The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-09-23
GlRLS ARE HIRED.
Santa Fe Solves the Messenger
Boy Problem.
Young Girl of l5 at Work in
Telegraph Office.
MORE TO BE EMPLOYED
Boys Are Expensive as Well as
Scarce.
Mr.. M0relock Thinks New Sys-
tenn a GOod One.
MORE TO BE EMPLOYED

Today the Santa Fe railroad en-
ployed a young girl of about Is years
of age to work as a messenger in the
general offices, and another will start
to work tomorrow.
A. E Morelock, manager of the local
Santa Fe telegraph Office. when asked
about his new messenger service, said:
"The new truancy law compelling
children of the ages of s to Is, inclusive,
to attend school. which went into effect
at the beginning of the present term of
school, has been troubling us a great
deal, and during the last few weeks our
messenger service has been very slack
The boys who had been carrying mes
sages for us during the recent vacation
were of the school age, and when school
opened were compelled to give up their
work This left US with several vacant
positions, and we were in a quandary
as to how we were going to fill them
with messengers who were capable of
doin~ the work and at the same time
were exempt from the new law. 1 had
three messengers where | needed five.
Finally 1 was advised to try a few
girls On the messenger force, and you
'See the result.
so far the experiment has been en-
tlrely satisfactory. The young lady 1
employed this morning does the work
as well if not better than the younger
that the new service will be a great i'm
provement over the old. I could proba-
bly, hire boys who are exempt from the
truancy law but they would want more
wages and according to my idea would
not give as satisfactory service as the
girls. I will put another girl to work
tomorrow morning.
Miss Edith Peterson, the young lady
who was employed as messenger in
the Santa Fe offices this morning has
no of hainor 10 fret oil RI
ger in Topeka. In many other cities,
Chicago, Kansas City and the larger
towns, girls have been employed regu-
larly as messengers in the offices of
both the railroad and the commercial
telegraph companies but never before
has this occurred in Topeka. OF course
in the present cases indoor work is all
that is required of the young ladies but
it - thought that eventually outdoor
work will be included in their duties.
Several days ago messenger boys were
very scarce and it was thought that
such action would be necessary but
since then the service has been improv
ed. w. G. Carswell, manager of the
local office of the Western Union. said
today:
Last week our messenger service
was in a serious condition as the result
of the new rule of compulsory educa-
ton and for time it looked as if
would have to resort to heroic meas
ures. as the Santa Fe has done. but
since that time 1 have been able to
secure bows who are EXEMPT from the
new law. If it came to a pinch, how
ever, I would not hesitate a minute
about employing girls for messengers.
There is only one thing which would
keep me from doing it. 1t is all right
for the railroad companies to employ
girls. but it would be a different mat
ter altogether if the telegraph COM
panies were to do it. If we employed a
girl 1T would be necessary for her to
come in contact with all classes of peO-
pie, some of whom Would not be agree
able to her. There is no class of hu-
manity, high or low. that is not reached
by our messenger service, and for this
reason l would think twice before hir-
ing girls for the work which is now
as satisfactory for messenger service
as bows are
The general opinion in regard to the
action of the Santa Fe is favorable
Nearly every one thinks that girls would
make better messengers than boys and
favors the idea of making the change
One man who was inclined to be hu-
mOrouss said:
1.-The joke you see in the comic papers
regarded as nothing but a joke but it is
fact just the same. Start messenger
boy out with A death message marked
rush and it's ten to one shot that
he will get mixed up in a crap game
before he delivers the message. For this
reason I think that it would be a good
thing for every one concerned if the
telegraph companies should hire girls
instead of boys. If a girl has task it
to accomplish it that it would a boy"