davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1909-05-09

man Orphan Asylum, ST. Joseph's Orphan
Asylum, the Bell homes st. Vincents s
Orphan Asylum. Miss Cooks asylum on
9th street. the American Salvation Army
Home the Salvation Army Home and
the National Home for the Relief of
Colored Women and Children.
From the time a child is abandoned. to
become public charge. until he steps
out of the schools through which he is
put by the government he is under the
public eye. In this case the eye is called
the board of chidrens guardians. and
has been in existence about fifteen years.
Ii looks 10 Congress for money. and.
Cordiug to the statement of the officials
Of the board does not get all ii asks
for. The theory the board works under
is that good home for any orphan or
sibe. BY home they mean that the
child should he adopted and should he
brought up in family.
authorities i'm several ways. Sometimes
the police report them to the board of
childrens guardians. after having turned
the baby over TO the care of a precinct
nurse until the board assigns it to an asy-
lum. Sometimes. and frequently, too, the
child is left on the very doorstep of one
of the institutions with which the board
deals Cases of this kind become public
records. and il is easy to follow them:
but numberless foundlings left at the
Goors of private houses. and are adopted
by the people within.
A clear-cut. out -and-out founding case,
with no Intervening parents or foster
parents to turn up and rescue the little
Evening star., 1909-05-09

brought him out of his ill-health and to-
day he is one of the finest specimens of
a founding in the city.
Little Walter. at the Washington Hos
pital for Foundings, has had a hard ex-
perience In his short life. His case at
tracted much attention last December
when it was found that the man for
whom Walters mother was keeping
house was maltreating the baby with in
human cruelty. He is scarcely three wears
Old and is a very dear Little fellow. Every
one likes him. especially when they hear
of the trouble he passed through
In some manner the authorities heard of
the fiendsh abuse that was being heaped
on this baby. When he was examined at
hospital his body was covered with
Evening star., 1909-05-09

at rates which in America would not he
tolerated for moment
x =
The salaries paid to many of these
clerks are below what the poorest day
Iaharer would command in the United
states. Some women clerks start in at
$50 a week. which including their board
and lodging. is supposed 10 be equivalent
TO about So As a matter of fact. their
food and housing are so wretched that
they get nothing like the value for their
services Out of the nittance which most
Of these young men and women receive
they are expected TO dress well and to
Keep up an appearance in accordance
WITH the tone of the elite est ablishment
TO which they happen to belong.
In the making of this appearance is one
OF the crying shames of the system.
Many women starting in life as shop as
slstantS find 1t necessary to make sacr-
fees which include pretty nearly every
thing which woman holds dear-that is.
If they wish to rise to positions of inn
rortance with fair wages. 1t is owing TO
this last phase of the subject thai various
religious authorities have taken up the
question and have begun an active cru
SADIE against the immoralities and tyran-
MES of the entire living-in system.
That these abuses exist there is no
shadow of doubt. despite the sweeping de-
malls made by many important shopkeep-
erS who have felt it necessary to defend
their regulations. A trade organiza ION
recently started to institute legal pro-
ceedings against the Rev. r. J. Campbell
and others who exposed some of the worst
phases of. the livng-in system but after
going into the matter 1t was advised by
its legal counseis that ii had no case
Finding that the Rev. r. j. Campbell
stood his ground. the organiza ion
adopted novel course of procedure
The invited him to appear before their
assembly and discuss the situation. DAN
iel DID not walk into the lions den with
less fear than the Rev. Campbell. Like
Daniel, he also came off victorious. In
bold and fearless Indictment lie pro-
duced facts and figures which were in
ccntrovertible. Many managers who had
refused to consider the question before.
had their eyes opened and. at the end of
the meeting. the organization not only
concurred in his scathing censure. but
even offered to cooperate with him in his
campaign against the system. This was
certainly a moral and intellectual VIC
tory on the minister part and has
amounted to complete reversal of opn-
ion among the heads of firms who. up TO
this time. have shut their eyes t. the
wrongs of their employees.
Living-in carried out today in Eng
land is outgrowth of the early ap-
prentice system. when workers were
bound over without pay for term Of
years to certain firms. In those days
young girls and boys came up from the
country to London and other large
cities where they were to learn their
trades: and the parents were pleased to
think that their children would be- as it
were. under one roof and free from temp
tation.
IT is behind this naternal bulwark that
shopkeepers today take refuge. maintain
ing that they are the guardians of tt. sc
Evening star., 1909-05-09
English Shop Girls Slaves to "Living-in" System

Greek street. Soho which. according to a
Scotland Yard report is one of the worst
streets in the whoe of London.
As to the actual accommodation its IT..
much evidence has been submitted prov
ing that the housing Of the shop assist
ants receives little attention from shop
keepers. The following letter. written
to Miss Bondfield by shop girl, throws
a urid light on this subject:
The bedroom assigned 10 the young
ladies was formerly a factory. with those
beautiful iron windows with small open
ing. There are three beds in one small
room. one single and two double. The
beds must be made before go down in
Evening star., 1909-05-09

for him. and no silk wrappinGs and re-
quests to call him by a certain name
He came to the found ing ward with as
much care as though he We're a dozen
oranges. He was carried there IN
flour sack.
1t is always at night that tie matron
or the head nurse gets the first glimpse
of a founding. and so it was with - ne
Paper-bag Kid" There was a long ring
at the bell. and a slouchy, unrefined look
ing woman asked whether they wanted ii
baby.
''Yes. we take them here. was the
reply.
We'll, | guess I'll leave him then"
But where is he?'
And then she opened the bag. and
there he was. lie had hard time Of 1t
after that for long time. His lips grew
blue and his skin was almost transparent.
bnt Skilful nursin" and splendid care
Evening star., 1909-05-09
With the Parentes Children Washngons Homes for Fomdngs

bruises and it was more Of A wonder
than anything else how the child lived
through it. He is as happy as a lark
now for since that awful experience not
blow has fallen on him. He Is es-
pec;ally fond of dandelions. and is
mighty dandelion hunter. The big back
ward In which he and his little frlends
play. is lust now carpeted with them. ana
as long as they last he will be perfectly
contented After they go then he will
find another source to vent his entnuS-
iasm for life in general.
The Washington Asylum Hospital en-
18th street northwest near furnishes
as good an example as any of the ma
ture of the institutions into which the
little waits are brought to be forgot
ten by their parents.
Tnder the care of Mrs. j. H. Kilkenny,
the superintendent there are many chill
dren who have been left in a basket
Evening star., 1909-05-09

AkING the place
of the mother her
tia &c which should
be theirs. foster
mothers day by
day watch alike
over the boarded
child and the
founding in the
many institutions
fol. abandoned ba-
bies III Wa shinS-
ton. Day by day
Evening star., 1909-05-09

LA y ERS IN a dia-
boliCal form exists
in England among
the clerks OF the
great dry goods es-
adjustments. Rev.
II. J. Campbell
tie Phillips Brooks
of En- land = he's
denounced the "iiv-
ing-in" Sy stem to
which these women
are subjected as "A
Evening star., 1909-05-09

under their care. and making a plea on
the ground of morality for the pennins
up of their assistants in VeriI able prisons.
But the livins-in system today has lost
all its early advantages. The alleged
patefnal care does not extend any farther
than barring the doors at a certain hour
each nght-in some places III o CLOCK, IN
others. 11--and shutting out all VINO may
be a moment late. Even sickness on the
part of an empIoye has no influence; and
girls frequently find themselves shut out,
though only three snuleS late. NO mem
ber of tie firm takes the trouble OF as
certainng whether OF not girls are in
their dormit cries: and il is gene nj
pra ctice for excluded asSis.anis TO remain
out all night in case thy should he l4ie
In some cases the locking out of these
girls has led 10 serious consequences Or
ins ance. not long ago. girl from the
country who had been employed only
few weeks in a big drapery establishment
found herself locked out IN the streets of
London. She had no money ana did not
know where to go. Size was compelled to
walk the streets all night. In he morn
ing she made row. demanded her fare
back to her native village and forced tine
firm into compensating her for the out
rage.
In many cases however. girls do not
worry themselves greatly abou; being
thrusts upon them a compulsory freedom
of which they often take advantage. To
show how easily the system may be
inns. Miss Bondtield an active member
of the Shop Assistants Union. gave, be-
fore the government commission. evil
dence Of her own experience.
when | was young apprentice my
self" she said Il was emp'oyel in a
house in Brighton. For the purpose of
sleeping their assistants they took va
rious houses in back streets. My sleep
ing room was on the ground floor. with
the window facing on the street. so that
one could step into the street from the
window. and back into the room from the
street, without going through the door at
all. ! was put into a room with Il woman
OF mature age. who led a life of most
undesirable kind. That was my first
experience of living house. There was
another girl in the same room. who
was suffering from consumption. l was
in that house for three years, and |
could have been out any night during
those three years without the firm know
ing anything about it,"
Speaking of certain London dormitories,
Miss Bondfield said
IF the girls are not in. nobody knows.
provided their roommateS do not tell
tales. For instance, If one says 10 the
other: Il want to go TO the tn ater to-
night. do not spit on me. and strip my
bed In the morning, the other girS W II
say: All right There is no possibility
of finding out that that girl has not
been in for the night
The accommodation provided for the
women in these great barrack estab-
lishments is sometimes quite unfit for
human beings. In the first place d num-
Der of so-called apartments of the girls
are in the most disreputabls streets, SO
placed, more less. from convent once
to the firms. in order that their working
prisoners may be near the treadmill.
There is one young ladies' dormitory in
Evening star., 1909-05-09

In some shops the employees are mul"ted
of shilling t2icl for leaving food which
they are unable to eat | know of one
case where girls fined a shilling Tor
omit;ins To eNtinguish their light at nSh..
This IS a common practice in the doTmi-
tories and il is also common 10 flre
clerk anything from a siNpence mp 10
shilling for allowing 2 customer to walk
out Of shop without making pEr-
chase. Sacp girls. we as men, are
often held responsible for losses on goods.
and even in some cases fer pilterinS. II
anything is taken away without the
clerks being aware OF il. In many places
shop girls are fined for smiling.
Girls are also frequently fined for
sneezing. wearing curriers' in tie hair or
anv slight untidiness. One London mil'i-
merry shop fines its young ladies II GEMS
If they are caught coming down
the stairs in twos instead OF SinTiN. IN
fact. the list of fines depends entirely
upcn the whim of the manager OF each
establishment: and the wretched wages
of the assistants are often reduced ~
a seant sum There IS case on rec
ord where shop girl was fined 50 heavily
that she actually owed TN" hrm at the
end of the business week.
OF course. there are few good houses
which treat their employees with some
degree of consideration. but they arc
the exceptions which prove the rule.
Pent up in their immense barrack DOR
miiories with no home life, CT else
driven on the streets it is really quite
remarkable that the shop women or Eng
land retain vestice of true womanhood
Only their native l.cntr as a class saves
them.
Evening star., 1909-05-09

excessively for lodging One firm has built
an enormous sleeping apartment house
just off Tottenham court road out OF
profits saved from wages Of their assist
ants. This huge structure accommodates
800 9 rls and is operated at a coed annual
profit to the firm which runs II. GIFTS
could live out in rooms in respectable
houses. obtaining better accommodations.
al about one-third less than they are
charged in the sleeping barracks.
With man shop assistants the same RUE
applies as TO women. Their accommoda-
tion * poor. overcharged. and practically
permits of no home life whatever. Man
assistants in England are not permitted
To marry without the consent of their
firm. aud those who marry are frequently
compelled to lead double lives. They must
pretend to be bachelors and live in: and
ii IS not unusual for men % be discharged
Immediately on the discovery OF tneir
marriage. One instance is cited Of man
who lved-in four years. only seeing MS
wife and children on Sundays. and then
candestinely. He was discharged when
his firm learned of his conduct The men
are herded III barracks. and not having
any family life. drift into all sorts OF I'M
desirable associations. In addition TO
this unspeakable situation. they are de-
rryed of the rights of citizenship. as per-
sons living in lodging houses under such
circumstances are not entitled 10 tte
franchise They thus lose the opportunity
of obtaining. through their totes leg,sia-
IlOH WHICH iHlSIt betlSi biiSsi N'i'''''~'''
x
IF the sleeping accommodation Is bad.
the boarding arrangements are even
worse. Most of the big shops feed their
own aSsistants-for q consideration. Inc
government report on this subject says:
In many cases the food supply is scanty.
ill-cooked. and lacking in variety. and as
81, - n Snnnp-
ment food given them by private pur-
chase" In fact in many establishments
this custom OF purchasing extras is en-
Sed. and commission is PAID 10
walters who succeed in selling foodStuH
outside the regular meals provided by the
house. There is not only profit on the
meals themselves. but on the extras. Tne
evidence OF Mr.. Hoffman, one OF tn"
government witnesses before the Truck
commission. deals with this subject in
convincing language. Speaking OF his
own experience, he says:
Il remember we'll one Sunday at -
the pressed beef placed before us gilt
tered with all the colors OF the rainbow
and smelled very extensively. Break
fast as a general rule everywhere. con-
sists of bread and butter. or marga-
rine. with tea or coffee. or chlckory ana
coffee, drawn from huge urns. Though
some firms do allow little extras. or. as
they ara sometimes called luNuries. for
breakfast ts-ch as two eggs for men
and one egg for women. the sameness
of the menu becomes positively weary
ing one always knows what there is
for dinner by the day of the week, or
gets to know the day of the week by
what there is for dinner.
I'm A large number of cases the food
provided is insufficient for the physical
needs of the employe: 50 insufficient that
VARYING amounts of from two shilings
.aoc) to six shillings Gl.Io) per week
Evening star., 1909-05-09

Herded together in great harrack rooms
and fed like prisoners in compounds. these
shop assistants-as they are called-are
not only deprived of almost every form
of personal liberty. but their measre
wages are further reduced by system
OF fines and penalties which make exist
ence almost intolerabe and impossible.
From the purely moral standpoint the
lives led by thousands of these young
women is open to the greatest tempta-
ton. Those unwilling to avail themselves
of the so-called advantages of their posi-
tion are condemned to an existence of
wretchedness almost inconceivable under
modern civilization.
Shop assistants in England occupy en-
tirely different positions from the corre-
spending class of dry goods clerks in
America. In the first place 100000 of
the 10000 shop assistants in England
are subject to the iiving-in system, which
means that the clerks. whether men or
women. must literally belong to their re-
spective shops in the fullest sense of the
term. They must sleep in grea: dormi-
tories. eat in refectories provided for
them and be charged board and lodging
Evening star., 1909-05-09

the Iittle ones are waSIed uiesSeu anu
fed. with tho utmost care: day by day
they nurse. through sunlight hours. some
Bit of "A broken toy which to them is a
dear as the doll of French bisaue. but
day hy day they grow into realization
that their inheritance Is sorrow and their
future what they make it through the
help of others.
And beCauSe all this is true. IL is nee
esSarv that women OF the larger heart
take the little strangers 10 sympathetic
boSoms rear them carefully and protect
them until release comes 10 them by
death or adoption.
Ii is difficult to ascertain all Of the
institutions which receive foundlings in
Washington t~, ~ least ten are dealt
with by III. nshfd o. childrens guardians
through the Juvenile Court. They num-
her the Washington Founding Asylum.
the Bruca Home. on O street. the Ger
Evening star., 1909-05-09

VINO iS hghtln. Tor the Snop glrls. In ner cVl-
dencc before the recent government inquiry
into the condition of shop assistants in Eng
land Miss Bondfe,d painted vivid picture
81 the evils Of the ''livins-in' system She
is connected with the shop Assistants Inion.
the morning ard tho bedroom door must
be kept closed all day. so YOU can imagine
what the atmosphere is like with five gills
sleeping in the room. In the first week of
August one clean sheet was put each
bed the others. which had been in use
six weeks at least. were not changed until
October when Miss came new
assistant The next change was in De-
cenber when another new girl arrived.
and in January two sheets were changed
on one bed in honor Of the arrival OF NJ s.
Sheets are in use without washing
fer three four. and even six months.
After handling thom. | generally wash my
hands. as my fingers are what we caH
gritty"
Despite the sorry nature of the so-callei
accommodation. many of the shops charge
Evening star., 1909-05-09

ferent firms admit this by supply ing ex-
tras to the assistants at price. The
walters at the tables rec i've $50 Per
annum as salary. and are told they viii
be able To make extra by selling things
to the assistants. THUS. rasEers of
bacon are sold for ~ pence: eggs. IL
pence each: small pots of jam. l penny
two sardines. IL pence. and so on.
The government committee further
states in its report:
"A case was brought to our notice in
which shopkeeper had on tha premises
where his assistants We're lodged. pre-
sumaby for their consumption. the car
cass of sheep. which was unfit for
human food" This particular shop
keeper was fined 81 in an action. but
the high court, on appeal. reversed the
decision. on the ground that as the meat
was not publicly offered for sale, there
was no infringement of the pure food
act.
AS If the food and lodging were not
sufficient cause for complaint on the part
of their UNHAPPY shop slaves. many firms.
even of the better class, resort to tyran-
nous and arbitrary system of fines b.
which the workers are further penalize
For instance. one firm recently fined a
woman clerk 10 cents because her collar
came unfastened.
Evening star., 1909-05-09

species of moral leprosy. and the recent
issue Of government report dealing with
the subject has more than justified his
scathing indictment.
Evening star., 1909-05-09
IVING-IN System De

llNS-lN oySeSiH hS
l. nounced by English Au-
thorities-Rev. r. ]. Camp
bell. the Philips Brooks of
England. Starts Crus a d e
Against Crying Evils-Shop
Clerks Herded Together in
Great Barracks and Fed Like
Animals in A Pen - Low
Wages and Sordid Lives OF
Dry Goods Employes-Sys-
tenn of Fines and Penalties
Which Reduce Meager Sal
aries to Less Than Living
Wage.
Evening star., 1909-05-09

On the question Of fines. James Seldom
P.-wilo mas taken up the cud2els in
favor of the shop girls-recently said IN
the course of an interview:
There is firm in London which has a
list of 10 fines. An angel could not avoid
some Of them. Disciplinary fines are Il
cunning device to get back from the as
sistant a portion of Eer scanty wages
Evening star., 1909-05-09

In a large number OF cases the food
provided is insufficient for the physical
neads of the employe: 50 insufficient that
varying amounts of from two shillings
t:oc) to six shillings S1.aW per week
are spent in adding to the food sup
piled. The surprising thing is that diff
Evening star., 1909-05-09

LONDON. MAY I. 1900
Evening star., 1909-05-09

1t is behind this Maternal bulwark that
today take refuge. mainta aim
ing that they are the guardians of tt. sc
Evening star., 1909-05-09

at rates which in america would not he
tolerated for a moment
Evening star., 1909-05-09

Copyright in the United states and Great Rritair
10y Curtis Brown. All rights strictly rc>crvcd.D
Special Correspondence of The Star.
Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-09-09

LIVE POULTRY, HIGHEST PRICES,
Prompt returns. Address Geo. r. Tucker;
p O. 1853. Auburn, Me. augl4dllno
Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-09-09
MAINE CENTRAL R. R,
In effect June q, 1S0:


GOING WEST.-300 A. M except Mon
day, Portland and Boston; 6.37 A. n. for
Lewiston. Pennington, Rangeley, Rock.
land. Portland, Boston, Quebec and Mon.
treal; 9.36 A. M. for Brunswick, Rockland,
Lewiston. Portland and Boston, Farming
ton. Rangeley, Fabyans, Lancaster and
p M local for Portland: 405 P. NJ, ex-
press for Brunswick Rockland. Lewiston.
Portland, Boston. New York. No. Con-
way and Bartlett; SIS p. M. Sundays on
ly for Portland and Boston, connecting
with through sleeper for New York; ia
P. M, for South Gardiner; 1875 p. NJ,
daily for Lewiston. Bath, Rockland. Port
leave Augusta for Gardiner 740 A. Il.
l 80, $40 and GLE P. M.
GOING EAST.-12N A. M, for Show
hogan, Bangor. st. John and the Prov.
inces. Does not connect on Sunday morn
ing to Belfast. Dexter or beyond Bangor,
bor Greenyille and Aroostook Co, daily
sos A. M. for Waterville. Oakland, Som
erset Ry. to Bingham and Kineo, Fox
croft, Bangor; 9.08 A. M, for Waterville
and Skowhegan; 12.06 noon, for Bangor.
Bar Harbor, Aroostook County, st. John
and Halifax. Moosehead Lake. Oakland.
press for Bucksport and daily to Bangor
and Bar Harbor; BIT p. NJ, for Water
Vile. Skowhegan. Belfast, Foxcroft, Ban
gor and Mattawamkeag: 7.33 p. M. for
Watervflle and Skowhegan; 80 A. NJ,
Sundays only, for Waterville. Bangor and
F.. = BooTHBY. General Passenger
NORRIS MCDONALD. vice-Presidsnt q
General Manager Portland. Maine.