The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-11-10
The Actual Experience Of One of
Them as Veraciously Set Forth
by Herself-Current Notions of
the Factory Girl as a Noble and
Self-Respecting Person Pro.
nounced Fallacious-Her Capa-
city for Real Work Almost
Nothing-What Must Be Done
for Her Improvement.
Roston Transoript

A remarkable book entitled, "The
Long Day." purporting to be "the
true story Of New York working girl,
as told by herself - is issued by the
Century company. The author describes
the life she led and the life she saw
rious establishments in New York and
elsewhere. She herself and the pub
fishers vouch for, the absolute fidelity
Of the story to facts. Some idea Of
what American working girls are and
what they must endure may be gained
from these extracts taken from the
last chapter in the book, which takes
final account of the authors expe-
riences.
When I met Minnie Plympton on the
street corner, that hot summer night, l
was "dead broke,'' not only in purse,
but in body and spirit as well. She
took me home with her to the two small
rooms where she was doing light house
keeping, and where we continued to
live together until her marriage a year
later broke up our happy domestic part
nership. A few weeks after Minnie
took me home with her / got position
in the notion department of one Of the
large stores. I received only 81 week;
but, as our rent was small and our llv-
able to meet my half Of the joint ex-
penditure. I worked four months at
selling pins and needles and thread and
whalebone and thousand and one 9th
er things to be found in a well-stocked
notion department; and then, by a
stroke of good luck and Minnie Plymp-
ton 8 assistance, [ got place as dem
eoffee in the grocery E department Of the
same ''e emporium. -" My new work was
not only, much lighter and pleasanter,
but it paid me the munifcent salary of
So week.
But did not want to be demonstra-
tor of tea and coffee all my life. had
often thought I would like to learn
shorthand and typewriting. The dem.
onstrator of breakfast foods at the next
counter to mine was taking night
course in bookkeeping; which gave me
the idea of taking a similar course IN
stenography. And then the Long Day
began in earnest. I went to night school
FIVE nights out of every week for exactly
sixty weeks, running consecutively save
for a fortnight's interim at the Christ
mas holidays, when we worked nights
at the store. On Saturday night, which
was the off night, [ did my washing and
| mended and darned my clothes is
when there was any making, mending
or darning to be done. AS my wardrobe
was necessarily slender, [ had much time
to spare. This spare time on Sunday
nights L spent in study and reading. /
studied English composition and pune.
tuation, both of which I would need
! later on when I should become a stenog
rapher. I also brushed UP on my spell
ing and grammar. -.-...
AS for reading, which was the only
recreation my life knew, it was of a
| most desultory, tho always mercenary
| sort. I read every book [ could gel
| out of the circulating library which
from it's title. or general character as
summarized in the newspaper reviews, !
thought might help me to solve the
problem of earning good livelihood
The title of one book particularly at
tracted me-a book which was so much
in demand that / had to wait a whole
six months before I succeeded in get
ting it thru the slow and devious process
peculiar to circulating libraries. That
book was cup From Slavery and ii
brought home to me as nothing else
could have done what was the rea
trouble with myself and all the rest Of
the struggling, ill-paid, wretched work
| ing women with. whom, had come II
contact during my apprenticeship. What
that trouble was I shall revert to later
When had thoroly learned the prin:
ciples Of my trade and had attained