Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1903-04-08
WlLlmAR:
HARDWARE
co.
Corner Benson Avenue and 9Th Street,
WlLLMAR

farms, and had come into Crawford
20 accept small places at Rondman's.
Their experiences there had not been
pleasant, and they were ready to try
something that promised at least
temporary financial relief.
Barbara gave little impromptu
talk before the girls went home, and
ended by asking the girls to ask ques-
tons or talk over in general way the
prospects of housekeeping service as
she had described it to them.
do you think, Miss Clark, from your
own experience, that the hired girls
loss of social standing is the one great |
obstacle to the settlement of the ques-
ton of service?" one of the American
girls asked She was bright-looking
girl, evidently a lover of fine-looking
dresses, and. as Barbara discovered,
with habits of extravaganza far be-
yond her little means to crafty.
Barbara hesitated moment before
she answered.
Eyes, l think perhaps that is the
most serious factor in the problem.
1 don't consider it unanswerable. I
believe that Christian housekeepers
and Christian servants can find an an
swer that will satisfy them BOTH"
II think the irregular hours are the
hardest part of the homework" said
one of the girls, an honest-faced Ger
man, somewhat older than the others.
II worked two years for family in the
west, and some days l did not get
through my work until nine and even
ten o'clock at night. One reason l
have liked the store is because the
hours of labor have been regular. l
know just exactly how long l have to
work. But cannot earn enough where
I now am. 1 saved over one hundred
and fifty dollars one year when was
out working at four dollars week."
"It's the dirty work that don't like
spoke up a careless-looking girl whom
Barbara had found in the bundle de-
partment at Bondman's. Barbara
did not know just what it was that
had drawn this girl to her; but some
thing had done it, and there was some
thing very attractive about Barbara to
the girl, and she had expressed GER
tain readiness to learn the work of
servant so as to be competent.
"That never troubled me any," said
the neatest girl of all. my trouble
was caused by not knowing how to do
the work satisfactorily. found did
not know how to plan for the meals
and cook them properly. One of my
friends, who was in the next house,
was splendid cook and manager. It
was large family, but she seemed to
throw the work off easily, because she
knew how to plan it right"
That's it," Barbara spoke eagerly.
els it any wonder that so many women
| complain at the troubles they have
with servants when so many of them
have no experience, and yet claim as
high wages as if they had? A book
keeper would not expect to get and
retain a place in business firm if he
did not understand the business of
keeping books; yet the housekeepers
tell me that girls are continually COM
ing into their houses, claiming to be
competent for the work when in real
ity they do not know nything about it.
It is necessary for the girls to put
themselves in the places of the house
keepers and ask: What should haye a
right to expect from girl who came
into my house as servant?''
"There's another thing hear other
girls complain about" said one of the
older of the company. ''They say that
in most families the scale of wages
paid to servants never changes.
They say they never get any more a
week after years of working than
they got when they begun. know one
girl who has been with one family five
years. The first year she had two dol
lars and seventy-five cents. The third
year they increased her wages to
three and half for fear of losing her,
and they have remained at that figure
ever since. Girls who work ont do not
have the ambition toget on that young
men in q business firm have. They
cannot look forward to a better condi-
ton or higher pay" T..
'That isn't true in some families I
know" replied Barbara. Il know
some neoDle in Crawford Who offer In
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