Evening Republican, Volume 15, Number 116, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 May 1911 — First Roof Garden for Shopgirls [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

First Roof Garden for Shopgirls

NEW YORK. —The fhet foof garden in this country to be built expressly for the use of women employees of a department store was opened recently in this city by a firm employing nearly 2,000 womqn and girls. Any one curious to know how the roof garden and its reseda tinted. rest room walled with glass are received by women employees should talk with one of the girls. Not that the women are any less enthusiastic, but their adjectives are not so picturesque. After the place was opened steps had to be taken to stop the girls from belting their luncheon in order to spend 40 of the allotted 45 minutes lunch time on the root. As a precaution against an epidemic of indigestion the manager of the lunchroom had to make a rule that a safe num-

ber of minutes should be spoilt on the consumption of sandwiches, cream cakes and other things usually included in girls' luncheons. One reason for the extra enthusiasm of the younger girls, whose duties keep then; on the run most of the time, is that they have three chances.at the itool garden to one chance enjoyed by older employees, each of them having 20 minutes rest time in the forenoon and again in the afternoon. Therefore at any time from 10 to 12 a. m and from 2 to 5 p. m. a relay of girls will be found in the roof garden and during the lunch hours, extending from 11 to 2:30, a relay is certain to be sharing the place with older women. So far, except on stormy days, most of the girls anq many of the women have gone from lufich directly .to the open roof, stopping to get hats and coats from their jockers before going to the lunchroom, .and the rest periods are .often spent in the same way. » "It is good,” said a manager, “to see the pink tinge on the girls’ cheeks when they come in. We allow them to play certain games and to danoe all they want to on the roof.”