CHANCES FOR WOMEN

Alexandra Herald and Central Otago Gazette, Issue 389, 22 October 1903, Page 3

CHANCES FOR WOMEN

One of t&s Sex SMfetag BmptoyBMOt Ls&rns Straage Things.

Pfeeta WMofe Pnxrtt fkM fl«" M«» i B»T* S«« « »o»O0Ulr OB In#e&. «M;p-OM War» o< ItaUas

The way* In which Now York women . who are dependent upon their own efforts make both end* ttieet are varied. A woman who has been forced to look for work made memorandums of what she found others doing. She did not try for ordinary elericsrwork, or stenography, typewriting oar employment in stores, says the Sui# ... "I found one woman," she qpdd, 'ferbo Is making a comfortable living iter herself and supporting an invajidhusband by selling gloves which have been thrown aside at the glove counters for apparently trivial reason*. For example, in fitting a glov« the saleswoman may break off a button or rip a ■earn or soil it so as to spoil a vale. This woman has a oontraet with several stores to take all such gloves at a reduced figure. "She skillfully repair! whatever damage, has been done &nd:iJseU% t the gloves at less, of j course, than the store price. I do not knoW| she pays for the damaged goods. That depends, I fancy, upon the extent of the damage. But I do know that in some cases she .sells a pair of st,§o gloves for on* dollar, maybe less, and so on. I know she has built up quite a business in this way. A number of her patrons now hare orders with her frequently; in advance for from one to a half doaen pairs. The saving of 50 or 75 cents on a pair of gloves 1* quite an item. "Another woman who had. tried in vain to make a living at millinery, in which she is an expert, calls at a number of houses in her neighborhood and takes the daily market orders. She is paid for this, of course, and I am pretty sure she is smart enough to get a commission besides from the butcher and the grocer. "Sometimes when the mistress of the house wants something extra for a special luncheon or dinner the ordertaker makes more: On one occasion a woman who had lived in Washington,... wanted some Lynnhaven oysters. Now it is a fact that you can't find a Lynnhaven oyster in New York such as you can get in Washington. ... "This order-taker knew exactly how to get the Washing-ton Lyunhavens at a reduced price, and how to, have them shipped, and she made a, ..handsome profit on her order. She told me she would not exchange her work for a place in the biggest millinery foundry, as she called it, in New York. "Another, woman buys all the theater tickets for a colony away uptown. Her patrons call up on the 'phone and name the date and play, and she does the rest. "I found another who, in additiqsvto some other little jobs, furnishes Several churches with communion bread. Then there is another who sends out samples of new goods to customers in the country. She is not exactly a purchasing agent, for there are many such; she simply' sends out the samples, naming the house where the goods may be obtained. .Thename and the address of each person receiving the samples are furnished to the house sending out the samples, and in case of a sale the woman, is notified by .the house, which pays her a commission. "This sort of business, she told me, pays better than a direct purchase by an agent—if the woman who sends the samples has a good list of customers, for the reason that many customer* in the country rather like the idea of dealing with the house direct in purchases. The stores, she added, are not so apt to send samples as a woman who makes a business of it. "I found, a woman in a drug store in a fashionable part of the city who is a graduate in pharmacy. She fills only such prescriptions as are'brought in-,by women. She receives a salary, but" she gets a commission on all the trade she secures from women. "And So it goes in this great city where so many women have to make their own living. If a woman can only find something novel she will find plenty of people to help;her out." Amerlen a Country ot Bridges. The market for bridges is <af greater in the United~Rtates than elsewhere. The states have now 190,000 miles of railways, and it has been estimated that there is an average" of one span of metallic bridge for evexy three miles of railway. This gives! 68£ 000 bridges on existing lines, withojp including those required for new.line*. The increase.in. the United States of the weight of cars and engines has resulted in wonderful economic change*. 'This increase of weight' of rolfinf stock has led to tha renewal of th« 63,000 old 'bridges by stronger u*6 heavier ones, This demand h£f brought into existence many b*ldgt>» buiidihg compfthjes, and they can w«U afford to equip themselves with thß best, labor-saving dud acorn-ate work* ing machinery, regardless of first <spst» as they know >'<» : <j!iv .. : vu!?c:'';:\i*• ; -" l !or;.;;'.ine.