Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1866-07-18

do what be ought to without askin, and then
begin biz pardon if he refuses to do it.
Tell the truth and shame the devil kno
lots ov people, who can shame the devil easy
enuf but the tother thing bothers them.
Ii is very delicate iob to forgive man,
without lowering him in his own estimashun,
and yures too.
BE sure you are rite then go ahed t" but
In kase ov doubt 60 ahed etny va.
Children in English Iron Mills. |
SAD STORIES OF SUFFERING.
A correspondent of the Poll Mall Gazette,
who has visited some of the iron furnaces in
the black country of Staffordshire and
Worcestershire, tells these sad stories
In the mill and forges boys of all ages,
from eight and upwards, may be found, amid
The labyrinth of machinery and the coils of
heated iron, engaged by day and night in tug
eing long, red-hot seething bars Their Ac-
uVity ls very great, owing to the nature OF
their work, which requires rapiditv of move
ment, and contrasts strangely with their 9TH
erwise jaded and worn appearance. In add.
ton to the labor of dragging along the iron,
each of these little fellows has to run, in short
stages, a distance of more than eleven miles
every day, in an oppressive atmosphere, thick
with dust and steam. Owing to the quick
aud uncertain movements of the hot iron bars
in their passage through successive rolls be-
fore having time to cool, the occupation of
these boys is attended with some danger, a
serious burn being an almost every day occur
renee.
90 Standing in the midst of an extensive
Jorge few years ago L was alarmed by cry
Of terror at the farther end OF The works.
There Was a e neral rush TO the spot. and
shall never forget the horrible and sickenlng
L L..
seething iron coming from the rolls had
somehow twisted aside. and had literally
pierced through the bo1s of little fellow
some ten Years old For while the roar of
the machIuery suspended, and two or
three bfawney puddlers carried the hapiess
creature home but when the hrst thrlil OF
horror had passed away the wheels were again
SET III motion and all went on as before.
" The lives oi these boys are almost entire
l. spent In the torges, except the hours alot-
ted 10 sleep. They have their meals there,
and In the snatcnes of leisure 1T is heir play
ground. In most of the works Is the arm or
basin of "a canal, the water of which is kept
IN II state OF chronic fever, and in which, des-
pIie It's inky color, they delight to bathe, both
IN winter ana summer. So constant are they
IN their ablutions that they often come Out
par boiled, like Hasherwoman' thumb.
Some ot the proprletors II these works have
provided nighl-scnools Tor the instruction OF
the children IN their employ but as rule,
they are IN mind and body alike neglected,
and the densest ignorance prevails They have
no home training, most OF their houses being
| locked up ali day, the parents and ali the
children Oelng out at work and returning
nome iatigued at night, nothIug but bed or
caIoueal IN the Fox ana Dragon Is acceptable.
" Returning nome late one evening saw
| ewO lItlie chIdIen, boy and girl, lying asleep
upon door step, which proved - De that OF
,neIr own home. On swakIng them they lold
me they were waiting tor their mother To
come out of the nelgh0orIng tavern, and open
the door. Iney mad no father ana had been
hard at work ali day The boy worked In a
Jorge, the glri IN foundry, and the mother
| III il Japanning factory, anu though thus sep
araSed all day there seemed no bond OF atec-
| ZION 10 binG them when they met together.
" est OF Dudley Is a strange wIld region
known the mailing DISTRICT composed OF
scattered hamlets, To ali OF the houses which
Is attached what appears To the stranger
| DIacksmitn's snop. The manufacture oil
| wrought nails Is, and has been for century
| OF more. the great staple industry OF the dis
trlct. Ii u carried on by the n .liers In their
own houses. In few trades of the district
does the employment OIL women and young
children assume d more objectionable form than
oI the modesty OF their sex, and from child
hood are addicted 20 swearing, smoklng-re-
seuibilng lar possible the other sex In
their haoits and depor lment even TO the wear
| ing oi their COARSE flannel jackets. They
| mostly marry very young, often at tourteen,
and seldom later than eighteen or twenty
| ~ Ia sucn women Tor mothers, 1t is not din
cult to Judge OF their children. From tend
i eresi ages, often iro i've years, they
are trained U that round OF labor III W hich
| their lives are doomed to be spent. The trst
| stage Is blowing the bellows, and next they
are ,aughl 10 Jorge the smaller kinds OF nails.
| - ne hours OF labor are dreadiuily pro-
longel, often exceeding sixteen hours per day !;
| The rate OF remuneration Is very low, and the
| homes are consequently wreschedly poor.
| knterlns one ot them iateiy, saw the iatner,
| mother, and eight sons AID daughters, all
| tUillug In d SINAI, Ill-seutiiated dirty howell
| Il was growing late In the evening, and IN
qulred, Is 1t not time to cease your day 9
| work 'On, noa, malstet, reJoined the
! mother We We a nolts work atore US yet, or
there Ii be no bread o the loaf o Sunday
| Ii Was Friday night, and 1t Was, as L learnt
d pIactee 60 work from Friday morning until
SATURDAY Afternoon, without having more than
short snatches ot rest tor meals. w bile L
| fingered iittle fellow, who could not have
| been more than eight, ieii IRON his work ap-
| parentiy exhausted, but his father, on observ-
| ipg 1t, threw at him a hammer handle, telling
| him Win an oath, TO recommends his work.
| tie took no part IN our conversation, having +,
| IKE his rwo eldest daughters, a short pipe IN
his mouth, when seemed to him and them
| = the calumet vi peace
- 1hls is by no means solitary Case Hun
| dreds ot sucn Instances are to be found of lit
tie boys ana girls, just emerged from baby
hood, lli-ieu, li-clothed and overwOrked +,
Trained amid vuigarisy and vice, and IN the
deDsest gloom vi Ignorance. We're 1t nor for
Sunday-schools l snudder think of the fC-
ture or these hspiess children. Their lives
could only be compared with those of the
heathen In his Dliadness,' On whose behalf
| Exeter Han Is pleading eloquently during
ehls month ot Nay. l visited Sunday
school III Toe naliing district few Sundays
| ago, anu found there a multitude of these lit
tie Christian savages.' Tney were Justify
| singing d hymn as l ensered which is very
popular In the district, rather, suspect, De-
cause 1t goes to a lively tune than because
many of the children Can heartily appreciate
the sentiment of the words
| al thank the goodness and the grace
Which my birth he We smiled,
And made in these Christian days
| happy English child
ssIwas not born a Little slave
To labor the sun,
And wish was but In the grave,
And all my LABOR done.'i
"a sad feeling came over me as | looked
upon the crowd OF wan pale faces and worr
frames, and compared that scene to the bur.
deu of the song OF praise, and / could moi
help wishing from my heart that the CONTRAST
was somewhat more striking between lit
| tie slave and these h a npv English children