The Waxahachie daily light. [volume] (Waxahachie, Tex.) 1894-current, 1917-04-09
AMERICAN Wonll I|Ds
OLD EneusH WOMEN.
~ j. W PEcLER.

After e two-year duel with poverty
Mrs. Charlotte Jenkins. member Of
pioneer Minneapolis family. has
managed to skewer the lean spectre
of want to the old reliable knit.
ting needle.
The war Relief Knitting factory
which struggled into being as re-
suit Of her initiative has become
self-supporting. Hereafter It will es-
say to toddle along on its own finan-
cial support, though random dona-
tions win not de discouraged. Guar
anteed aid from the economic relief
committee has been withdrawn.
To appreciate what Mrs. jenkins
has done 1t is necessary first to UNI
lerstand Islington, the poorest OF
I4ondoss boroughs, where an Ameri-
can woman has created an institu-
tion solely to keep omt Of the poor
house but respectable old women.
Thus the knitting factogy can hard
~ be called an infant industry.
Islingtons directory used to con-
tain liberal snrinkling OF lords and
such. Their mansions are still there.
secayed and long since deprived OF
their earlier grandeur. For many
years Islington has been the home Of
poor working people. Nearly all its
women worked in naighaorhood fac
tcries making noness antiai wares
These closed when war began.
Mrs. Jenkins knew these women
included many inyaIids and aged
who couldn't possibly go in for mu-
nitions,' and who would wind up
their troubles in the poor house un-
less someone did something.
She asked for $3.50 from the Am
erican Women's Relief Committee
and got it. Investigation showed a
vigorous demand for knit goods.
Within a week the knitting factory
began in one room, with a handful
Of feeble, underfed old women max
ing socks for soldiers
Today the visitor finds the fac
tory occupying an old mansion In
,ne OF those gloomy side streets
The Minneapolis poverty strafer
its at desk with card indexes climb
ng the wall behind her. These rec
,rds, she explains, are merely for
nality because she knows the par
ocular grief of every worker.
Upstairs in the workroom five
shifting machines hum and CHATTER
IN a rush order for 300 little jerseys
or Belgian kids. But there are still
oldiers and refugees partial to the
Id fashioned handmade kind. so the
title old women seated around in
orners manage to keep comfortably
'usy.
Every worker gets $3.50 for a
ull weeks work. said Mrs. .Ien-
tins today. though some Of the
land workers are very slow and can
lot possibly earn that much. We
erye a good dinner for four cents
md tea. free, SO they're able to get
.lcng on their pay. Naturally, their
expenses are light.
Handmade goods always sell at
light loss. but this IS made up by
he large machine production.
American friends have shipped
is bales of clothing. some of it as
,ood as new, which | distribute as
t is needed. My mother even sent
money and clothing from Honolulu.
Dur friends are widely scattered.
THE factory just had to so on,
nee started. One Or my knitters y
university graduate, the daughter
il & minister. wlio was left alone
shan her brother west down or tts
titanic She IS nearly baiad aile
wears the thieAezt glasses | ever
aw 0f course she cannot do much
work but she Is everiastingly trying
nd that is all that counts. Gould
let her GO? she can't do anything
,lse. There are others in the same
ix. "
From the National Food Fund the
actory receives meat bread, sugar,
ca and butter This makes ne I
ient dinner possible. The money
se Tor vegetables and milk.
Over te4aa sweaters, pale Il
siegs. mitteas and children suits
went TO Belgium and France last
year from the withefea, toll worn
hands that proved 40 willing to work
when the chance came. Not even
scrape OF wool were wasted, They
made rugs for military hospitals.
The factory doesn't exactly throb
with industry. But thirty old and
forgotten souls. thirty bodies tossed
ON the industrial scrap heap, are
kept out OF the fire OF misery OF an