Democratic Sentinel, Volume 17, Number 51, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 5 January 1894 — CHICAGO'S WOMEN. [ARTICLE]

CHICAGO'S WOMEN.

Their Dctltatlon U u Great bm That of the Men. Though much has been written about the destitution of Chicago workmen, comparatively little has been said about the condition of the women of that city, and yet their suffering and desire to get work are quite as great, Hundieds Desiege every shop looking for positions as clerks; as many more answer the few advertisements which appear for domestic help. All of them, when questioned, have most pitiful stories to tell. One woman spoke to a reporter a 3 follows; “My husband is a laboring man, and we have five small children. We have lived for some time in the basement at No. 323 West Chicago avenue, where we paid *4 a month for very poor quarters. When my husband got out of work the landlord b3came afraid we could not pay the rent, but we have done so for four months. Now my husband goes out every day looking for work. He don't find any and the landlord asked us to move out, fearing we could not pay him. But we raised the money and offered it to him. Instead of taking it the landlora sent a man to the heuse, who put me and the five children out of the house, and then threw our furniture upon the sidewalk while my husband was away. Speaking of the situation a leading Chicago merchant said the other day: “There is no question about it, the women breadwinners of Chicago are infinitely worse off than the men. In spite of the large sign I have posted on my office saying that no help is wanted, I have every day at least 200 women who beg for something to do. They are for the most part inexperienced in any line of business, but they come to the retail stores ir. hope of finding positions. Not a day passes that Ido not assist some of these applicants to tide over some of their necessities of the moment, for many of them confess to me that they are responsible for the livelih od of their families, and some of them a e in extreme destitution. On beualf of the many unemployed men. women and boys in the city "the Protective Agency, 828 Opera House Building, has issued an urgent appeal to farmers and others who may need help about their premises to give employment to the worthy ones among these people. Many of them will gladly work for their board, as hundreds of tnsrn are now sweeping Chicago’s Streets in return for a soup-house ticket. Inquiries made to tne agency at address given will be promptly answered.