The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1878-09-05
An English Village OF Nail Makers

1t is always dingy and depressing in
these villages, which, i'll manufac-
turing sense, "feedn the Black Coun-
try towns. Sulphurous fumes taint the
. mir and irlrart tn II strannn llavorS that
/ MAJ bc t;t-ted on the lips as the salt OF
| the sea may be tasted miles distant
from the coast line. The roads, which
in dry weather resemble nothing so
much as caked boot blacking, yield
puddleS ana rivulets of ink when it
rains-which hereabouts it does with
charitable frequency. There is grit
everywhere.
The operatives. with few excep-
tons, are women and children. Nor
are these daughters Of Vulcan mere
make-believe workers. They are ma
trons-the mothers of the boys and
girls that swarm about the hearth and
forge (the youngest disporting with
clinkerS for playthings amongst the
warm ashcs)-and women old enough
TO be grandmOthers, with hair stunted
and gray. Young women, too-un-
| married laSses, with cOlored handker-
chiefs bound round their heads, to keep
their cherished tTeSses from smoke and
singing, and with another kerchief III
lieu Of a bodice, bare-armed to the mus
cular shoulder; and one and all are
cheerfully "hard at it, tugging the
bellows, attending the forge fire, or
facing each other at the anvil, hammer
in hand, and with the glowing metal
between. Some of these sOOty Anna
IONS, 10y curious mechanical contri-
vance. work with two hammers at one
and the same time; the one, the heav-
ier, being set going by means of a
treadle, and the lighter implement in
the hand. They are making nails Of
all sizes, from the smallest brad to the
inch bOlt-headed spike"
1t is terribly hard work and very bad
ly paid. For instance, for making what
are called No. clasp which weigh
200 to the pound, the pay is twOpence a
pOund-a shilling for six pounds; and
if found to be as much as an ounce over
Weight the work is tailed" rs it is
! called, to the extent of a penny in a
| shilling. y woman must work twelve
/ or fourteen hours 4 day at the forge to
I t,tin dUotto ,2G.fU a. ~vCn, .,..S,
in hundred earns as much as So by
her own unaided labor. But the induc-
! ment is that Il child Old enough to crack
cherry stones with hammer can assist
at nail making, and every little helps
towards the mickle.' Mere babies can
/ earn fifty cents a week; and where there
\ are six OF eight children of various
| ages, the total earnings amount to
! something considerable. The houses
are built for the purpose. To each one
/ is attached a STALL or ''hearthn the
separate rent of which is fourpence a
week, a mite of place occupied chiefly
! with the hearth and the bellows, and
| aff0rding SO little elbow room for the
half dozen workers within that it ap-
pears marvel that hey are not scared
all over the exposed part of their bod
les by the tying sparks and redhot
chips. They are what are called free
workers, being paid according to re-
/ suits.
Nails Of every shape and form appear
/ TO be an article of commerce for which
the demand seldom slacheus, and il is
Impossible TO produce too many of
them. The merchant of whom the
mailer buys his ''rod''-the more or less
/ substantial wire from which the goods
! are manufactured-is always willing to
receive nails at the fixed price; and in
I tie case of industrious families, once a
[ week may be seen the edifying spec
/ tac!e of father and mother and troop
OF youngsters, ranging III age from five
to fifteen, walking in haitian tile, aud
. each the bearer of a load OF rod iron
/ thin and thick to be made up during
The ensuing N'ael; .-II0Rm0ngeA.