Image provided by: University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries, Lincoln, NE
About The independent. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1902-1907 | View Entire Issue (April 18, 1907)
APRIL IS, 150; 13 I - Girl's Hunt for Job 12222 ETirsa TEE NEBRASKA INDEPENDENT Mario Kenyon In New York World: I want to tell you my experiences while seeking a position. I bought a Sunday edition of 'a paper noted for Its columns of "help wanted' and read these through carefurty, cut-out the ones that seemed to fit my taste, and early on Monday I started to call. The first advertisement called for "an attractive, well dressed woman, over twenty-five." I was the first, and as I entered a boy chewing gum looked up long enough to say: "Wish to see Mr. R., ma'am?" I nodded, and he Invited me to . "sit down, he's busy." I did so, and in a few mo ments a tall Gib3onesque girl en tered, gave me a smile, displaying a faultless set of teeth and seated her self beside me. More followed until perhaps a dozen - young women, all bright looking and well dressed, had arrived. After a long time I entered the private office. The first question put to me was: "What has been your business experience?" That floored me, but I replied: "None whatever, but I have- come here to earn a Hvli hood at whatever I seem best adapted to." "Oh," he said, "you are a stranger in New York; well (hem), J could only take your name and ad dress and will send for you if I . need you." Then he bowedme out, without explaining anything about what the work might be. , The next was another attractive ad vertisement, concealing just what the work might be, and as I entered I noticed several faces of those who had been to see "Mr. R." The Gibson girl spoke to mft this time and asked if I were a stranger. I replied in the affirmative, and she advised me not to tell that I had no business training If I could avoid it. It finally came my turn to interview the lady manager this "time. She was very pleasant, described the work very attractively, and said it was to interview mothers, and she knew I would be a grand success. I had "such a pleasing per sonality," and I . left with, a radiant countenance, upon being told to call next day, when she would describe the vork in detail and engage me. Out in the hall I found the whole roomfull of women leaving in high dudgeon, among other the one who had preceded me and carried the news. "So it is book canvassing?" they said to me. "Oh, no," I replied, "it is only interviewing people." A good natured " laugh greeted my inno cent information. "Miss Gibson" said: "My dear, I would not try book canvassing upon .my initial appear ance' among the breadwinners; it is very disheartening, and I fear . you will become discouraged.IIere Js my card; I shall be very glad to hear from you and be of any assistance. Wouldn't you like to take luncheon with me, and we will talk things over?" I accepted her invitation, for I was anxious to know what cause had led her to be seeking a position. We had a nice little luncheon in a place down town, crowded with a handsome, wholesome looking lot of girls. We had other advertisements to answer and agreed to go to gether, and left to visit a "firm 2 to. 4 allurement." We were the first to ar rive, and as in the other places, others followed, and several who had been at the former places. Finally the door opened and a little whipper snapper of a man entered with a cig arette in his mouth, and he kept it there and seated himself at a desk where we all were, and looked around and said: "Who's first?" They all looked at me, and I "arose and sail' 1 over" and tried to look business like. You know, my friends have always complimented me upon my placid dis position, but this time my placidity failed me, and I was possessed of a hysterical desire to laugh, lie asked me had I called in answer to his ad. All I could think of was, "What else could havr, brought mo here?" and so I laughed Vim ply laughed, but man aged to say "Yes." He' talked a whole lot, I really could not tell what about, and I don't believe that lie paid very much, and h;uded mo blank read and fill out. Then he told mo to call the next day. As I turned to leave, Miss G. arose and, with a posit I ly regal air and delicious one. said: "So this Is an employment agency; you'ie not In thv legitimate business and are using, tho columns of the newspapers to deceive ladles into paying car fare and want ing valuable time In answering an ad. which Ih ntlrtly inlsUading." Then tins iuld.il vindictively; "I slnll tx iom you; I know a woman In Nassau street who was fort 'd to rIvo up Juxt KU( ll liHNlllCtf." Will, ho positively lurntd white, nnd lfiit ha could h'Plv. t-he had -on with mo ti ailing nftor her. We waited In tho lobby until tht rt of tho women arrived, for by this time we all f"U quite vvll acquainted. One littlu woman, r.ririrjr ' look of anxiety, told us that she had been with a business house fifteen years, it failed and she, with all thoso years of experience, had been unable to procure a position. What hope for me? The next morning I went to an ad dress I had copied," but had omitted to read oarefully just what the ad vertisement said.) "Yes, madam. I am S ; what can I do for you; would you flike the chorus or the legit?" "Oh," I asked, "is this a church choir agency?" "No," he replied, "it's the other extreme, on the stage." "Well," I said, "I've mad a mis take," and started for the door. "Couldn't you pose?" he called after me, "wait a moment, madam; you have a superb figure!" I hesitated and to hesitate is to be lost; for I came bacl- to learn all about this en chantment. "Let me see your foot, madam," Y.i said. I di. :reetly stuck it out. He ravel over it and then added: "Just step into my private office and unfasten your gown; I would like to see your" neck and shoulders; you could make a fortune posing.1' But - by that time I was nearly down the flight of stairs. "Next I tried an "assistant house keeper." It was the address of a boarding house in the Seventies. A beautiful woman with gray hair an swered the bell, and when I started to state ii y business, assigned me to the dungeon no, basement, they call it down here, to interview the house keeper. Yes, she wanted an assistant one who could cut bread, serve food on the plates, arrange the fruits, etc. "But, madam," I said, "those were the duties of my second gtrl In my home; why do you advertise for. a housekeeper?" "Well," she said, "I do it now, and "all the marketing; but I need an assistant."- "And what are the hours?" I asked. "From 7 ' i the morning until 9 at night," she re plied. "And the salary?" "Three dol dars a week." Three dollars a we k to live in a basement, and never see the light of day or breathe any of God's pure air! I breathed a lot of in happily when I reached the sidewalk, and hurried down town to answe my last ad. for the day. E3 The Printer n Indianapolis Star: A long time ago a man named Guttenberg whittled on pieces of wood. He had a knife and used' it likemodcrn loafers do, loungers who make a goods box the object of their artistic carving.: The difference is that Mr. Guttenberg had a motive, while the modern carvers are simply passing the time away. The loafers of the present day give an example of subtraction as each shav ing flies, but Guttenberg desired multiplication. The advent of print ing meant that less scribes would have writer's cramp. , Any number of quills used to be worn out every day by men who made copies of famous and infamous writings. After the in vention of printing, however, quills were not so much in demand, and some of them were used for tooth picks.". The quill toothpick was In general use until comparatively re cently. Since printing was invented and newspapers have begun to circu late there are not nearly so many geese in the w'orld. Tho country printer In America was a very qicturesque type until recently. There were thousands of them who wandered hither and yon, all over the country, stopping at. this office and that, working all tho way from an hour to several months, and then then proceeding on their way. They were literally journeymen,, for they wended many a weary mile down dusty roads in Rummer, until a sound at first like the buzzing of a tiee camo nearer and nearer, louder and louder, until the buzz of a threshing machine along the roadsido couid be heard. They stopped at farm houses, often, obtaining a cup o; water, or of cool Kwwt milk, perhaps a tlnful of fresh liuttt-i ndik hh the buxom wife of the household finished her churning. At the next town big enough to Ihki.U of n paper they wero seldom re fused work, or at leat material as-klstant-e, for they were generally In need. Tliero was something about their nrtlstlc temperament which made them forget to keep money and forget, to buy shoes and clothing un til there was Immediate and pressing Hoed fc.r nurli commodities. Whether justly or unjustly, they were alno accused r-f having a fond ness for Intoxicants. From personal knowledge of a large number tf the printer nt tle r'W a f?W yr PJJ k"V; WJJIIIIMm m contracts foot. Insuring be worn all year round. Three styles, low, medium and high. Your dealer will supply you. If not, write to us. Look for tho name and trade-mark on the sole. N We also make the popular "Western Lady pDpp lend the name of a dealer who 1 lLiv Martha Was kin at on" .hoci and will anrf vmi fr. YiAtnaJH a Ktsiitifiil picture of "Martha Wasbinglon," size 15x20 it can be stated that whether they had a fondness for Intoxicants, as hypothecated, or whether liquor was distasteful and they drank ft against their will, many of them gave every evidence of concealing It ' about their persons. Who knows that such a habit resulted from brain storms after reading -some of the copy of country editors? These brain storms are be coming very popular nowadays in ex cusing faults where leniency is to i shown. The country printing office was a pic turesque place, with Ha bespllntered floor covered with dirt, paper, grease and ink; its walls on which were past ed clippings which had appealed to someono as very clever; its grimy old towel which could stand alone without the use of a crutch; its old sink, hover ing about which wero odors which might lead one to imagine some great chemist, had., been( playing with aU.pv?, aroma tie- ' compounds ho- could . form from the elements; not forgetting tho editor's sanctum, with its cuspidor,, its scattered newspapers with rectangular holes in them and the Incriminating ex hibits of scissors and paste pot. Ah, it vas indeed a picturesque spot. Into such a place came the wander ing artist, the man -,vho was supposed to know, how to spell every word inthe dictionary, correct every error in com position of all the vast corps of writ ers on a small paper, put up with the prattle of the dirty-faced toy known as the "printer's devil," whose ar.ihltb.n was none less than to become president some day. The wandering artist usual ly got a dime or so in real money first, then returned, pometimes, an worked. Sometimes at the conclusion of hl.s visit he would get paid in real money and sometimes take an order on a merchant advertising in the paper, to provide himself with new wearing ap parel. Most of them were silent- men, and on that account appeared to be pos sessed of a magnitude of wisdom. They were men usually very well in formed. Many of them. wre ripe scholars. Rome could set type all day. meet with congenial companions of the village at night, stand on a pool table and recite Shakespeare by the hour, taking, only sufficient time occasionally to give a scene copied af ter Falstaff. ' But In thoso days their services were In demand everywhere, their wages in cities good and they indulged In their spirit of what the Germans call the wanderlust. They were hnppy. Many of them lived to trudge down the country roads after passing the three score mark and even after be coming octogenarians. If they did wish to. push on to the next town and the next newspaper ihey were perhaps forced to do so al ter their ajtlwtic temperament had been Jarrod by facing tho country "communication"," which consisted of many, homely "Item of Interest." Fol lowing arts a few nam pies; "William II. So-und-Mo Is .visiting In )ir midst. "ftamuel W. So-and-no wnt to Jerk water Sunday to visit frond&. "Mr. and Mr. Scorgo So-and-so have been entertaining relatives from Jerkwater tho past werk. "Charley So-and-o has got n new rubber-tired rig and all the girls have got their eyes epen. Watch out, i hurley ! "There was quite a rowdy party outside our meeting hOuno Sunday night mid throwed a atone threw the window, tot Ihey gnt. awojr. Such a Martha Washington Comfort Shoe9 re marfe for cmnine enmfnrt. T pleasure and relief to wear them. There are no buttons to button or laces (o lace. You just alio them on and The elastic at the aides expands and with the natural notion of the perfect ease aad contort. Caa e ,t -i does not handle.. thing Is awful bad and ought to be stopped. Some folks has no pen so of decenzy. "Wheat is looking prosperous. "The weather Is not to be com plained about In these parts. "The new ditch at the east end is nearlng completion, and a good thing. There is no flies on our new bridge, to use slangs "Measles Is In our town. v.. "Health is generally good here about." The Itinerant printer learned only at the conclusion of the epistle 'that members of the So-and-so family were mentioned frequently-' because Miss Sallle So-arid-so was the corre spondent. That disclosure was suf ficient to cause him to recite three more of Shakespeare's plays that night and to move to the next town on the morrow. But the country editor was forced to remain on that selfsamfc newspa.-. per"h'caase"of the 'prominence of his social standing. He was a man to whom all classes looked as a fount of wisdom, a man of courage who at tacked iniquity In the high plat and said only good things about the departed. A retrospective view of the worst town loafer and his life showed him to be an admirable man,"" even though he made vlai to the town ship trustee with such weekly regu larity that he had the gout as an ex cuse for the bestowal of public chnr ity. But where the country editor, who was usually a graduate from the ranks of country printers, did shine was on the editorial page. He in vested all his bold utterances with a personality scarcely possible nowa days. When his paper said anything it was known that he was .speaking. His readers knew his words. Some of them were a little too big, but his subscribers knew what ho meant in a general way. He had to be "on the square." Roosevelt has later para phrased the expression into "a square deal." The country editor was ap proached by the preacher and the sa loon keeper. He had to talk honestly to both. He had to talk to the school superintident and blacksmith, lie had to deal with matters of Interest in his little community and also keep his readers in touch with the thought of Ihe entire world, not omitting the snake story, annually published, about the big serpent in Georgia, who swal lowed a post auger and hatched enough corkscrews to supply a camp meeting. He had to do fire Insurance some times to make n living. TH country editor was a hero and ho doubtless gained Incentive from com munication with the outside world through the wlso Itinerant printer. They trod the loads ryl .r l...lr ,.., ,1- Itinerant "prints." Each was a man And a better than ' A tln-arrnyd wince. "Sculpturo Is the simplest thing In tho wf rid." ays a rustle; "all vou have to do Is to take a be chunk rt marble and a hammer and chine), make up your mind what you are about to create, una men etup ort an trie mar ble you don't want." The under dog may be deserving of our sympathy, but don't forvct that thn small HUto- aro always at th bot tom of tho heap. Tomorrow la only yesicraajr two days off. r.-i