The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1876-05-18
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ReCONeCtiOns Of a HaldlOOn Weaver,

In the spring of 1887, the failure ofcer-
tain great commercial establishments in
America, combining with other causes,
silenced in one week, upwards of 5000
looms in Dundee and the various agencies
in its connection, and spread dismay
throughout the whole county of ForiaX.
Amongst the many villages thus trade
stricken, none felt the blow oreseverely
than that of Newtyle, near Cupar-Angus'
This village was new, having sprung up
since the completion of the Dundee Rail
way few years ago. It consisted chiefly
of weaving-shops and dwellings for the
weavers The inhabitants. about 200 in
number, were strangers to the place and
to each other, having been recently col
lected from distant places by advertise
ments promising them many advantages,
but which, when the evil day came, were
little regarded. While employers were,
some unwilling and many unable to do
anything for the relief of those whom
they had brought together for their own
purposes, the people of the neighborhood,
including those of the old village ofNew-
tyle, regarded them with stern prejudice,
as intruders "that naebody / ent naething
about" 1t were too much to say that
they were positively prosecuted by their
neighbors, but certainly they received no
sympathy in their distresses from that
quarter, much less any relief,
A little while thinned the village, those
only remaining who had many children,
and were obliged to consider well before
they started. To these land | was of the
number) one web supplied weekly, bring
ing five shillings. The weaver will know
what sort of job the weaving of an "Osna-
burg" was at that price. 1t had been
stiff winter and unkindly spring, but they
passed away, as other winters and springs
must do. | will not eXpatiate on six hui
man lives subsisting on five shillings
weekly-on babies prematurely thought
ful-on comely faces withering-on de-
spending youth and too quickly declining
age. These things are perhaps too often
tGlkedo OF. Let me describe but one morn
ing of modified starvation at Newtyle,
and then pass on.
Imagine cold spring forenoon 1t is
eleven o'clock, but our little dwelling
shows none of the signs of that time OF
day. The four children are still asleep
There is bed-cover hung before the
window, to keep all within as much like
night as possible; and the mother sits
beside the beds of her children, to lull
them back to s.eep whenever any shows
an inclination to awake. For this there
is a cause, for or weekly five shillings
have not come as expected, and the only
food in the house consists of handful OF
oatmeal saved from the supper OF last
night. Our fuel is also exhausted. My
wife and | were conyersing in sunken
whispers about making an attempt to
cook the handful of meal, when the
Youngest child awoke hey ond its mothers
power to hush it again to ,Ieep, and then
fell a-whimpering and finally broke out
in steady scream, which OF course rem
dered it impossible any longer to keep
the rest in state Of unconSciousness.
Face after face sprung up, each with one
consent exclaiming; "Oh, mother, dear
mother, gle me a pieCew How weak a
word is sorrow to apply to the feelings of
myself and wife during the remainder OF
that dreary forenoon
We thus fingered on during the spring,
still hoping that things would come lit
tie round, or that at least warmer weather
would enable us, with more safety, to
venture on change of residence. At
length, seeing that our strength was rap
idly declining, l resolved to wait no
longer. Proceeding to Dundee, l there
exchanged, at a pawnbroker's, a last and
most valued relic of better days for ten
shillings, our of which | spent on such
little articles as usually constitute "a
pack" designing this to be carried by my
wife, while the other four shillings | ex-
pended on second hand b'oks, as stock
of merchandise for myself; but | was
very unfortunate in my selection, which
consisted chiefly of little volumes con,
tanning abridgments of modern authors
these authors being generally of a kind
little to the taste of rustic population.
On Thursday morning we forsook our
melancholy habitation, leaving in it my
two looms and some furniture (for we
thought of returning to it), and the key
with the landlord. On the third day
Saturday we passed through the village
of InChsture, in the Carse of Gowrie, and
proceeded towards Kinnalrd. Sunset was
followed by cold sour east winds and
rain. The children becoming weary and
fretful, we made frequent inquiries of
other forlorn-looking beings whom we
met to ascertain which farm. town in the
vicinity was most likely to afford us
quarters. Jean, my wife, was sorely ex-
hausted, bearing an infant constantly at
the breast and often carrying the young.
est boy also, who had fairly broken down
in the course of the day. 1t was nine
o'clock when we approached the large
and comfortable looking steading Of
b, standing about quarter of a mile
off the road. Leaving my poor flock on
the wayside, / pushed down the path to
the farmhouse with considerable conf
dence, for had been informed that B
(meaning by this local appellation the
farmer was humane man, who never
turned the wanderer from his door. I'm
fortunately y for us, the worthy farmer was
from home, and not expected 70 return
that night. His housekeeper had admit
ted several poor people already, and
could admit no more / pleaded with
her the infancy of my family, the late
ness of the night, and their utter unfit
ness to proceed-that we sought nothing
but sheter-that the meanest shed would
be blessing. Heavens mercy was never
more earnestly pleaded for than was a
nights lodging by me on that occasion.
But "No, no, no" was the unvarying an
swer to all my entreaties.
l returned to my family. They had
crept closer together, and, except the
mother, were fast asleep. "Oh, Willie,
Willie, what keepit ye?" inquired that
trembling woman; "Pm dootfu' O. Jeanie,"
she added; 'isna she waesome-like2 ?
Let's in frae the Cauld."
"We've nae way to gang, lass" said I,
"whate'er come O. us. Yon folk Wilma
hae u.s."