Year: 1878

tour of the place. she said "why, can't
write the letter l was ordered to write on this
establishment. 1 was told to point out the
starving condition of the working women.
their sad lives of toll and penury, and beg
them to go to the West, where homes and hus-
bands are awaiting them" Evidently she
had made a mistake, and l think it must have
been just the spirit of mischief which induced
Jennie Collins to bring her there in quest of
starved working women, and know that
Jennie keenly enjoyed the surprise and dis
comftur3 Of the woman whose eloquent pen
was burning to portray the wrongs and indig-
mites heaped upon the poor necdle-women.
If you knew the workrooms at this house
you would enjoy the joke as thoroughly as
its perpctrator did. l wonder if ] can give
you any idea of them, so that You can pic
ture them to yourselves in all their pleasant
| activity. Passing by the handsome marble
fronted building on Washington street, you
would have little idea that inside Of it were
between five and six hundred men and wo-
men, busy with the daily work which pro-
yides them with shelter and puts bread and
butter into many mouths besides their own.
1t looks so still and quiet outside the walls
but just inside, why there are as many Iieo.
pie in that one house rs make up many of
our country towns all earning good liveli-
hood, not Il 'neer do well, >" as the Scotch
say, among them. The salesroom is well
enough known; probably very few gentle
men visit Boston who have not made at least
one visit there but only those few who have
penetrated to the workrooms know how pleas
ant and CHEEKY they are nor how comfortable
and happy are its inmates. Each one has her
own work to do, and does only that the year
around The business is systematizcd in the
most perfect way, and every thing goes on as
smoothly as possible, with never a mishap.
Watching the cutters as they ply their busy
shears, and do up bundle after bundle to be
| given out to the workers, one wonders how
they all get put together right 1t would
seem as though sleeves would get into the
wrong coats, pantaloons get pat together with
odd legs, or some other such mishap occur :;
but by system of ticketing garments and
numbering workers, it all comes out right, in
a marvellously short time. From the cutters
the bundles 60 to the trimmers, who look
them over to see that all is right, cut the lin
ing and pockets, ticket them, and give them
out. Oyercoais and sack coats, which have
several pockets, go first to pocket makers,
then are sent to the basters; all other articles
60 to the basters first then they pass through
a succession of hands, the machine girls, the
edge fnishers, the press rooms, the collar
makers, the button-hole makers, the button
sewers, the girls who pull the hastings, and
last of all 10 the examiners hands, who looks
every thing over to see that the work is perfect
that there are no dropped stitches or loose
ends; then they are brushed and sent down
to the salcsroom. There are four rooms
large. light and cheerful. each having about n
hundred girls. That does not include the
white vest room, which is business of and
by itself, and which keeps about forty girls
busy the year through, with about three
weeks in August for vacation, doing nothing
but making white vests. believe gave you
little hint last spring of the magnitude of
this work. Nor does it include the custom
workrooms, which employ about fifty wo-
men.


There are man and women in the employ
of the firm who have been there twenty-five
and thirty years; in fact, who have grown up
with the Mouse. Many of them are comforta-
| bly, off, having had good wages and got the
'rainy day" provided for, through their pru-
dence and industry. In looking around in
the rooms, was struck with the happy con
tented expression on most Of the faces now
and then one would see a clouded one, but it
would be very strange if among five hundred
girls there We're not some discontented
There were placid, motherly looking women,
with silver-threaded hair banded down over
calm brows women who looked as serene and
peaceful as though the problem of life had
been solved for them to their own satisfac-
ton there We're gay young girls, just on the
threshold Of life, wearing their youth and
their prettiness as gracefully as they did THEN
bits Of bravery of ribbon and ruflle. saw
girls whose faces and manners would have
graced a drawing room, and women whose
faces would inspire respect in any one


1t was almost noon when l made my visit,
and l detected the preparations for lunch.
Many of the girls, especially those who live
in the suburban towns do not so out at noon.
but bring their lunch with them. In the
|
ing irons were heating, apples were baking,
and cans of ten and coffee We're heating while
potatoes were roasting in the ashes in front
of the large fires. Jolly lunches these girls
have, and jolly times they make of them too,
for if there's any body who knows how &c
make good time Of little, it is the working
girl. She plays in her play hours as hard as
she works in her working time, aud noon
time in the work rooms at AIacullar. Williams
a. Parker's is one of the merriest hours of the
day.


''You would be surprised" the superin
tendent of the rooms said to me, ito see the
notes of excuse l have had sent to me when a
girl has been obliged to be absent from her
work on any account whether of illness OF
otherwise. The writing is beautiful, anC
there is Il gracefulness of expression whicl
would do credit to the most accomplished
writer" The majority of the girls are wei
educated and take from choice this method Of
earning their livelihood, rather than tend in q
store at an inadequate salary, or teach schoo
without the necessary taste for it and love
for children. The majority of them would
not change places with any other working
women of any grade, and there they show
their sense. For if girl proves herself
good worker and worthy the position, she
stays on and on, until the time comes wheI
she goes of her own choice, perhaps to MAKE
home for herself, perhaps drawn away by
other duties.


The girls here earn from 81 to $40 week
that is, they average that the year around
counting in dull times and vacations. The
ones who earn the smaller sums are the LITTLE
girls, whose duty it is to run of errands anC
pick out hastings; as soon as they commence
TO sew they can earn more, as they are paic
by the piece. 1t is very usual for girls t'
earn 50 a week, and the best and ablest work
ars onrn SD Thnt is eertainly good pay