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Story
January 15, 1885
The Wahpeton Times
Wahpeton, Richland County, North Dakota
What is this article about?
Chicago News article on poverty: a man earns $1/day to support sick wife and six children; a sewing woman faints while working, neighbor finishes job, but firm refuses payment since she didn't complete it herself.
Clipping
OCR Quality
98%
Excellent
Full Text
Heathenism in Chicago.
From the Chicago News.
How can a man who earns $1 a day pay $6 a month rent, clothe, feed and care for a sick wife and six little children?
We hate to see a horse pull till he falls under the whip. What about a man tugging at such a load, year in and year out, with no one to lend a hand?
But the women--the curse always falls most heavily upon them.
On the South Side the other day a woman was found on the floor beside her sewing machine in a fainting fit. She had been trying to finish a job of twenty-six cloaks, for the making of which she was to receive $26--$1 a cloak. A poor neighbor helped to bring her to and get her upon the bed and then finished the cloaks for her.
Did the sick woman get her $26 to pay her and buy food, for lack of which her strength had given way? Not one cent of it. The firm refused to pay her anything because the finishing was not done by herself. The Lord have mercy upon them!
Said the visitor: 'I never saw a human being so full of bitterness as was that poor sewing woman.' At last she gave a great lurch of soul to get out of the trough of the sea and save her little craft from going straight to the bottom.
'Well,' she gasped, 'God lives, and He is just--and He cares--even for me.'
From the Chicago News.
How can a man who earns $1 a day pay $6 a month rent, clothe, feed and care for a sick wife and six little children?
We hate to see a horse pull till he falls under the whip. What about a man tugging at such a load, year in and year out, with no one to lend a hand?
But the women--the curse always falls most heavily upon them.
On the South Side the other day a woman was found on the floor beside her sewing machine in a fainting fit. She had been trying to finish a job of twenty-six cloaks, for the making of which she was to receive $26--$1 a cloak. A poor neighbor helped to bring her to and get her upon the bed and then finished the cloaks for her.
Did the sick woman get her $26 to pay her and buy food, for lack of which her strength had given way? Not one cent of it. The firm refused to pay her anything because the finishing was not done by herself. The Lord have mercy upon them!
Said the visitor: 'I never saw a human being so full of bitterness as was that poor sewing woman.' At last she gave a great lurch of soul to get out of the trough of the sea and save her little craft from going straight to the bottom.
'Well,' she gasped, 'God lives, and He is just--and He cares--even for me.'
What sub-type of article is it?
Curiosity
Tragedy
What themes does it cover?
Misfortune
Social Manners
Justice
What keywords are associated?
Poverty
Worker Exploitation
Sewing Woman
Chicago Hardship
Family Struggle
What entities or persons were involved?
Sewing Woman
Where did it happen?
Chicago, South Side
Story Details
Key Persons
Sewing Woman
Location
Chicago, South Side
Story Details
Illustration of urban poverty: man struggles to support family on low wages; sewing woman collapses from exhaustion, denied payment by firm after neighbor completes work, finds solace in faith.