Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-01-10
THE TOILING MILLION!
OUR MECHANICS.
What they are DOing-Their
Wages, ETC.. etc.
Labor Omnia Vineit."

We have been spending a few hours
with orr artisans, and these hours have
awakened feelings of pride and pleasure
seldom experienced. We will tell our read
ers something Of what We thus learned, and
shall do so as briefly as possible. As all
good citizens should be, We are proud OF our
mechanics; and when we see the day labor
er walking along with his small tin-bucket
on his arm, containing his midday meal,
we feel like taking off Our hat as token
of respect to one to whom honor Is DUE
Tbey make no demonstrations, however,
each one passing quietly to his days work
and our good fellow-townsmen little sus-
pect the extent to which they are laboring.
We are satisfied that there are branches OF
industry going on around us, OF which our
people know little or nothing. How many
strong. armed, brawny blacksmiihs do our
readers suppose there are in Nashville
And who knows anything Of our establish
meut here for manufacturing earthern"
ware? And who knew there were one
hundred bakers and confectioners In the
city?
The dignity of labor is daily becoming
more and more appreciated. ln an ad-
dress before the law class of the Cumber
land University, one of our own citizens
(E. B. McClanAhan, Esq., thus nobly and
eloquently expressed this truthful senti-
ment, on the fruit of labor, that has local
application:
The workshop of evil is an idle brain.
The loss of wealth is the birth of energy !;
| and the apprehension of failure Is the as
| surance of success. 10 our Southern coun-
| try we have been too much inclined TO
ostracise this high-bred attribute. Kid
gloves have led it TO the door, and patent
| leather boots have kicked it out, TO wander
without respect or kind attention, around
| The gilded palaces of the wealthy, or to
take ND its abode in the squalid home OF
the poor and ignorant. Labor was clotheu
with IFS dignity by God himself, ana oy
him commissioned it came among men as
a means of making them wiser, and hapPi!-
er, and better; yet, like its author II
was neglected of men, 1t is we'll TOR US,
however, that its right of eminent domain
is being recognized, and that our people
are giving to il their substance for the pub
lie good, assured that they will be repaid
abundantly. Many of our young men
have lost their princely estates, but neces-
sity has discovered TO them wealth oil
pleasure in their poverty, and will Tx
their names in perennial glory on the page
Instead of being slaves to appetite and pas
sioo, they have become freemen practising
virtue aud energy"
We cannot refer TO all branches of mech
anism carried on 10 the city for want oil
sufficient data but we have extended ouE
inquiries sufficient to give at least bird's
eye view of the subject We hope there
fore that if we have neglected any one
branch in this hasty compilation which fol
lowe, that we will be excused. Let US
therefore, begin with the
CARPENTERS.
OF this class of mechanics, there are, II
round numbers, about five hundred now a
work in Nashville. We do not include
10 this estimate the "botchers," who do al
SORTS Of rough work, but are not realI,
workmen, and are unworthy Of the nam
Of "carpenters" The wages of this elias
,, of artisans range from 81 to So 50 pc
day.
BRICK MAsONs.
There are about one hundred brick ma
sons, whose wages run from 81 90 to )
per day. The latter price is paid to compt
r tent wOrkmen.
, STONE MAsONs.
We could not ascertain the number c
stone masons now at work, but the numbe
e is much smaller than usual, owing to tb
fact that this is the dull season of the yea
for this class of workmen. Ninety day
herce, quite a large number will be en-
ployed. Wages 81 so to 81 so per day.
: PLAsTERERs.
There are about one hundred and tifL
p plasterers in the city. The business
carried on extensively by VIM. Stockell
!, Son, A. R. Owen, w. F, Cooper, Tanksle
: Brothers, and VIM. Corbett. Journeymen
e wages average So per day. In the stucc
!, department, carried on by w. Stockell
e Son, a few men are employed whose wage
! are about So so per day.
= PLUMBERS.
The wages Of plumbers range from 81
! to 81 per day, the latter figure being pal
TO No. ! hands. Henderson Brothers, /
=, S. Peach, Grewar & Henderson, J.
Parks and Perry & Dumont, are the Iea'
ing establishments, who employ 10 al
> about fifty hands.
IF PAINTERS.
r This branch OF mechanism has suttert
e wonderfully under the new order Of thing
y Negroes, as a general thing, are employs
st to DO work of this character, and viii
d some of them can do very fair work, OF
+ ers are mere daubers Before the war, '
Is II. Horn, who carries on one OF the olde
l eStaDllBnmGltS III lnc NNIulA a. WV -
ployed about forty journeymen on an
d erage, but now has very few. We do NJ
t. think that there are more than twenty-h
is white iourneymen painters at work in Il
Il CITY, whose wages are 81 so TO So per d'
D. There are large number of paint shops
Is The city, and the proprietOrs principally
/ their own work.
LOCKSMITHS.
There are several gun and locksmit
- and key.ftters in the city, while the null
Der of hands employed are limited. W
j. ges 50 to SO per day.
Of MARBLE WORKERS.
IT, Under this head, We include stone CT
/, ters. aad we feel safe in saying that ma
bic work and cutting can be executed
we'll, in all respects, as in any other eli
The business is carried on extensively
" D. c. Coleman. Shirley Il Shane, al
Swan q Brown. There are about twent
u five mechanics at work at from 81 to 81
per day, at the three establishments, l
: sides a number of rubber, and laborers
81 so to 81 per day.
" UPHOLSTERY AND MATTRESS MANUFA
ID TURERs.
I'd Establishments for the mandatory
nj upholstery and mattresses, are carried
l. upon a tolerahly extensive scale by Wea
y. ley Il Warren, George Leascher, f.
Miller, Chiprhase 4 Freeman aud d.