The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1907-01-18
Tho Recorder :a,n Experiment.

Miss Brown, as we called her, is young
and resourceful, but skilled In any particu-
lar line of work. as her education has been
general. She left her home year ago
with exactly SIS in her pocket above the
price of her railroad fare to San Francisco.
assuming that even the poorest aspirant for
work starts upon her quest with that meagre
sum in reserve Upon reaching San iran
cisco she Immediately inserted the follow
ing advertisement in the three leading news
papers - -. .,,,,s =,
work, desires position where energy ana
While waiting for replies Miss Brown en-
gagged lodgings at 81 per week In one OF the
IRONING houses" with which the city
teemed from end to end, and meanwhile
the amazingly familiar manners OF her
fellow boarders put her on her guard against
too much friendliness. 1t was "a way they
had out there" she was told when sne
demonstrated with an extensively forward
young man.
Answers came promptly and in crafty
ing numbers. but of character hardly
offered a sheltered pleasant" life in ex-
change for ''companionship three young
bachelors wanted agreeable housekeepers
and only one answer offered an honest, re-
spectacle occupation, which happened to be
a manufacturing concern where experience
was absolutely necessary. Miss Brown then
tried answering advertisements, with slight
ly better success Within the week she
obtained temporary employment in fruit
packing house, which required certain
deftness of touch that she soon acquired
The pay was barely sufficient to cover her
current expenses, but she kept at the work
until she obtained slightly better paying
position in dental Office. All subsequent
advertisements produced more or less OBJ
jectionable answers, and many of the wants
she answered were simply cleverly dis
guised personals" Still she kept right on
looking for work for the sake of the desired
experience. Next she obtained a position In
CHI ctr vuhn thn mall pnGfn re
treated her with jocund familiarity. Three
weeks later the opportunity came to fill
vacancy in a telephone operating office, but
Miss Brown soon discovered that the hello
girl in California expects no consideration
either from her employers or any of the
men that frequent the Offices. AT the end
of three months, after having tried every
form of employment that the city afforded
except the professional branches, 81 left
for Chicago, with a very unfavorable report
of San Francisco as a field for working
women.
After five days hunt for profitable em-
ployment in Chicago Miss Brown obtained
a nominal position in a big department
store, at salary of So week. Her place
of operation was In a basement, among tin
ware, artificially lighted and poorly venti-
lated in fact, the only means of ventilation
consisted of double stairway, which let
down the used-up atmosphere from the main
floor of the store. She left after four
weeks, and resumed her quest OF expert
ence
FOR TWO weeks MISS Brown renamed lQle,
and meanwhile she lived very precariously
and walked many weary miles each day in
search OF employment, and was finally
obliged to accept sentimental position as
mothers help at $40 a month and board.
During that month she spent every spare
hour in looking for other employment, and
finally secured an engagement at a food
demonstrating counter in department store
Taking 1t all in all, the Chicago experience,
was less unpleasant thar that of San Fran
cisco, though neither was calculated to en-
courage the average working girl
The next seat of experiment was Pitts
burg, where Miss Brown had the good for
tune to obtain employment at once in a
cigar factory at So a week. Her boarding
place was very unsanitary, and the locality
was literally choked with smoke from the
surrounding factories and docks. The field
did not look promising, for the only re-
munerative work in demand was shorthand,
which seemed to be in constant demand.
There was a sprinking of incidentals in
the way of nursery governesses, seamstress-
es, howermakers, and Mattresses wanted here
and there about the city, but generally the
outlook was dull for the non-professional
worker. Miss Brown tried five different oc-
equations during her stay, and managed,
by rigid economy. to pay her frugal ex-
her start in Atlanta Her railway fare was
supplied by her father, who stood in readi-
ness to help her at pinch. of course but
Miss brown made out somehow without re-
Inducements.
Atlanta offered still fewer opportunities
than Pittsburg, and under vastly different
social circumstances. The newspapers car
ried very few want advertisements, and
those were generally of a purely domestic
character.
Finally, in despair Of obtaining other
employment. Miss Brown took a temporary
position in cotton factory, which tided
her over a hard week or two until she
found an opportunity to renew her original
quest, but she was unable to obtain any
thing better than a humble sewing task
during the remainder Of her stay in the
Toward the end Of May Miss Brown ar
rived In New York City a total stranger
without references and with only IS In her
pocket She engaged a hall room in the
vicinity. OF Irving Place for 81, and I'M
mediately set about quest for employment
by answering advertisements, both IN per
sos and by letter. Many OF the adver-
tisers required previous experience in manu-
lines. and others demanded refer