Working With the Working WomanParker, Cornelia Stratton
History
Working With the Working Woman
Parker, Cornelia Stratton
United States -- Social conditions; Women -- Employment -- United States; Working class -- United States
My last day on the job witnessed a real event. Katie Martin was to be
married in ten days. Therefore, she must have her tin shower at the
bleachery. Certain traditions of that sort were unavoidable. At
Christmas time the entire Department 10 was decorated from end to end
until it was resplendent. Such merrymaking as went on, such presents
as were exchanged! And when any girl, American or Italian, was to be
married, the whole department gave her a tin shower.
Katie Martin inspected and folded sheets. She was to marry the brother
of young Mrs. Annie Turner, who ticketed sheets. Annie saw to it that
Katie did not get to work promptly that noon. When she did appear, all
out of breath and combing back her hair (no one ever wore a hat to
work), there on two lines above her table hung the “shower.” The rest
of us had been there fifteen minutes, undoing packages, giggling,
commenting. Except old Mrs. Brown's present. It was her first
experience at a tin shower and she came up to me in great distress.
“Can't you stop them girls undoin' all her packages? 'Tain't right.
She oughta undo her own. I jus' won't let 'em touch what I brought!”
Ever and again a girl would spy Mrs. Brown's contribution. “Hey!
Here's a package ain't undone.” “No, no, don't you touch it! Ain't to
be undone by anybody but her.” Poor Mrs. Brown was upset enough for
tears.
There were a few other packages not to be undone by anybody but her,
because their contents were meant to, and did, cause peals of laughter
to the audience and much embarrassment to Katie. On the lines hung
first an array of baby clothes, all diminutive size, marked, “For
little Charlie.” Such are the traditions. Also hung seven kitchen
pans, a pail, an egg-beater and gem pans; a percolator, a double
boiler and goodness knows what not. On the table stood six cake tins,
more pots and pans, salt and pepper shakers, enough of kitchenware to
start off two brides. Everybody was pleased and satisfied. Charlie,
the groom-to-be, got a friend with a Ford to take the shower home.
The last night of all at the Falls I spent at my second Board of
Operatives' meeting, held the first Friday night of each month. The
Board of Operatives is intended to represent the interests of the
workers in the bleachery. The Board is elected annually by secret
ballot by and from the operatives in the eleven different departments
of the mill. Margaret and Bess went, too, on request from above, that
they might appear more intelligent should anyone ask at Bryn Mawr
about the Partnership Plan. (“My land, what _would_ we tell them?”
they wailed.) The Board meetings are officially set down as open to
all the operatives, only no one ever heard of anyone else ever
attending. The two girls were “fussed” at the very idea of being
present, and dressed in their best.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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