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

There is the tall, stylishly dressed
attractive girl, and again the weary
middle aged woman who has lost her
youth in the service.
Many Women Attracted to New York.
y great number Of these women are,
Of course. native New Workers, but
there is 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,
I wonder. and if so. how are they OBJ
tanned?
4 girl comes here, say from one Of
! the Western towns, to look for work
as stenographer. First Of all she has
! to get room and arrange for board
of some description.
She discovers that the very low
est rate for which she can get board
and room is 81 week, and if she
takes room without board it Will
cost her not less than So a week, if it
is fit to live in. Perhaps if her re-
serve stock Of money is very small
ishe decides that she cannot pay So,
and instead takes a room Of the size
of a large packing case opening on an
air shaft or lighted only by sky
Hight. There will not be room in this
box for anything more than a couch
bed, a dresser and her trunk, and they
are tight fit.
! This new unexpected environment
|somewhat depresses her at first, but
she feels quite certain that it will be
only temporary. Having unpacked
her trunk and disposed Of her be-
tloneings as we'll as possible in this
limited space, she starts out to look
for some of the ''great opportuni-
Ities:''
| Tricks Of Agencies.
|; On reading over the advertising
|cofumns of the papers she finds there
Fare whole columns Of ''stenograpl1ers
Iwanted. and also whole columns Of
Estehographers who want work She
thinks this is rather strange, but does
mot allow her mind to dwell too much
fon the stenographers who want work
land turns her whole attention to the
Epeople who want stenographers. ..
| Most Of these advertisers require an
answer by letter. She writes a care
fully penned and worded reply to a
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 postal card
asking her to call at So and Sos
agency, whittier she at once betakes
herself, hoping that this may prove to
be something good. Arrived there
she finds that the agent has only a SO
place vacant but is expecting. a
tsnlendid onenine to occur shortly with
a we'll known firm.
| IF she will pay 81 as registration
fee the a agent will consider himself
under personal obligation to lind
her lust such a place as she desires,
and she must come in again tomorrow
sure. When she has gone the agent
Isets to work to concoct another adver-
tisement, this time intended for the
"Situations Wanted' column. This
new advertisement will read some
what after this fashion:
! A refined, educated and thorough
ly experienced stenographer. law, llt-
erary. medical or brokerage e1perl-
ence, wants position with tirst-class
! firm. Moderate salary to start IN.
The Average Luck.
| This probably catches the eye OF
somebody in search of a 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 she had
been willing to work for, and has to
pay the proceeds of her: 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