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
house in the country. The price charged for board is from $1.25 to $1.50
per week." A company in North Berwick, Me., writes: "We pay both ways;
when by the week, from $2.50 to $4. Males and females do not perform the
same kind of work with us. The time of learning varies with the
capacities of the women. Some of our hands have been with us more than
ten years. Seasons alike. They work eleven hours. We employ twenty-five
women, because it is more economical. Not one of our women will do
housework. Our employées are Yankee girls--can all read and write; and,
so far as we know, converse intelligently on general subjects. They have
their evenings and a portion of each Saturday. Board $1.33 ¹/3 per
week." We would add that every cotton and woollen manufacturer from whom
we have heard, expresses the opinion that their occupation is healthy.
All, we believe, pay some hands by the week and some by the piece, and
most pay men and women at the same rate for the same kind of work. It
will be observed that the rates paid for labor decrease the farther you
go North, but that board is also something less.
=185. Coverlets.= A manufacturer of woollen coverlets in Allentown,
Penn., answers inquiries in regard to prices paid, &c., as follows: "I
employ eight American girls for spooling wool and cotton yarn in my
coverlet manufactory, and pay two cents per pound. They earn from $2 to
$2.50 per week. I pay girls the same as boys. The prospect for increase
of work is good. There is a surplus of hands here. I prefer girls, as
they have more patience than boys."
=186. Dry Goods Refinishers.= A. & Co. employ women when busy to put up
dress goods, cravats, ribbons, &c. They pay $3 a week. I was told by a
satinet printer and refinisher, that he employs one woman to sew the
ends of the cloth together. She does it with a machine, and earns $5 a
week, working ten hours a day. The coloring matter rubs off on the
hands. S. employs some women, and pays $3 a week. He gives them about
eight months' employment. During two months in summer and two in winter,
there is not enough doing to employ them. He says some women, like some
men, know nothing but how to eat. He finds it difficult to get women of
intelligence and judgment to do his work. (I should think he would, for
such wages.) The girls fold, label, and pack. There are but three large
houses of the kind in New York. At another place we saw a girl who gets
$3 a week for such work--ten hours a day.
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