The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1872-07-04
The 0ta6ordshire Nail Makers
A Glimpse Of Life in the Manu-
featuring Districts Of England.
BY N. s. DODGE.


Staf{ordshire is q midland county Of
England, celebrated for Its manufac-
ture Of hardware. More than twenty.
eight thousand Of the people are en-
ployed in the saddlers' n-mongery
business, making bridle-bits, curb
chains, currycombs, saddle-trees, stir
rups, etc. little short of 10, 900 in forg-
ing corkscrews, locks, spoons, shutters
and the like and more than $4,000 in
the manufacture of wrought nails.
This village from which write, lying
several miles off from railroad or turn
pike, where the stage coach still ar
rives daily with its bulky mail bags
and innumerabIe parcels, and the
London newspapers are twenty-four
hours passed their date, has Q popula-
tion of some 1000 souls. 1t is one Of
three other contiguous places, Ather-
ton, Rowley and Bromsgrove, where
the inhabitants, male and female,
adults and children, are exclusively
davoAed - nail-nnAkiao-~-IE =, per-
haps, more the rule In England than
In any other manufacturing country,
that particular industries establish
themselves in certsin localities, and
by the cunning AM craft Of successive
generations obtain . monopoly of
some single trade. Thus the manu-
facture Of wrought nails has settled
down for many years In this part Of
Staffordshire, and made out Of its in
habitants class Of people whose lido
syncrasies are worth studying.
1t was Saturday afternoon, when
having walked the five miles that in
tervene between the village and the
nearest railway station, came up the
long street that makes the principal
thoroughfare. A rather puzzling
spectacle presented itself as I passed
on towards the inn. A struggling
procession OF men, women and chill
dren, partially sober and partially
drunk, one and all scantily and shsb-
billy dressed, was moving In one direc-
ton. They were on their way to the
Office Of the MASTER" Each carried q
bundle Of iron wands, secured together
by twist Of wire. The lighter loads
were born by boys and girls, from
seven years upwards, each shouldering
the burden and trudging sedately
along. They were children that had
grown up at the fire and forge. hair
singed aud srnutty, their dimples
showing like wrinkles with the CRIME
and smithy smoke that traced them,
and their hands cornei and bumped
at the knuckles, with finger nails
worn to their stumps. The mothers,
who came toiling down the road, often
with rods on one arm and o baby
drawing its nourishment from breast
gritty with iron-filings on the other,
were women apparently able never
theless to " tote" the double load.
Their gown sleeves tucked up, as q
working mechanic wears his shirt
sleeves, displayed arms with sinewe
like tanned cords, and muscles that
bulged out like drayman's calves.
They were wixen-faced and lank In
body, but their broad-thumbed fist
were firm as y prize-nghtar's. The
men were like most English opera
tives Of the Black Counties" sturdy
careless fellows. grimed with SCOT
brutal, beer-tesotted, and yet, wher
unprovoked, good nstured. loud-laugh
Ing, and giving and taking jokes !,
their almost uninteIligible vernacular
They were ell, men, women and chill
dren, In pursuit Of their weeks earn
ings.
| Sunday passed like all Sundays II
the smitby town. Some 90 to th,
coDventicles, mainly Wesleyan, few
to the parish church /; numbers loite
In the street or hang around the gin
shops. waiting their half-hour open
ing at midday. All are more cleanl,
washed aud decently attired. 4
change of garments at least with tn
elder ones, and smart dresses will
swains aud lasses, marked the frs
day Of the week. Work was entirel,
suspended. There were no games q
play, no uproarious sports, no brawli
Very unlike Belgian or German o
French Sunday it was, but whethe
more recuperative Of psychics
or physical exhaustion, ID "A ques
tion not easily answered. hut It is {
Monday and the other week days 4
toll that came into the district /
learn. The picture Of Saturday even
ing is not reproduced on the evenin
of Monday. The visitor who al
proaches Lye-W Waste In the dusk Of
working day, is drawn onward by th
sense OF hearing. The atmosphei
tingles with . din, not Of trip han
mers and steam forges. hut with
tinkling Of infantine clamor %