Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1909-05-14
LIFE In THE MILLS
EVIL CONDITIONS UNDER WHICH
OPERATIVES EXIST.
With Father and Mother Both At
Work, Children Can Receive
Neither Proper Care Nor
Nourishlng Food.

In one of the mills in Fall River
l met a girl whose marriage created
some excitement because of the bitter
opposition it met with on the part of
her mother. Observe that in New
England mill towns the father and
mother work in the mills until the
oldest shild, or more commonly, until
two children are old enough to work
Then one parent, usually the father,
observe, leaves the mill forever. The
other parent leaves as soon as the
combined wages of the children
amount to living income. The moth
er assuming her rightful function of
homekeeper and housekeeper, the
family enjoys degree of comfort and
prosperity they never knew before
They live in a decent house. eat good
food and have some pleasures of exis
tence.
The mother of this girl in Fall
River, Lille, was reused to a perfec'
frenzy of apprehension as soon as
Lille began to keep company" with
good-looking young rench-Canadian
teamster. She forbade him the house,
she watched the girl to prevent her
meeting him outside, she did all she
could to break up the affair. Finally
she told Lille that II she dared marry
without her consent. she would have
Lille arrested! declares Rheta Childe
Dorr, in The Wreck of the Home a
remarkable sociological study in
Hampton's Broadway Magazine
Now Lille, who was a weaver and
earned $40 week. followed the uni
versal custom of carrying her pay en-
velope unopened to her mother. She
received a trifie back for pocket mon
ey, but she was unaccustomed to in
dependence and she trembled under
her mothers threat. The teamster's
arguments and pleadings finally pre-
vailed and they eloped, although she
believed that her disobedience was
criminal. When she found that mar
riage was allowed even to workint
girls, and against the will of parents
her Joy was amazing. ! never saw
happier bride. She continued to wor'
In the mill, of course. for the team
ster's wages were only 81 a week
which is not enough to live on. Sever
uOIldFS anu civ diE PA4 q AOl Suh0 :,
a girl who had never had SO much as |
dollar at a time to spend. Life, TO
the present, became a brilliant thing
The teamster not only permitted LII
lie to keep her own envelope, but CAV
her his and went with her to marke
to teach her how to spend. William.
said Lille with pride. has ideas. H
intends TO live like people ought to.
Yet this beatiic resolve can only b
realized in the rare events OF thei
having no children. When the chile
rem come Williams wages viii b
smaller than ever, nor will Lilies te
dollars look quite SO large. Thus
will be that during the time thei
children are small and need nourisl
ing food, there will be little none
to provide 1t. Worse, much worse
there win be no mother at home
cook the food and care for the chilli
rem. In Fall River old women, broker
down mill hands, plus soothing syrul
take care of the babies. Lille wi
bury a third of her. children. Vine
the surviving ones are well grown Sc
viii leave the mills and realize ono
4 more, in her old age. g little OF u
comfort and happiness she knew
her bridehood-until her children .
gin to marry.