Daily American telegraph., 1852-07-24
Life IN q Powder Mil.

Dickens thus describes a visit to the Powder
Mill of Hounslow near London:
"In this silent region, amid whose ninety
seven work places no human voice ever breaks
upon the e1', and where indeed no human
| form is seen, except in the isolated house in
which HE ALLOTTED task is performed there are
secreted ard of two hundred and fifty work
people. They are a peculiar race, not, OF
course, by nature in most cases. but by the
habit of years Tho circumstances of moment
aIv destruction in which they live, added to
the most stringent and necessary regulation,
have subdued their minds and feelings to the
condition of their hire There is seldom any
need to enforce these regulations Some ter
rife explosion here, or in works of q similar
kind elsewhere, leaves fixed mark in their
memories, and acts as o constant warning
Here, no shadow of q practical joke or caper
of animal spirits ever transpires; no witticisms,
no oaths, no chatting, or slang A laugh is
never heard, a smile seldom seen. Even the
work is carried on by the men with as few
words as possible and these uttered in low
tone Not that anybody faucies that mere
sound will awaken the spirit Of combustion, OF
cause an explosion to take place, but that their
feelings are always kept subdued. If one man
wishes to communicate anything to another, or
to ask for anything from somebody at a short
distance, he must 90 there /; he is never permit
ted to shout or call out There s a particular
reason for this last regulation Amid all this
silence, whenever a shout does occur, everybody
knows that some imminent danger is expected
the next moment and all rush away headlong
from the direction of the shout. As to running
towards it to offer any assistance, as common
to all other cases, it is thoroughly understood
that none can be afforded An accident here
is immediate, and beyond remedy. IF the
shouting be continued for some time for a man
might be drowning in a river,) that might
cause one or two of the boldest to return but
this would DO very rare occurrence. Ii is by
no means to be inferred that the men are self
ish and insensible to the perils of each other
on the contrary, they have the greatest consid
Grafton for each other, as well ns for their en-
plOyers, and think of the danger to the lives of
others, and of the property at stake at all
times and more especially in all the more dan
gerous houses The proprietors Of the yari-
Gus gunpowder mills all display the same con-
sideration for each other, and whenever any
improvement tending to lessen danger is dis
covered by one, it is Immediately communca-
ted to all others The wages of the men are
good, and the hours very short no artificial
lights are ever used in the works. They all
wash themselves-black white, and bronze
and leave the mills at g. in the afternoon
wioter and summer
MARKS OF THE GLHTIEMAN.-No man rs
gentleman, who, without provocatlon, would
treat with incivilty the humblest of his spe-
ces II is vulgarity for which no accom-
plishments Of dress or addr.ss can ever atone.
Show me the man who desires to make every
one happy around him, aud whose greatest
solicitude Is never to give Just cause of offence
to any one, and Will show you gentleman
by nature and by practice, though he may
never have worn q suit of broadcloth, nor even
heard of lexicon, am proud to say, for the
honor of our species there are men in every
throb of whose heart there is solcitude for
the welfare Of mankind, and whose every breath
is perfumed with perfect kindness.
AN AcRE.--City folks visiting the country may
La al he Of