New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-05-21

tney look out Otner JOBS, sOulo
mines if these be near, Others to farm work. Still
the wood is not deserted; there remaining IN IL
men of at least two other trades-The Hurdle-Maker
and The Charker 1 do not know whether hurdle
making be an American industry; and therefore
what am about to say of it may be telling we'll
known tale Still it is n calling which needs Dut
| brief description. and with that thought snail
venture to give a slight account of it. In England
the rd,son detre of the hurdle is chiefly the keeping
of sheep. Throughout mOsG of the winter
these amin ais are removed from the pasture lands
and put into fields of growing turnips, or Swedes
| on which they need "penning"; for II lett 10
| ramble about at will they would destroy as many,
| or more of the roots than they might eat. 10
avoid this the hurdle is called into requistion and
with these they are inclosed in pens" taking the
| field in sections successfully; the shifting beng
done by the shepherd, as the roots in each
become exhausted. or hurdles there are several
kinds; " fve-barred," high and strong enough to
make fences for CATTLE four barred" for sheep;
| and tho waffle hurdler which bears resemblance
to rough basket.work. The first and last however,
| are exceptional; and the four. barred or sheep
hurdle is the one now have TO do with III Is SIX
feet in length and four in height or BREADTH ex-
| elusive of the pointed "spags," to be driven into
| the ground in setting II up. As its name implies, IL
| has four horizontal bars which are morticed into
| three uprights of stouter make, the material en-
| poyed being usually oak, but sometimes chestnut
| or willow A rough affair it is. neither saw nor
plane being used in its construction only the axe
| chopper and draw-knife. The bars and uprights
| are obtained by splitting, or gripping in wood
mans phrascology and when cut to length ana
| shape Knocked hastily together; particular sort
| of nails called hurdle nails" being used TO bind
them.
| The hurdle-maker does his work in the wood, IL
the weather be fine; but should it rain or snow, or
| the wind be chilly-tor he works in winter as well
as summer-he has "a shed to shelter him, with fire
convenient. He returns to his home at night, how
| ever though not to his meals these being eaten
and often cooked on the spot where he tolls Ihese
wooden hurdles sell for sixteen shlngs the dozen,
or about 80 cents each Formerly they were
dearer; but the reduced price OF iron has brought
| powerful competitor into the field tor though the
iron hurdle costs three four times much 1t is
better article and believed to be cheaper in the
end Still the other from the less outlay at start
| ing holds conspicuous place in the farming in
dustry of England, and will doubtless continue to
do So 1t is by the dozen the hurdle maker is paid
| for his work the scale of payment being five shl-
| lngs or fivepence each And he will work dexter
| ously and hard who puts together five hurdles in
the day; or in other words earns 80 cents. Such is
| the reward for labor in rural England; skilled
| labor at that!
OF the three callings which form tie subject OF
this letter. that of The CharcoalBurner is the most
| exclusive as regards the men who follow il. They
are few in numbers, but have rarely any other bust
ness. since charcoal burning gives employment at
| all seasons of the year; and though apparently
simple thing it is not so, calling for both knOwl-
edge and skill. The material they have to deal
with is the lop and top" of the trees cordwood
| and their modus operandi as follows: floor or
apit" is prepared by clearing the rubbish OFF the
| ground. and then following ont a circular space
| some six or eight inches in depth but of no fixed
| diameter; this beng dependent on the quantity of
wood to be charked in that particular pit lying con-
venieny near for carriage to it, In the centre of the
floor four or five short stouish bets placed with
| ends touching. so themselves to inclose circular
space of n foot eighteen inches diameter and on
| these the ends of the charking sticks are rested
slantingly and radatng like the spokes of wheel
On the outer rim of tins first layer a second is
| placed in similar manner; and so on, till the pile
| is complete when it shows the form of obtuse
| cone or hemisphere. Around the central axis how
ever is a hollow space or chimney, which has been
left open for the fire. and this first kindled at its
| bottom, by dropping down some burning faggOts,
| in due time permeates the whole mass. But before
any flames show on the surface the pile is carefully
covered with a stratum of sods, and so kept
| not an airhole being left open. Were the wood
| allowed to blaze up, there would be no charcoal
| only ashes. And just to prevent this is the
| charker's" business-a thing of the night as well
| as the day. 1t needs two men at least to under
| take the task who in turns sit up all night to
watch the fires of The different pitsfor there will
be several on the burn at the same tlme-going he
rounds from one to another and patching with a
fresh sod OF shoveful OF earth any spot where
flames may threaten outburst. In fine, when the
fires burn themselves out the charcoal is a made
thing and only needs separating from the ashes
and earthly matter which have got mixed with it
from the surerimrosed sods
The charkers" are paid for their work by meas
| uIe of the quantity of charcoal produced. the
standard of measurement being a large oblOng
| basket holding about three bushels. The exact
amount of their earnings is not easily fixed, but
certainty they do not make fortunes by cbarkingr
any more than they could by bark stripping the
fabrication of hurdles. These stay nearly all
their time in the woods, never returning home even
at night, for weeks months together. They dwell
in huts erected by themselves-quaint affairs OF
conical form made of poles set soping against one
another gathered in at the top, and matched with
coating of turf, Just their charkIng fires
Many of these huts are made large enough to hold
half dozen men; though rarely occupied by more
| than two or three; when there will be like num-
Der of rude beds in them, with a full paraphernaia
| of cooking utensils. Some of the bachelor
| " charkers" who have no ambition TO pay house
| rent stick to these sylvan abodeS throughout the
| year, whether they be at work or not.
|