The Employments of Women: A Cyclopædia of Woman's WorkPenny, Virginia
General
The Employments of Women: A Cyclopædia of Woman's Work
Penny, Virginia
Women -- Employment
=158. Vermicelli.= Vermicelli is moulded by passing through a machine
and being laid on frames until the next day to partially dry. Then girls
cut it in short pieces, and twist it. The twisting requires a little art
acquired by practice. They receive from $2 to $3.50 a week. It is cruel
for females to be kept on their feet all day while at work, when they
might sit. At a factory I saw a French lady, the wife of the proprietor,
cutting and twisting vermicelli. A young Frenchman was at work, who told
us he was paid 75 cents a day; but women, he said, would not be paid as
much, because he had to attend to the machinery. The lady sat, as girls
in factories should do if they wish.
=159. Vinegar.= A plant is now grown from which vinegar is made. "In
addition to the consumption of vinegar in culinary uses and the
preparation of preserved food, it is indispensable in several branches
of manufacture, as in the dressing of morocco leather, and in dye and
print works." The labor of making vinegar is too hard and heavy for
women. The handling of barrels, changing of liquids, and constant
exposure to heat and cold, without cessation of labor, are too great for
the female frame to sustain. The workers often pass from a temperature
varying from 92° to 105°, to one of extreme coldness." A Boston vinegar
manufacturer, writes: "Women are never employed in making vinegar in
large quantities. They are not adapted to the occupation. It does not
agree with some constitutions. It requires but a short time to learn the
business. The prospect for future employment is poor." Some women make
vinegar from parings of fruit, tea leaves, &c., for family use.
=160. Yeast.= A manufacturer of yeast powders writes: "There is but a
small part of the work that women can do. It requires the strong,
muscular arm of a man to do most of it." We know women are sometimes
employed for putting up the powders, and are paid by the number of
packages.
TEXTILE MANUFACTURES.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account