CHARACTERSMuckraker: Sherby Child Labor#1: Bidushi Child Labor#2: Jennifer Narrator: Jennifer

Melissa Magloire Val Sanders Tia Jones

SETTINGSMeat Packing Industry, Thursday May 8, 1901 2:00 P.M Narrator: It is a Thursday morning a muckraker is visiting a Meat packing industry. She needs 2 people to interview for his newspaper article. As, the time go flies she try to find and find 2 people that can give her a good story. Muckraker- Good morning ladies, I will be interviewing both of you because I need a good story for my newspaper article. Tia- Sure, I will be happy to help. Val- Fine, Ill give a shot. I mean why not. Muckraker- Thank you ladies Narrator: As the muckraker get her book and pencil out the girls try to find a comfy chair for her. Muckraker- Shall we start. Tia- Sure, lets begin. Muckraker- Val, you only 10 and chose to work here, how many hours, and how much is the salary. Val- I work 18 hours a day and my salary is very little is about $10. Muckraker- I want to ask both of you basic questions about whats going on. Val- Well, we know that most of us live in the tenements and work very little. The tenements are very gross the city doesnt take out the trash in the backyard and most of use gets sick. Muckraker- How about you Tia what do you say?
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Tia- I agree with val. But, in my opinion I see some journalists took action by writing stories that about vividly describing problems in the U.S. society. I like when they exposed us but I feel ashamed to see people seeing our face in the newspaper it makes me feel down like I mean nothing. Muckraker- Val can you tell me a little info about living in the tenements. What is life like there? How do you feel about living there? Val- Well, living in the tenements is not and bad. Its bad but its better than living in the street. One day I was in the tenement when the ceiling started to crack, and than the whole ceiling came down and push me to the floor. The conditions in the tenements are very bad we all had to do number#1 and number# 2 in the same bucket. Muckraker- Tia tells me a little about the tenements. Tia- Well, I live in the tenement, too. I share room with 5 families and theres barely space for us to sleep. Some of us are on the bed and some on the floor. In the morning, we barely have anything to eat. Sometimes, I cried but, I try to stay brave. Theres no running water. The backyard is full with garbage and the pollution is getting some of us sick. Muckraker- You both know theres a reform right? So, what do you know so far about the reform? Tia- Well, the major goal of progressive reformers was to help the urban poor. You have read about the work of housing reformers, which led to the 1901 New York State Tenement House Act. Val- Well, with the reform and everything Im kind of glad because we get other better things than before. Tia- Well, not better because I saw this book by Jacob Riis called How the Other Half Lives. I was happy that hes a muckraker working as an author putting how we live and our everyday life. But, I disagree because he put a picture of me. Muckraker- Well, Im sure it was a lucky shot. Tia- Well, I guess it was.
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Muckraker- Do you like the muckrakers? What are muckrakers? Val- Well, muckrakers were journalists nickname muckrakers because they raked up and exposed the muck, or faith of society. I cant say I dislike them. But, I can say Im okay of what there are doing, it makes the progressives focus on us now. Muckraker- Well, ladies I appreciate the interview and information. Do any of you want to say or add anything for today? Val- Well, I know another thing. The 19th amendment gave woman the right to vote. Tia- Me too, I want to add something. Muckraker- Well go ahead Tia speak your mind out for us. Tia- I know this called book How the Other Half Lives by Jacob Riis was referring about how the poor or needy people live in the tenements and the other book The Jungles by Upton Sinclair is meaning these same people that live in the tenements this book informing and or exposing them everyday work life like the meat packing industry. Muckraker- Theres nothing more; OK well THANK YOU for YOUR TIME!!! Val- You Welcome. Tia- You Welcome and have a mice day Melissa Magloire. Narrator: That afternoon the Muckraker left happy because she had a great story for her newspaper article now thanks to the girls. The girls left half happy because they have to go back to work to they sad, ungrateful, and worthless life.

THE END