The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1859-12-07
HARRY STOKES, THE HAN
il WOMAN. As

country was" Harry z Stokes, the brick
setter, who committedsuicide in the sluice
Of thcsliver Irwell, at Mode Wheel, last
night week, For about 80 years this ex-.''
traordinary person had lived in Manches-,I
ter and Stafford as ajourncyman and mas
terbricksetter; had been twice married
to other women; had kept beerhouses and
served customers at the tap as a jelly
landlord" had worked at her trade, as q
bricksetter, and erected many important
:buildingsinboth and had obtained
the reputation Of being the most skilful
fire-grate setter and z chimney doctor in
the neighborhood. Size always dressed
as man, in the clothing peculiar to her
trade; invariably superinteded the men in
her employment; and could lift a weight.
spread the mortar, and set a brick with
the best Of them Her habits were those.
of man, She attended daily ordinary
in the town along with other bricksetters,
drank, smoked, and joked with the hardest.
and joined in theevening careusals. Yet,
with all thissconstant and close intimacy
with the opposite sex, this strong+minded
woman contrived to keep her own great
secret; and there is every reason to be-
ieye that she has gone down into the
grave at the advanced age Of 60, or there,
abouts, having throughout the whole Of
her remarkable lifs maintained an un-
broken check upon those passions which
crowd the streets of every large town
with the unfortunate of her sex. Her
great. endeayor was on all occasions to
keep4up the manly character she had as
sumed. From a child sshe had been ac-
customed to, the severe work Of one Of The
most laborious occupations in which man
Lis engaged, and the skill isle had attained
i'll the trade reveals an amnunt Of persa-
yering energy which made her worthy Of
| a better fate than that Of the wretched
suicide.
It is curious to know what first in
duced her to assume the garb and occupa-
ton Of man, and what powerful agency
I..s = III g. 4el 3. sfs.
it was that enabled her to remain faithful
to the line Of duty she had thus marked
Out for herself There are instances in
Vulnerable where the influence Of love, or
la romantic disposition, has clothed the
form of woman with male attire, and sus-
I.tained her amid the perils Of the battle
| field, il. tile dangers of the deep, or in
wild adventure in foreign lands; but we
/ knowaofno ether case in history Or tradi-
ittion where a woman has so wonderfully
progressed her own feelings and natural
disposition 50 completely assumed the
habits Of q man, and been SO successful in
levad ing the pryng curiosity of,the world,
Harry" Stokes has indeed played her
!. part 50 cleyefty that tits with the greatest
difficulty we have. been able to CLEAN the
following facts, which, meagre as they
fare, throw some Gttcs light onaher past
history. 4Saai ssf'aif yssfae. . g's,ea,i3ssi 4
! She was the daughter Of . bricklayer in
I q village IN the .ncighborbood Of Doncas'
ter. Before she could we'll balance her
own little body she was made useful
in the house; and ere many years had
passed over her head she was brought
!, into acquaintance with some Of the rough.
est and toughest work in those hard,
wrought days. Little Harriet Stokes's
lines had not been laid in pleasant places
She was so ground down by the iron hand
/ at home that, when she was about eight
| years old, she put on a tattered suit Of
boys clothing, and walked forth into the
wide, wide world.' Arrived at the vii
tlage of Whitby, she looked about fol
4 work She had not run away from he,
fathers house because she did not like
work and preferred to eat the bread o.
/. idleness. The hard treatment Of parents
Ignorant Of their possibility had driver
her from the protection Of home and from
| all the; associations which should enchair
the young mind to home That she was
4 not'afraid of hard work was apparen
4 when she offered her services to brick
setter in Whitby. Though somewhat TN
i dersized, she appeared . broadset, active
useful lad and was. speedily set to work
/ Her first efforts to please were ATTENDED
/ with success, and she was soon taken a
an apprentice, s.t.
i From this point we must drop tho fem
itinine appellative, and speak Of Harr,
1 :