National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1870-10-07
English Factory and Colliery Life.

In MANY districts, as in the neighbor-
hood of Bolton, there is mixture of
factory and colliery life. The women
never think of wearing bonnets, except
on the Sunday, the entire week passing
without their having anything over their
heads except their shawls. The golfers
NAV be seen squatting along the road
side like so many Hindoos, this habit
having been acquired III the narrow coal
passages a quarter of a mile below. AS
you pass through villages of this descrip-
ton, Won must not be thinskinned, for
factory women and Golfers alike are sure
to express their opinion about you.
Your height, appearance, dress, or
ANYTHING else will be criticised and
turned into ridicule, for those people
have a keen sense of the ridiculous.
In some of the more uncouth dis
trcts, indeed you ought to consider
yourself well of if only half dozen
clods whirl pass your head The golfers
are rough but kindly class. As regards
| their thorough Independence, some of
them imagine they can only show II by
"purring the stranger who might
offend them III any way. But, at the
same time, they are equally rs ready to
trouble themselves i'll order to do you a
personal favor, and that too in scorn of
fee or reward. Surprising you to offer
payment for such civilities as being
shown some road or another you have
inquired about, and offer it to the man
who has gone half mile out of his way
to oblige you, most likely his reply
would be" Aw want none o thy
brass ~ In every roadside public you
enter, if score of GOLFERS are drinking
you will be proffered a huge stone mus
: with, Here sup y and II refusal would
: he the most direct way of insulting them
> Nothing could be noisier than the com
pany of such men on the occasion o
@ their RECALLING themselves on the Satur
4 day aftcrnoon-the only time i'll winter
@ except Sunday, when they see daylight
= You would expect fierce fight ever,
J., minute but the demonstration onl,
Il carries off the superfluous energy, an'
h the row ends with song, III who's
chorus every double-bass voice joins, o
in some Of the company giving a clog
J. dance on wooden board let into q sandy
!, tagged floor for the purpose. The tale
Il told of these men 8 recklessness III time
p gone by almost make ones blood ru
T. cold. 1t was no uncommon practice
q when collier arrived minute or tw
ii late at the pits mouth i'll the morning
for him to leap into the middle of tn
. horrible black gulf down which the Gag
" was fast descending, and catch at tn
70 rope with as much ease and GOODNESS as
" New Yorker would leap on the footste
Ie of passing street car. This recklessnes
g. has been much circnmscribed sine
nf government inspection has been devised
,d but it shows itself as splendid bravel
a whenever an explosion has taken plac
II, If n coal-pit have peculiar horrors to
stranger when III "A safe condition, fan,
IL what it must he after catastrophe
IL this sort has occurred, when roof III
Ut gallery have been shaken down, and Il
IL dreadful after-damp" has wrapp,
'ar scores of victims in its deadly fold
u For man to coolly descend IA mine |
Id tween four and five hundred yards dee
III up which this insidious enemy has part
81, crept, and ri k his life for the sake
lt rescuing the mangled bodies of his co
nus rades, indicates bravery equal
Is anything that ever won a fight. The
is none of the excitement of battle
ms. brace the nerves ; but instead the agon
rit ed cries of host of half-crazed won
oil and children on the bank, and
asst fearful expectancy. making the he,
To- thump against the ribs with a force
MI unman a giant.