ago, anc
abe has the easiest time | ever heard of
Her husband, who is an eXpressman
doesn't come home to lunch, SO she car
spend almost all day long in the shop
If she wants to, and after dinner he Away
washes the dishes for her She hates t,
wash dishes
In the business Office of one of the bi
department stores is a oman who has bee
In the employ Of the same firm for twent