Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1882-04-15
Cornish Working Women.

ficking our Way through The purplssh
Mud ami stones below the karn, We dis
covered . little n;d woman 'aaoring over a
pie oi 1nni'llrd copper ore. We had 10 look
Twice before We could assure ourselves OF
her sex;noi only vas her .irscs perplextng,
but there was an unrealify and we,r,ineas
IN her person. She vas very small, almos,
Dwarf With bent shoulders and wr,nk.
led hands and face, her skin had the text
uie of parchment, and was curiously mot
tied with blue; her tar vas thin and wiry.
oae seemed very old. but her ewes thad .
sh e"d and penetrating quickress. Sind her
movements were utterly without !d.crepi-
tuoe lnceei. she applied herself 10 her
work with the wiling vlsor Of . strong
young man. and The W.rk consisted OF
shovellng the heavy blocks of ore into q
small wagon resting on s temporary tram
way. ShJyeifui after shoveliul WAS thrown
| In With an easy muscular swing, and With
much more actlvity than the average
navy ever EXHIBITS. Her pettlcoats
ended above the ankle, and were stained
with tue hue Of thee pp.r ere; her shape
| less legs were uIifh - up IL wooden wraps.
and her fee, lncased IN subs; sntIal bfogans.
She was not apparently uncomfortable
| bodily. b Il her face had in il u look of ur-
complaining suffering, If uLaiterahle
gravity, OF a Labltuated soriow which had
| extlngunshed al possibility OF q smile. Not
| understanding a question which We put TO
her, she used the words, ''Piease sir f"-A
form oi interrogation Which We often heard
| In tue nelghborhood Of k,dluth. "Iou
seem to be OLD FOR such hard work. We
repeated Deed, sir, don't know how
Old am but I've been "a, il this forty
years. I'm no; young any longer, that's
sure, She answ ered, In clear voice with
scarcely any accent. "Arc YOU marrled!"
mo, sir; nobody would ever have me,
she continued without relaxing from her
gravity or delaying her work for moment
- nobody woGia have he, or go
] With me, as | was always subject
T to fits - terrible they are. still
have EN- once or twice a week some
times, always with change IN the moon. Z"
"How do you account for it2' by,
before my twenty fourth year was IN the
service Of u lady who threw me down
stairs, and that changed nay blood, 50.
when the moon changes ] have the fits.
Little can be done tor them when the
blood's changed This superstition was
a matter Of profound fa.h With her, but
otherwise her manner was remarkably in
! telllgcnt. She told us that her wages were
fourteen penCe-twentv eight cenS--a day;
: and when we unnecessarily said that she
mus: be tired Of work al such a price, she
answered, in bitter tone. NO use being
tired; when you are tired there the work .
e house for you.
She had nearly filed the wagon by this
8 time, and two younger womcn dressed al
she was, but more vigorous booking, came
to help her. and after spi,,ing on their
G hands, Which were as large and as hard al
any mans, they applied themselves with
shovels TO the heap Of ore, falling into q
3 machine like swing Of the body As they
j scooped up the heavy rock. Two men a.
G terwaId joined them, and when the wagon
was loaded they propelled it along tho
c track toward the mil, tue women sharing
the work equally with the men. If, indeed
q they did not use even greater exertions.
!! The employment Of women underground
e is now forbidden by law, the degr radasioI
/ resulting from it having bceo perceived BY
n English Legislators only when II had be
= come flagtious; but Of thirteen thousand
persons engaged III the mines about TIVE
& thousand are women, who are employed IL
| Saiious pii its vi tiIe PiocAn VI aic"ei"s A"'
" ore. In the simpler operations very younS
t girls are useful, and ut the Dili We fount
g large number Of IheD-the daughters o
k miners us1aIly ly-soine Of them pretty, aud q
of them neatly clothed and Intelligent, ,evul
I" pert IN manner. They can all write, An
e they have an appetite for literature Of tn
d Adolphus-Adelina sort, which .hey devou
o LIN penny insialmeuts when thei. work
slack.