Omaha daily bee., 1906-05-06

charge. when hunung unge new employer.
] did not toss my head or take any par
tivular pains to hnd out n my necktie was
becoming. ] felt myself cowed and I have
no doubt acted good deal like criminal.
MY twenty-four years experience In this
store which ] suppose is good deal like
any other concern employing 1000 or more
men and women. leads me 70 think that
men don't change their jobs so often as
women do. and that they are less willing
to take risks. There are men In this store
who. I believe. would have done much bet
ter FOR themselves had they left here years
ago and struck out for something higher.
We're some Of them to be discharged now
I seriously doubt n they would have the
pluck to get another Job
THE best OF our women employees. on
the contrary. don't hesitate to leave US
on a days notice, provided they think they
can do better or get on faster elsewhere,
and especially IL there Is bait Of a couple
Of dollars raise in salary A young woman
OF whom we thought great deal came to
me a week ago and said she had been
offered a raise in salary by a rival firm
and that she, had accepted it. 1 offered to
pay her a like amount. but on she went
giving ar a reason thai she saw a chance of
] btlAlnE On ldSttl III the OlitI pAdto ANuH
/ with us.
"she wanted the excitement Of a change,
/ | think A man in the same position would
nine times out Of ten accept our raise and
prefer to stay in the old place.
More Jobs Than One.
Women whom we discharge. and others
who discharge US, so to speak. in Mt Of
temper, walk on with their heads in the
maybe we hear Of them over at Browns or
Blanks or Green's in an equally good place.
A woman is seldom OF never discouraged
/ when she lis discharged; man is seldom or
never anything but discouraged-badly dis
| couraged at that
1T Is the same at the top as we'll as at
the bottom. Recent events have shown
that men at the head Of some Of the big
| gest corporations, when put out OF Job
or when dismissal is impending, have nerv-
Gus prostration or else give up and die, and
there have been hundreds Of cases Of men
who when overtaken by business disaster
have put a pistol to their heads rather than
brace up to meet the disaster.
Under similar circumstances I am al
most certain that a thorough going bust
ness woman would defer having nervous
prostration or dying till she had steered
into safe waters again. / don't pretend to
understand why this lie so; in fact, am at
a loss TO comprehend il in contrast with the
lack Of physical courage and self-posses-
sion women in general show in time Of
physical danger
| AT one time 1 was living In a hotel
where a business woman knew also had
rooms. That woman had worked her way
up from cash girl to the head Of a de-
| and ana ~ ba
shrewdest business women ever met.
"One night the hotel was threatened with
FIRE, and the Waterman went around
rousing the guests. who had plenty of time
to dress, even supposing the fire should
make rapid Roadway. / got into my clothes
I in a iffy and went out in the hall. to
md the competent clear-headed business
woman making her way toward the stairs
in her nightgown and bare feet, seal
skin Jacket hung over one arm, her watch
in her hand.
"she hadn't the least idea what she was
doing and when I insisted that she should
go back to her room and put on dress
and shoes she obeyed like child
mot long ago I attended the funeral OF
a woman assistant college superintendent
whose life had been shaped by the lack OF
courage OF her father in facing business
apropos of the relative moral courage OF
man and woman. Her father was baker
with a prosperous business, shop of his
own, money in the bank, but before his
Oldest daughter was quite IS he failed in
business his small fortune was swept
away, and he settled down with his head in
his hands, incapable apparently OF making
another move.
He never did make a move which re-
suited in helping TO support his family.
His wife took hold and did her best and
at 16 the daughter began to teach and
from that time on practically supported
the family and educated her younger
f brother and sisters. showing an amount Of
pluck at which often marveled.
When 1 first assumed the duties OF col
lege president a young woman came to me
and asked for work a special instructor
No she had not taught before, nor had
she expected TO teach, but she must begin
at once.
We are poor and getting poorer every
day she said simply.
Thoroughly equipped for the work she
wanted to undertake, before long she was
earning $25 a week. every dollar of which
was turned over to her mother, who one
day told me this story
Her husband, through no fault of his,
lost a position paying something Ike $500
year with a financial concern. The
blow almost killed him. said his wife.
I'm an simless, half hearted way he
began to put in bids for other work and
for a little while tried to get foothold
usain in the finarcial world; but he wanted
to start where he left off and when places
lower than the one he had lost were Of
fered he refused them.
am not going to be cheap man,
he told his wife over and over again.
Soon he ceased seeking for work at all
and began TO haunt the saloons and the
rest may easily be guessed. But for the
bravery Of his daughter that family must
have starved or begged
Many times have noticed this fact; A