The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1847-11-18
NUMBER 22.
Correspondence of the Tribune,
Tho nottingham IEnittcr.
LONDON, October Is, 1871:


Among all the objects of charity to be daily
seen in the streets of the Metropolis, no one
has attracted more attention than Il Noting
ham Knitter The operatives Of the once
active aud thriving town Of Nottingham have
recently been unable to obtain sufficient om-
ploynGnt to support their families' The
trade Of the place is almost annihlatcd' The
knitling-machines, which once were constant
ly in motion, are now stopped and are cover
ed with rust large orders for Nottingham
goods, which formerly arrived from the Uni
ted States by every mail, are no longer re-
ccived. Under these circumstances, those
operatives who can change their place of
abode, and find employment elsewhere, are
leaving the town. 1t would be singular ii
some of them did not reach this grand world
of itself-London. As | was passing through
very narrow street last week, noticed
large crowd and heard TIE sharp clicking Of
some machine from its centre. stopped to
ascertain what novelty attracted so many per-
on the outer ring Of the crowd, came toward
me with stockings and cotton night-caps in
her hands, and asked me if would purchase
something Of her | examined the articles,
and found them well made and remarkably
cheap. The cotton stockings were only six
pence per pair. The nightcops were offered
at the same price, sXpcncc each.
"Will You take two or three pairs, Sir ?"
asked the woman, ihplorinHly, and with a
face marked with wrinkles Of care and sor.
row.
Il do not require any stockings, my good
woman; but if you have any gcntlemens
hali-hoso, should like few pairs" was the
substance of my reply.
"Do, Sir, take these night-caps,' said the
woman, MY husband is very poor, and I
have left five children at our lodgings"
lis that man who is now knitting at the
machine, your husband 2" inquired.
eyes, Sir" she replied :" He has worked
with that machine these eleven years i'll Not
tingham. He is a sober, industrious man;
but he could not get work at home, and
gentleman gave us money TO pay our passage
to London, and we've made good move by
coming up to town.
How much" inquired, " does your hus-
band earn now :"
Some days, sir, ten and twelve shillings,
and that is more than he got III Nottingham
in whole week, and aCorking Sunday beside"
" But he ought not to work on the Sabbath
day" I said. So.
If he had Mt work ed, ne and my child
rem would have starved - she quickly replied.
I gave the woman small piece Of silver
and edged through the crowd TO get near tie
Nottingham weaver and his machine. Tie
latter was placed upon plain cart with tour
wheels, and stood about three feet from the
ground Every part of it was in the neateSt
order and the steel glistcncd in the sun. in
front of the machine sat man, apparently
about thirty-fyc years of age He was tall,
but gaunt; he looked like a temperate, hon
est and harl-working person lis "riLe5
were threadbare and patched, but very clean.
He sat at his machine and rapidly threw the
shuttle, and in a few minutes finished a cotton
stocking. lie then took it out Of the machine
and passing it among the crowd, wiped the
perspiration from his temples and then moved
his machine some few yards onward. In the
meantime I observed several gentlemen adj
vance toward him and drop silver and copper
in lis hat, and depart.
This incident, however trihing it may ap-
pear, imparts most melancholy fact. |, is
worth more than all the trade reports of the
year. 1t shows that the wcavers or knitter5
have been driven from their native towns
and their houses by the fear of starvation to
seek a precarious livelihood wherever they
can find it. Here is poor, industrious oper-
alive plying his machine in leading thorough
fare Of this great metropolis, enlisting the
sympathy of the crowd and collecting .xpen-
ccs and coppers, while hundreds OF his tcl-
low-operatives arc left in Nottingham to
starve 1t is a sad picture Of the situation
of tens of thousands in England.
Your very obedent servant, Z.