Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1854-06-28
MISC ELL A N Y.
From Household Words.
Sharpening the SCytiie.

Sharpening the SCytiie.
In the heart of a high table land that o,
verlooks many square leagues OF rich scene
rv of DevonShire, the best scythe stone Is
found. The whole face Of the enormous
cliff in which it is contained is honeycomb-
ed with minute quarreS; halfway down,
there is wagon road, entirely formed o.
the sand cast out from them. To walk a.
long that vast soft terrace on July even
ing is to enjoy one of the most delightful
scenes in England. Fores's of fir rise O.
verhead like cloud on cloud purple moor
land stretching far southwark to the Roman
Camp, and burrows from which spears and
skulls are dug continually. Whatever may
be underground, 1t is all soft and bright a
bove, with health and wild flowers, about
which breeze will inger in the hottest
noon. Down to the sand road, the breeze
does not come there We may walk IN calm,
and only see that it is quivering among the
topmosi trees. From the camp the Allan
tic can be seen, but from the sand road the
view is more limited, though many bay
and headland far beneath shows where the
ocean of a past age rolled. Fossils and
shells are almost as plentiful within the
cliff as the scythe-stone itsef,and wondrouS
bones of extinct animals are often brought
to light.
All day LONG, summer and winter, in the
somb~e fr-groves may be heard the stroke
of the spade and the click OF the hammer
huadred men are at work like bees upon
the cliff. each in his own cell Of the great
honey -comb, has private passage. The
right 20 dig IN his own burrow each OF these
men has purchased for triAlng sum, and
he tolls in it daily. Though it Is narrow
space, ia which he is not able TO stand up
right, aud can scarce turn-though the air
in it that he breaiheS is damp and deadly
| though the color in his cheek is commonly
the hectic of consumption, and he has a
cou n that never leaves him night or day
| though he viii himself remark that he does
not know amongst his neighbors one old
man, and though, all marry early, few
ever see a father with his grown up son,
yet, for all this, the scythe-Stone cutter
works his accustomed way, lives his short
life merrily, that is to say, he drinks down
any seaSe of care that he might have
These poor men are almost without excep-
ton SickIy druukards. The women of th>
community are not much healthier II l.
their task to cut and shape the rough hewn
store into those pieces wherewth thr
mower whetS his scythe.' The thin parti-
cles OF dust that escape during this process
are very pernicious to the lungs; but, as
usual, it is found impossible to help the ig-
naraut sufferers by anything IN the form OF
an lea from without; a number of masks
4ud reSpiralors have been more than once
provided for them by the charity Of the
neighboring gentry, but scarcely one wo-
man has given them her counteuance.
The short life Of the Scythe-stone cutter
i, also always liable TO be abruptly ended.
Safety requires that fir poles from the
nelghboring wood should be driven in one
ny one on either side Of him. and the third
lat stake be ald across TO make the walls
and roof safe, as the digger pushes his long
burrow forward. Cheap as these fir poles
are. they are too often dispensed WITH
There is scarcely one ofthe hundred mined
entrances of diSuSed cavernS here to be
seen, through ,Ich some crushed or suffo-
Gated workman has not been brought out
dead. The case is common. A man can
not pay the tride that is necessary to buy
fir poles for the support of his cell walls
the consequence is that sooner or later, it
must almost inevitably happen that one
stroke Of tue pick-axe shall produce fall
of sand behind him. and set an lmpasSable
barrier between him and the world without.
|, will then be to little purpose that another
may be working near him, prompt TO glvp
the alarm and get assistance tons upon
tons OF heavy sand divide the victim from
the reScuels, and they must prop the roof on
their way at every step, least they too per-
l>h. Such accidents are therefore mostly
fatal; II the man was not at once crushed
by fall of saad upon him, he has been cut
of from the outer air and Suhocated in his
narrow worm-hoIe. Whiteknights is a
small village at the foot Of this cliff inhab-
tied almost entirely by persons following
this Scythe-stone trade. The few agricul-
tural laborerS there to be met with NAV be
distinguished at glance from their breth-
rem in the pits; the bronzed cheeks from
the hectic, the muscular frames from the
bodies which disease has weakened, and
which dissipation be! ps to more swift de-
cay. The cottages are not ill built. and
generally stand detached to small gar
den; their little porches may be seen osan
evening thronged with dirty pretty chill
dren helping father outside his cavern by
carrying the stone away in little baskets, as
he brings it out to them.
Besides the LutarivUlt, which has pleas
anter nooks, more lowery banks. and falls
more musical than any stream in Devon :;
beside this brook, and parted by little
wood of beeches and wild laurel from the
village Is very pearl OF cottages. Honey