The democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1868-1874, 1873-04-14
How they Live.

An English farm laborcr told dread
ful story before Board OF Examiners.
At eighteen he had followed the plow,
working from six in the morning until
ten ut night without having twopenny-
worth OF food in him, aud n little sour
cider, which was called "perQuisites. "
1t was tbs third runnings. The wages
were seven shillings a week. "Tho liv-
ing was tea.kettlc broth for breakfast.
Two or three little pieces OF bread were
put in the breakfast pot, which held
three quarts, and then the bread was
soaked with hot water. For dinner they
got few potatoes and square inch OF
bacon fried in the pan for family OF
seven, the fat going on the potatoes, and
the meat being tho fathers dinner. For
tea they soaked burned bread, and put
little treaclc on it, that being carried
to the husband in the field by the wo.
man. For supper they got little pieces
OF bread and skim.milk cheese. As for
dwellings, I have known thirteen hud.
ding together in one room on what they
called 'shakcdown, like hounds in a
kennel. Last week I spoke TO mn old
man at Yeovil, whose maStert told him ho
could not give him more than five shil.
lings week, and who said he wns then
literally starving. Twill do my best to
elevate my coantrymen, and run tho
risk OF the horse-pond."
This arrow which Mitchell let fly, re.
ferred to the speech which the Bishop
OF Gloucester and Bristol recently made,
in which lie advised the farmers to
"duck in the horse-pond' any ngitator
that camo into their neighborhood to
make their laborcrs dissatisfied. Il is
now called "the bishops baptism"
An investigation in Somersetshire
presented q gloomier picture oven than
that which the farm hand drew. AT ono
OF the meetings held in that country
Charles Wright, described US mn elderly
man, was examined and cross examined,
as follows:
Question. "Have you been iarm
laborer nll your life?" AnsWer. "Yes."
@. "Do you remember when the
standing wages for the best men were
seven shillings week." Il. Eyes"
"a voice: IT do six Shillings."
@. "The laborer twenty years Of agc
had only seven shillingsS' a. eyes. ~
@. "Did you everhaye parish relief?"'
A. "When my wife died / had little.
She left me with seven children"
@. "Your wages some ten or eleven
years ago were raised to eight shillings
a week 2" Il. Eyes and last summer
they were ten shillings."
q. "Aiter harvest did your master
say to you, There's five shillings week
for you II you continue to live with me;
il not, go home?' Is that true9" Il.
"Yes, it is"
@. "How much house rent did you
have to pay out OF that?' Il. "0no
shilling and sevenpence half.penny n
week. !"
Q. ION wet days were your wages
paid 2" A. "No I lost tho time"
@. "When you were ut harvest till
ten or eleven o'clock did you get any
thing extra?" 4. "No." "a voice:
ga quart OF sour ciderl'O
Here the chairman asked II any one
wished to put any further questions. A
gentleman called out that his father
had once worked for nine shillings
week, and was now worth CO, 900. Abra.
hmm Burt was next examined. His ex-
periencc repeated TINT OF the above as
to wages. He was then asked how many
children he had.
A. "Six."
q. "Hov many bedrooms havo you"
A. Zone"
q "Do you all sleep in one room'"
a. Eyes"