The Dangerous Classes of New York, and Twenty Years' Work Among ThemBrace, Charles Loring
History
The Dangerous Classes of New York, and Twenty Years' Work Among Them
Brace, Charles Loring
Child welfare -- New York (State) -- New York; New York (N.Y.) -- Social conditions; Poor -- New York (State) -- New York
"There were some hundred children; their occupations were as follows:
They put up insect-powder, drive wagons, tend oyster-saloons; are
tinsmiths, engravers, office-boys, in type-founderies, at screws, in
blacksmith-shops; make cigars, polish, work at packing tobacco, in
barber-shops, at paper-stands; are cashboys, light porters, make
artificial flowers, work at hair; are errand-boys, make ink, are in
Singer's sewing-machine factory, and printing-offices; some post bills,
some are paint-scrapers, some peddlers; they pack snuff, attend
poultry-stands at market, in shoe-stores and hat-stores, tend stands,
and help painters and carpenters.
"At the Fifth-ward School (No. 141 Hudson Street), were fifty boys and
girls. One of them, speaking of her occupation, said: 'I work at
feathers, cutting the feathers from cock's tails. It is a very busy time
now. They took in forty new hands today. I get three dollars and fifty
cents a week; next week I'll get more. I go to work at eight o'clock and
leave off at six. The feathers are cut from the stem, then steamed, and
curled, and packed. They are sent then to Paris, but more South and
West.' One boy said he worked at twisting twine; another drove a
'hoisting-horse,' another blacked boots, etc.
"At the Eleventh-ward School, foot of East Eleventh Street, there was an
interesting class of boys and girls under thirteen years of age. One boy
said he was employed during the day in making chains of beads, and says
that a number of the boys and girls present are in the same business.
Another said he worked at coloring maps. Another blows an organ for a
music-teacher.
"At the Lord School, No. 207 Greenwich Street, the occupations of the
girls were working in hair, striping tobacco, crochet, folding paper
collars, house-work, tending baby, putting up papers in drug-store, etc,
etc."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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