Daily evening star. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1852-1854, 1854-01-21
LONDON MECHANICS

LONDON MECHANICS.
The condition of mechanic in London
is so different to that of the American
artlzan as to merit notice. Here, as a
rule, workmen have but few of the do.
mestic comforts enjoyed by the same
class in the States. And in point of in.
telligence and behavior, taste and man.
ners, the English mechanic sinks inn
measurably below the American. True
independence is not often exhibited by the
English operative, and if he have inventive
genius, he oftener uses it to enrich his
master than himself
The spare hours of too many of the
London mechanics are passed in Gin pal
aces and low theatres or discussion rooms,
and in these, usually termed apartments,
their families dwell. The furniture of
such palaces is extremely meagre, and if
there be carpet at all, it is of the coars-
est description. The mother of a family
usually has sorry life of it, and her
pleasure is very often the gin bottle.
One half, at least, of the customers of the
London gin palaces are women, and tt.ev
not only 60 there and get the liquor, but
they frequently drink it raw and diluted
at the lar. OF these females, many are
mechanics wives, and the majority are
OF the working classes. The use of beer
by this portion of the English neople is
almost universal, and that beverage takes
the place, vely often, at their tables, of
coffee and tea. 1t is given to children
unhesitatingly, and nothing thought of
the custom. BY beer, I mean porter.
Sunday dinner" is a'phrase an Amer
lcan hiay not exactly understand. To
our ears the term is likely to CONVEX the
idea that he who talks about SUNDAY
dinner gets no dinner during the week.
AMI that is its legitimate definition. The
poor workmen of this city, and in fact of
all the larger towns of England, buy on
Saturday night, if they can, a Joint and
some vegetables, and have them prepared
for Sunday dinner" That day is
the mechanics feast, and the mug goes
then once at least to the beer shop. The
meal Is about the only hot one enjoyed
by the man during the week, and he
makes the most Of it.
With such people there are but few
comforts. They appear to &c content
with their position, and seldom make an
eXertion to rise above it. Their rooms
are chcerless, and to decorate or improve
them never enters their heads. In fact
they act as if they think they have no
right to improve their condition, and
many Of them do really think SO. If
they have pictures they are of a coarse,
unmeaning character, and in frames of
wood Mt fn ,1ol, Oh ~ IL i
are few and tasteless, and they live as
their fathers lived, in too many instances,
satisfied with their lot, or careless to i'm.
prove it. 10 hold a permanent situation
is their aim. Once in such place, they
are content. A desire to rise rarely dis
tinguishes one, and the conduct of the
majority, except in extreme cases, is that
of servility to the ''masters, as all en-
ployers are very improperly, but COM
monty called.
The custom of living in rooms is pro.
ductive of evil. The house is not under
such rules as are in force in Paris, where
porter is at the gate to watch and keep
the stairways and entries cleanly. One
of the tenants is principal renter, and he
sub-lets the apartments so as often to get
his own quarters free. His dodgers pay
their rents as may be agreed upon, week
ly, monthly, or quarterly; and if they fail
to meet their engagements to the day, and
cannot give good excuse for so doing.
he elects them in very short time. Turn
outs of this kind are frequent. Many
families have but two rooms. In these
they cook, eat and sleep, and oftentimes
work. Thus, what they call home is a
mere lodging, and their living is only an
existence, devoid of enjoyment or the SOL
ace of retirement and repose.
Nearly all the food of this class is pur-
chased in small quantities. A few cents
worth Of tea, butter, bread, bacon or
flour, constitutes the heaviest purchase
in the way cf provisions. If a family of
this caste were to get barrel of flour it
would be trumpeted throughout the neigh
torhood as a piece of unheard of good
luck or extravaganza. What they use of
that article is brought in very small
quantities. Their meals arc necessarily
limited as to variety and even quantity.
Breakfast is always made without meat,
and SO, also, is the evening meal. Coarse
bread, coffee, or a cup of beer. with her.
ring, or something equally tritling, con-
stituteS one or both of these in the major
ity Of cases.
This may be considered fair sketch of
the condition and mode of living of the
mass of English artizans. That there
are exceptions to the rulecannot be denied,
and where they occur, they arehonorable,
The well-informed mechanic is generally
gentleman, and his house is comfortable,
but ne is very rare. The miserable state
IN which the masses live is quite as