The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-04-15
Man THE COWARD, NOTWOMAN,
WIEN LOSS OF EMPLOYMENT
TRIES THE COURAGE.

Park Benches-But Not
Puts an Extra feather in Her Hat and
Goes Brayely in Search OF Another Job.
.Is man more lacking In courage than
woman when out Of a job?" was the question
rro women fell to discussing the other
afternoon when crossing Madison Square
Park.
Rows Of men were lolling On the park
bencl o.. In fact every bench practically
was filed with men only, Not more than
half a dozen women were visible either
WALKING or sitting in the park.
Il imagine" said one Of the two women,
that most Of these men are out Of work.
Il don't see how they expect to find work
sitting here" returned the other woman.
They don't expect to. They are sitting
here probably trying to screw up their
courage to go ask for another job
I'm! How about the women who are
looking for work? Why doesn't one see
rows of women sitting here?"
Because, as a rule. women have more
courage than men when 1t comes to the
point of asking for employment"
We'll, it is doubtful II there Is a man
living who would agree with you"
81 am not so sure about that. At any
rate | mean to put the question point blank
to some experienced business man and
get his opinion said the other, pausing
before crossing Broadway to glance back
at the park full OF idlers.
The first man to whom the question was
put has been identified for twenty-four
years with a department store OF which
he is now one of the heads.
GGr.,linu 90 Ynan and xunnNpn 0mnlnvaaa
as | find them to-day said this man after
q full minutes thought, Il am inclined to
think the former show less courage in the
face Of dismissal han the latter.
When | started my business career
more than thirty years ago the number
of women employed by business concerns
was comparatively small. Cashiers, book
keepers. auditors, we're almost without
exception men, whereas now many large
dry goods concerns employ women only
to do such work.
Therefore a mans chances Of getting
work when l was a young man were, II
ANYTHING, better than they are now. for
the reason he had less competition to fear
from the other sex; but even in those days
some men | knew were inclined to show the
white feather whenever they lost a job.
Il myself have been through the ex-
p~erience of being discharged. That was be-
fore | came to this concern, and / remem-
Der that for several months / was out OF
work, mainly because l didn't have the
courage to make application at places where
/ might have been taken on.
Il had a feeling of disgrace at being dis
charged, although my offence was nothing
more serious than a hasty, i'll advised answer
to the head Of the department in which l
sold goods. l was never a favorite with
him, and that answer cost me my place.
Talk about courage! Well, I'm willing
to confess that it was days afterward be-
fore / could screw up enough to enter a
business Office. I don't remember just
what / uid with myself those days, but very
likely l sat around in the parks some.
Fortunately l was not yet married, 80
didn't have to think Of any one but myself.
And that reminds me that the married
man is generally more downcast than an
unmarried man at losing a job, and the more
downcast a man is, the less likely he Is to
show pluck, and consequently the less
chance he has OF getting another job to
his liking.
AT such times a man may even forget to
polish his shoes or brush his hat. He is
discouraged, Inundated, and he shows it.
OF course there are lots of exceptions to
this rule. l am describing the average
man who earns SIS to $25 or $50 a week.
Il can't say the same thing about the
average working woman, who, married or
single, generally takes her discharge more
or less serenely. Naturally l don't know
how these women feel, but l do know that
instead of sitting down and moping most of
them stick an extra feather in their hat, put
on a becoming veil and start out the very
next day on a hunt for a new place.
sUnder such circumstance there is a hope
fulness and cheerfulness about a woman
seldom seen in a man. One reason for this
may be that men applicants are usually put
through a sitter examination than women
are.
When, for instance, q woman with a toss
Of her head tells me she quit her last job
because the floor walker was a tyrant, or
because her fellow clerks treated her real
me an from jealousy, or for some other
equally feminine reason, I am more inclined
to believe the yarn than if a man told it to
me. ! don't Gre ss-question a woman as
rigidly as | do a man.
NlItl L lOlu Vie ISu5Oi ~ bSh So
when hunting up a new employer. did not
toss my head or take any particular pains to
find out if my necktie was becoming. l
felt myself cowed and I have no doubt
acted Il good deal like a criminal.
My twenty-four years experience in this
store, which | suppose is a good deal like
any other concern employing a thousand or
more men and women, leads me to think
that men don't change their jobs so often as
women do, and hat they are less willing
to take risks. There are men in this store
who, | believe, would ave done much bet
ter for themselves had they left here years
ago and struck u for something higher,
We're some of them to be discharged now !
seriously doubt if they would have the
pluck TO get another job.
The best Of OUR women employees, or
the contrary, don't hesitate to leave uf
on a days notice, provided they think
they can do better or get on faster else
where, and especially II there is a bait OF
a couple Of dollars raise in salary. AyouIe
woman Of whom we thought a great deaI
came to me a week ago and said she had