Los Angeles herald., 1907-05-12

reason which will presently appear
"What convention is meeting here?
Is IL the National Association OF Co
Eds?"
of. Why?"
IN and down the street. Then:
"But the girls! Where did they come
from? Why, it must have rained girls
here last night! There seem to be tnou-
sands of them in sightl Gracious, man!
Have you nothing but women In this
city?"
"Oh, yes, a few others"-and the blue
coat smiled broadly-"but the minority
of males in our population don't keep
us policemen very busy, for, you see,
this is a woman's town and the men
have to behave"
Troy might we'll be termed the wo-
mans city. OF it's 10000 inhabitants by
far the majority are females. Not only
that, but it's industrial life is composed
Of women, for they form over 60 per
cent of the wage earners. Ihe wages
paid to the women workers exceed those
paid to men. Troy's payroll for regu-
larly employed women workers shows
disbursement Of over $4,0o0,OOo year.
Balls, entertainments and public func-
tions are supported by the women; the
ater audiences are composed principally
of women; women predominate every
where. 1t Is, perhaps the only city In
the world where the order of mans rule
Is reversed In nearly all except political
suffrage and office holding.
In no other city in the world, so far
as known, do women earn higher wages
than men. That they do in Troy was
brought out some time ago when
comparison was made.
1t was found that great proportion
of Troy's working girls were making
SIS to $25 a week, while the average
wages paid to men-they are employed
for only heavy labor and running ma
chinery about the factories and laun-
dries-were but $40 to $12 a week.
MONDAY in Troy is good time to
observe the extent of feminine pre-
dominance. Look which way you will,
lit is girls, girls, girls. Shops, offices
and stores contribute to the throng,
but most of them come from the collar
factories and the laundries which every
week do up the boiled shirts and cuffs
and collars for the half of New York
state.
Yes, and some of them come from
the drawing rooms and parlors of the
elite. But you'd never know the diff
ference in dress, personal beauty or
department.
A woman's city. but more especially
working woman's city, Is Troy. The
number of women actually employed
at gainful occupations in the city is
estimated at 1866.
An estimate of the number of men
employed is S700, or 1866 less than wo-
men.
OF the male wage earners probably
not more than half are employed In
the regular Industries; the others work
about the hotels, in the restaurants Gt
is strange thing to see so many male
walters serving food to the girls, who
occupy practically all the tables), about
the livery stables, the railroad station.
or in building and common laboring
operations.
In other words, if the industries
which are operated almost exclusively
by female labor were to be eliminated
there would be no Troy, at least not
the Troy which has been famed the
country over as the Collar city, but
which might more aptly be termed the
Woman's city.
These women are so we'll dressed
and bear themselves with such grace
and evidence of good breeding that on
the streets they could not be singled
out from the daughters of wealth and
fashion. Naturally this will be ques-
toned. For, you say, how can wo
man go to work in her fineries, be-
decked with jewelry as If on her way
to church?
In Troy it is possible because the
work done by the women is eminently
clean. What is there to soil the hands
or clothes in the collar factory, where
the raw material handled Is nothing
but clean, white linen and thread just
as spotless? And, as to the machinery
well, that's the mems work. CThey
don't go to work clad in their Sunday
best).
In the laundries, of course, the work
isn't quite so cleanly; but this doesn't
prevent the girls from arranging their
toilets carefully before leaving work,
and deft touches in the donning of
street costume obliterate the evidences
of toll
The dress of the girls as they go to
or from the factories amazes the Wis
itor. 1t Is rather the rule than the
exception to see them clad in silks.
satins, expensive furs, Paris hats and
the neatest and best gloves and shoes.
Fashionably attired, displaying cost
ly jewelry, working girls by the thou
sands may be seen on the streets any
fine night. At first thought this might
seem improper, but it must be con-
sidered that the rules Of propriety
| which obtain at young woman's SEM
mary may not be applied here.
These girls are penned up in fac
tories-well ventilated and comfortable
factories, to be sure, but still Offering
no opportunity for exercise in the open
air-for nine to ten hours each day,
and their only chances to get that out
door exercise so essential to health is
at night.
They walk by pairs or in groups,
chatting, laughing. recuperating for the
morrow's work. They frequent the we'll
lighted business streets principally.
The police and clergymen of Troy
will almost invariably tell you that
these night strolls are entirely free
from Objectionable fgeatures. Refined
in manner, these girls give scant at
tention to 'mashers.'
|
Fairly we'll educated is the collar
girl" Some are high school graduates,
but the typical one has finished only a
grammar school education before start
ing to earn a livelihood
| But small percentage of them are
natives of the city where they work.