The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-11-10
ZONE OF THOSE WORKING
GIRLS" TELLS HER STORY

speed of some hundred and odd words
a minute, the hardest task was yet be-
position. but in filing that position
satisfactorily. My first position at SO
week I held only one day. 1 failed
to read my notes. This was more be-
cause of fright and of self-conscious-
ness, however, than of ineffciency. My
next paid me only Sc week, but 1t
was an excellent training school, and in
it I learned self confidence, perfect ac-
curacy, and rapidity. Altho this posi-
ton paid me So less than what | had
been earning brewing tea and coffee
and handing it over the counter, and
notwithstandi the fact that I knew
of places where I could go and earn $40
There was method in my madness, how
ever. let me say. [ mad considerats
and employer, and altho
| had great deal of work, and altho
it had to be done most punctiliously,
he never allowed me to work moment
in the morning, and [ was not expected
before quarter after; he closed at 4
sharp. This gave me an opportunity
for further improving myself with
view of eventually taking not $40, but
a 500 position. | went back to night
school and took a three-months "speed
course and at the same, time con-
and stock of knowledge by systematic
reading of popular books of science
and economics. | became tremendously
interested in myself as an economic
factor, and ] became tremendously in
terested in other working girls from
similar point of view.
One day l answered an advertisement
calling for the sort Of stenographer /
now believed myself to be. It brought
response signed with the name of d
large religious publishing house. got
the position, beginning with salary
creased to $40 provided I could fill the
position. That I should succeed in
doing so, there was evident doubt in
my employers minds and no wonder!
For I was the fifth to attempt it.
Ny work consisted for the most part
! of taking dictation from the editor Of
the periodical published weekly by the
and special articles. Also, when it was
found that I had some intelligent,
| practical knowledge of grammar and
| English-and here was where my stud
| les of the preceding year bore fruit
I was intrusted with the revision and
manuscripts. thus relieving the busy
editors of one of their most irksome
tasks.
One day had occasion to mention to
the editor some of the strenuous expe-
riences [ had undergone in my struggle
to attain a decent living. He was
startled-not to say little shocked
| that a young woman of apparently de-
cent birth and upbringing should have
| formed such an intimate acquaintance
with the dark side. of life. Inspired by
his sympathetic interest, [ boldly inter-
viewed the editor of a well-known
monthly magazine, with the result that
T inn
certain of my experiences; and, to my
surprise and delight, they were ac-
copied. 49,
And, somehow. with the appearance
of those two articles-the first fruits
of authorship-part of the horror and
| loathing of that unhappy period of ser
vitude fell away from me; the sordid
suffering. the hurt to pride, the inef-
| faceable scar on heart and soul L felt
had not been in vain. | can now look
back upon the recent, still vivid past
without a shiver; for there is comfort
gone is to be held up to others as pos
sible lesson and warning.
| For obvious reasons, I have been
obliged to give fictitious names to fac
tories and shops in which [ worked:
and-I have, in most cases, substituted
| for the names of the streets where the
! factories were located the names OF
streets of like character. .-=ar
AS to moral. conditions, I have not
been in every instance so scrupulously
truthful-that is, l have not told all
! the truth. For it is a truth which only
/ too often will not bear even the sug-
gestion of telling. Only in two or three
instances-for example, in my account
of Henrietta Manners-have I ven
tured to hint definitely at anything
pertaining to the shame and iniquity
underlying discouragingly large part
zine articles 1 was obliged to leave out
all reference to this tabooed topic. The
attitude of the public, especially the
American public. toward this subject
is curious mixture of prudery and
gallantry.