child labor in america featuring the original photo captions by lewis w. hine

Child Labor in AmericaFeaturing the original photo captions by Lewis W. Hine

Child Labor

Faces of Lost Youth: Furman Owens, 12-years-old. Can't read. Doesn't know his A,B,C's. Said, "Yes I want to learn but can't when I work all the time." Been in the mills 4 years, in the Olympia Mill. Columbia, South Carolina.

Doffer plant boys. Macon, Georgia.

The Mill: A general view of spinning room, Cornell Mill. Fall River, Massachusetts.

A moment's glimpse of the outer world. 10 years old girl who has been working over a

year. Rhodes Mfg. Co. Lincolnton, North Carolina.

Some boys and girls were so small they had to climb up on to the spinning frame to mend broken threads and to put back the

empty bobbins. Bibb Mill No. 1. Macon, Georgia.

One of the spinners in a Cotton Mill. She was 51 inches high. Has been in the mill one year. Sometimes works at night for 48 cents a day. When asked how old she was, she hesitated, then said, "I don't remember," then added confidentially, "I'm not old enough to work, but do just the same." Out of 50 employees, there were ten

children.

The Mill: The overseer said, "She just happened in." She was working steadily. The mills seem full of

youngsters who "just happened in" or "are helping sister."

The Mill: Jo Bodeon, at a Cotton Mill in Burlington, Vermont.

Newsies: A small newsie downtown St. Louis, Missouri.

Newsies: A group of newsies selling on the Capitol steps. Tony, age 8, Dan, 9, Joseph, 10, and John, age

11. Washington, D.C.

Newsies: Tony Casale, age 11, been selling 4 years. He sometimes works until 10 p.m.

Newsboy asleep on stairs with papers. Jersey City, New Jersey.

Miners: At the close of day. Waiting for the cage to go up. The cage is entirely open on two sides and not very well protected on the

other two, and is usually crowded like this. Pittston, Pennsylvania.

Miners: View of the Pennsylvania Coal Co. The dust was so dense at times as to obscure the view. This dust penetrated the

utmost recesses of the boys' lungs. A kind of slave-driver sometimes stands over the boys, beating, kicking them into

obedience.

Harley Bruce, a young coupling-boy at Indian Mine. He appears to be 12 or 14 years old and says he has been working

there about a year.

The Factory: 9 p.m. in an Indiana Glass Works.

The Factory: Some of the young knitters in London Hosiery Mills. London, Tennessee.

Young cigar makers in Engelhardt & Co. Three boys looked under 14. Labor leaders told me in busy

times many small boys and girls were employed.

Youngsters all smoke. Tampa, Florida.

Rob Kidd, one of the young workers in a glass

factory. Alexandria, Virginia.

Hiram Pulk, age 9, working in a canning company. "I ain't very fast only about 5 boxes a day. They pay about 5 cents a box," he

said. Eastport, Maine.

Manuel the young shrimp picker, age 5, and a mountain of child labor oyster shells behind him. He worked last year.

Camille Carmo, age 7, and Justine, age 9. The older girl picks about 4 pails a day. Rochester, Mass.

Six-year-old Warren Frakes. Mother said he picked 41 pounds yesterday

A shoe shine boy in New York City.

A family working in the Tifton Cotton Mill. Four smallest children not working yet. The mother said she earns $4.50 a week and all the children

earn $4.50 a week. Husband died and left her with 11 children. Two of them went off and got married. The family left the farm two years ago to work in

the mill. Tifton, Georgia.

Fish cutters at a canning company in Maine. They

often start at 7 a.m. and work all day until midnight.