The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1906-03-16

middle aged woman who has lost her
/ youth in the service. l..
Many Women Attracted to New York.
y great number of these women are,
]of course, native New Workers, but
there is Il large and constantly grow
ing percentage of women from the
West and South, most of them stenog-
/ raphers, who leave their homes, if
they have any, and come here to New
York, attracted by the rumors of big
! salaries and great opportunities that
are to be found here. Are there such,
wonder, and if so, how are they OBJ
tained2 "..
y girl comes here, say from one of
the Western towns, to look for work
:; Us stcnographer. First of all she has
TO get room and arrange for board
Eof some description.
She discovers that the very low
est rate for which she can get board
and room is 81 Il week, and if she
takes a room without board it will
tcost her not less than So a week, if it
is tit to live i'll. Perhaps if her re-
serve stock of money is very small
she decides that she cannot pay So,
and instead takes room Of the size
OF large packing case opening on an
aif shaft or lighted only by sky
light. There will not be room in this
box for anything more than a couch
bed, Il dresser and her trunk. and thew
arc a tight fit.
! This new unexpected environment
somewhat depresses her at first, but
ishe feels quite certain that it will be
only temporary. Having unpacked
her trunk and disposed Of her be-
longings as we'll as possible in this
limited space, she starts out to look
Tor some Of the "great opportuni-
ties.'
t.. | Tricks of Agencies.
E,fSOnt reading over the advertising
|columns of the papers she finds there,
are whole columns of "stenograpIlers
Ewanted," and also whole columns of
stehographers who want work. She
thinks this is rather strange, but does
not allow her mind to dwell too much
on. the stenographers who want work
and turns her whole attention to the
people who want stenographers.
Most of these advertisers require an
answer by letter. She writes care
fully penned and worded reply to
promising advertisement that reads
something like this: "Splendid posi-
ton for educated, refined young wo-
man stenographer-liberal salary to
right person.
In reply she receives a postal card
asking her to call at So and Sos
agency, whittier she at once betakes
horseif, hoping that this may prove to
he something good. Arrived there
she finds that the agent has only SO
place vacant but is. expecting
splendid opening to occur shortly with
a we'll known firm.
It she will pay 81 as registration
fee the agcnt will consider himself
under n personal obligation to find
her just such n place as she desires,
and she must come in again tomorrow
sure. When she has gone the agent
sets to work to concoct another adver-
tisement, this time intended for the
Situations Wantcd' column. This
new advertisement will read some
what after this fashion:
A refined, educated and thorough
ly experienced stenographer, law, lit
crary, medical or brokerage export
ence, wants position with frst-class
firm Moderate salary to start in
- The Average Luck.
This probably catches the cye of
somebody in search Of stenographer,
then the agent tries to bring the two
together. If he succeeds in getting
them to come to an agreement the re-
suit is that the girl takes a place at a
much smaller salary than slie had
been, willing to work for, and has to
pay the proceeds Of first week s
work to the agent who has been Of
such service to her. If he does not
succeed, the girl gets no work and
tries ngain, probably paying 81 to an
other; agent or to two or three other
agents. ~ - .. F-.; =,
Occasionally of course, a girl who
comes a stranger to the city.is lucky