New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-07-16
Little Folks tUbo Coil
Pathetic Pictures of Wee Workers Shown a,
Exhibit of Child Labor Committee

can't shuck any more they 20 and mind
oaoy' Tor the mothers bring their babies,
too and leave them in the shade of a near
py building or some place like that. But
one small girl who had her baby brother
to look after resented Il because II made
her appear as IL she couldn't do az much
work as the others.
When ! has baby I only shuoks tvo
pots. an shucks six pots when don't 70,
him. she complained"
Some of the pictures show rrouns az
grimy breaker boys in the NINA. hend;nv
I over the shifting ceal. nIckinp out tho
slate and other foreign substances. These
pictures are very dim--not because the
camera didn't do its part, but because the
atmosphere in which the little breaker BOYS
work is so thick with coal dust that TO
take good photograph is impossible. 1t
IL said that to work even a short time In
this atmosphere so affects the lungs that
they never get over It; yet some parents
urge their children to this work
''Sec this boy?" Miss Dinwidde said
pauslns before the photograph OF a sick
| looking little fellow. "He was excused
from school because he looked too frail to
go. a little while sfterward the boss OF
the mine where his father worked wanted
new breaker boy. and the father offered
this one. He didn't need the money, for
he and an elder son were earning wages in
the mine, and the mother was a careful
housekeeper. 1t was Just greediness, I sup
pose"
Other pictures show conditions In New
York tenements--little children making az
tifcial flowers for pi,iful few cents a
dozen, sewing on buttons In dark. garment
Uttered rooms: making willow plumes BY
! tying flue on f1ue with their small fingers
zone exhibit 7 wanted couldn't and"
! Miss Dnwiddie said. II wanted corset
| cover finished by a nine-yesr-old boy I
saw IN trade school uptown. noticed
how i'll this boy looked, and how apsthetic
his eyes were--absolutely glazed and life
| less. 7 found where he lived, and went
| 10 hts home. I found that he worked al
| finishing corset covers for several hours
before going 10 school, and from the time
school closed until Q o'clock. For running
| three ribbons In a corset cover and sewing
on three buttons he was paid cents
dozen. went 10 the shop where these cor
set covers were sold. but they happened to
be out Of them, so l couldn't get one"
One Of the pictures with which the ex-
| hibit started on its travels last autumn is
missing now. 1t was the photograph OF a
little messenger boy. In Tennessee town
the original OF the picture came TO see the
exhibit, recognized the likeness and asked
| If he couldn't have IL.
| a section Of the exhibit is devoted to
messenger boys. and various statistics point
out the evil effects on boys OF night mes
senger service One poster declares that
the relation between bad houses and tie
messenger service was shown In a Ten
nessee town where the police closed such
houses at 10 o'clock .. m. The messenger
service was reduced three fourths at night
| verr soon afterward
THAT town was Chattanooga" Miss Din.
widdie said.
The exhibit stayed three weeks in Boston
and attracted many visitors. In the capital
OF Tennessee some OF the pictures were
hung In the windows of tho State House.
and maybe they had an effect, for bill
that was pending. one providing for mere
efficient inspection Of factories where chill
dren worked, was passed.
The exhibit will remain here until the
end of July, and everybody Is invited 70
come and see the show window that
doesn't try to sell anything"