Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1906-12-01

enumerated by the census of the
United States there are only eight
In which women do not appear. In
all the other 297 there are accredited
representatives of the coming sex
In numbers ranging from two to 6OO,-
900.
The eight occupations in which
women do not appear fall into two
classes.
In the first of these classes the abb
sence of woman Is due to the tyranny
OF man. There are no women sol
diers in the United States army.
There are no women sailors In the
United States navy. There are no
women marines in that navy. And
there are no women firemen in the
municipal fire departments OF Ameri-
can cities All this is sumply because
women have been ruled out With
different regulations there might be
different results. In Sweden there is
a fire department In which women
are frequently enrolled. And the
fighting done by women at the siege
of Saragossa in Spain during the Ma
poleonic wars has always stood as a
spectacular and sufficient proof Of
feminine valor.
In the remaining four of the eight
womanless occupations In TINS cou n
trv-tha a haN.,s,.. r1----7------ S"nAOI "0
so readily explained away. 1t must
be simply due to feminine neglect
that at the time Of the last census
there were no women apprentices
and helpers to roofers and skaters,
no women helpers to brassworkers,
no women helpers to steam boiler
makers, and no women street car
drivers. The next census will prob
ably repair this defect There is no
reason why women should not en-
ter these four trades. Already they
can be found in trades which are
similar but more difficult. Already
there are women roofers and skaters,
women brass workers and women
steam boiler makers. 1t is hard to
see why they shouldn't be helpers in
these trades IL they can be full
fiedged mechanics And If, as is the
case, there were two women motor
men in 1900, there is no reason why
there should not be women street car
drivers in 1910 in cities where horses
are still used for local transporta-
ton.
Only four occupations, therefore,
are to-day beyond the reach of wom-
en- in the United States. They can
not be Federal soldiers, Federal sail
ors, Federal marines or municipal
firemen. Everywhere else they have
knocked and they have been ad-
mitted.
The total number Of women en-
gagged in gainful occupations in 1900
was 5,319,397. This was an enor-
nous advance over the number of
women similarly employed in 1890.
II the same rate of progress has been
maintained since 1900 there cannot
be the slightest doubt that at the
present time there are fully six mil
lion women at work in various trades
and occupations In the United States
of America.
What this means 1t Is impossible
to realize until the total number of
women in the United States is taken
into consideration. In the year 1900
there were some 2S,00O,0O0 Ameri-
can women over ten years of age
Many of these women were, of
course, mere children. Many of them
were so old as to be beyond the
working age. Millions of them were
engaged in the task Of keeping house
of bringing up their children, of pro-
viding homes for the present genera
ton and of laying the foundations
of the character and of the culture
of the future. In other words, they
were discharging woman's historic
mission. Yet with all these deduc-
tions there were in the year 1900
more than 100000 women who
were engaged not only in spending
money but in earning It; not only in
managing the expenditure of wealth,
which is the acknowledged function
OF woman, but in creating 1t, which is
supposed to be the duty of man.
In other words, In the year 1900
out OF every five American women
over ten years of age there was one
who was going outside OF her family
duties and who was taking part in
the gainful work OF the working
world.
Just about 100000 of America 8
100000 gainful women in 1900
were engaged in what the census
calls agricultural pursuits. Among
these 100000 women agriculturlsts
there were 665, 791 farm laborers and
397,7S8 farmers, planters and over
seers There were also 100 women
lumbermen and raftsmen and 113
women woodchoppers.
In the professions women are ac-
cepted more as a matter of course
than they are in agricultural pur-
suits. And among all the professions
that Of teaching is the most thor
Oughly feminiZed. 1t is not surprIs-
ing, therefore, to learn that in the
United States In 1900 there weGl
more than $4,000 teachers. 1t is
decidedly surprising, however, to
wake up to the fact that there were
only 6418 actresses. 1t is clear that
il takes about 1000 teachers to make
as much stir and get as much space
in the newspapers as one stage lady.
And who would suppose from the
relative amounts of comment made
upon actresses and women clergymen
that the latter are more than half az
numerous as the former? Yet there
were 3405 women clergymen in the
United States in 1900 and they were
actively engaged in the religious life
of many different denominations.
Engineering is properly regarded
as the most difficult profession fol
women. The engineer has to dc
rough work in educating himself and
he has to do still rougher work wher
| he begins to practice. Nevertheless