The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-02-02
work. No ono could IN
own or speak to llnr nniglibor. Or

concentrated work. No ut1c could MI
down Or sptals to er ncIslbor, Or
roax her muscles except In Tie Inlf
hour allowed for slipper at nitlnigI,t,
Wien tint came. most Of them ware
too tired for anything but tho briefest
B BHss'nle .|s ss ~ then steep aazed
from, which they must DO chilled and
shaken when tho half-fonr was over.
II tho dawn they stumbled out, d
lreary. spiritlesa procession. stunted
na ane D0e cns q oas r pt sy
u troop would ever forget It; their feet
seemed to drag weights. and IN their.
heavy. indifferent gaze was written,
Is still permitted In thirty-nVc States.
Dipping chocolates In candy fac
tory seems by comparison. an easy and
pretty occupations. a dozen girls nre
dozen pots Of liquid Chocolate. Ths
tongs catch up n ball OF cream, whirl
II IN tho chocolate, then set 1t to dry
In a chocolate cream, all In n few In
credibIy swift moments. A visitor hap
pened to be in the home Of one OF
tho noon hour. She came In running.
her face drawn.
"oh. quick. huickN, she implored her
sister. The sister found d yaseline
bottle. and followed the frantic child
into tho other room. It seemed that
surface and extending SIX or eight
inches below, are what arc known as
steam jncket Kettles, nm adaptation OF
the gdouble.boiler principle. AS the
the walls d the Kettle are very hot.
The work obliges tho girl TO sit close
70 the table. 30 that the kettle comes
between their knees and, with the
thin, scaf1t clothes most OF them wear,
the heat dries the skin intolerably,
while any incautious movement means
a burn. This girls skin was inflamed
and blistered from the knee up. and
the outdoor cold had made the pain
tintolerable. Some Of the girls padded
had little or nothing to pad. and she
was too young. too much afraid OF her
employers. to protect herself. It would
have been a simple matter to sheathe
II you have stood In the cave under
Niagara you have q good idea OF the
sound OF a twine factory in full swing:
only the air Is full Of lint instead Of
spray. There Is only space to pass be-
tween the gritting gnashing machines
that MI the vast room; you are CHI oked
and blinded ith.flying dust, and shaken
with the Jarring thunder. You could
put your hand on the long rows. OF
girls. but the barrier OF sound makes
them seem hopelessly remote. a wills
tie lines them UP at the spindles ami
for few moments their hands make
lightning passes. taking OFF the full
reels and starting fresh ones; the mo-
lions suggest furrow 81 startled
grasshoppcrs. and the eyes are dilated
with the intensity OF keeping up. An-
other whistle sounds. and they drop
into idleness until another row Is ready
for them. 1t is not tranquil pause:
I have seen them dancing weirdIy to
the roar of the machines. their hair
gray with lint and their cheeks burn
Ing red. weaving in and out with the
barbaric grace OF sidewalk children
and the nervous excitement OF bac-
chantes. / have seen them huddle
down with their quivering faces buried
In their elbows. The better factories
provide seats for these Intervals. and
with exhaust fans; others still leave
the choked air unrelieved. and offer
no resting place but the dirty floor.
1t began; whistle brings the girls
scrambling to their places again. and
again the hands go sprinEing down the
reels like those Of an agitated pianist.
One begins to understand why fac
tory woman Is old at thirty-five and
worn out and useless at forty
A great deal has been said about the
immortality resulting from factory life.
Perhaps there has been more or less
exaggerntion on this point, or, rather,
a failure to make honest compa rison
with the morality OF these same peop1e