New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-02-03
INDUSTRIAL ENGLAND.
BY ROBERT p. PORTER, MEMBER OF THE LATE
TARIFF COMMISSION.
VIII.
THE CENTRE OF TIE SCOTTISH IRON
TRADE.

Tbis town ia the centre OF the iron trade OF Scot
land and of region that annually produces about
II mlo tons of pg-iron. Within limited area
there are mere blast furnaces and greater out-PuC
of iron than are tc be found IN any other region OF
similar extent in the world. COatbridge is situated
IN the midst of picturesque county ana lntersocIou
by A branch of the North Calder water Like
nearly all towns that have sprung INTO existence on
account of proximity of coal and iron mines Coat
bridge is strae glngy built badly paved and'n the
winter a dreary looking place. A majority OF tho
houses IN which the iron workers reside LOOK moro
like dirty hray stone stables than human dwellings,
They are One-room, One-story onedoor anu o"o-
window edifces, generally inhabited by a man anu
his wife and their family Within THESE d"ariou
dvelinps are the essence of cheerlessness, not 10
say squaid misery. In the daytime In all "eatuors
children amuse themselves amid tDe rupoisu
thrown ont Of the only door. Hilarious fowls crow
and cackIe around the doorway anu wtthih inc
passageway. roosting at plight with the family.
u.ro and there one finds in these habtations neat
ros. exhibited in "A clean muslin blind, or scrubbed
Aour but the majority of the women seem TO
o.rtuLe of the general slovenliness OF their sur
roundinps and do nothing to make their homes COM
Portable or attractive. The population is hali lrlSh
and half Scotch, and on paynehts tho pup"c-
bopses ara filled TO OVERLOOKING and the principal
d,version of the fghtng-beginS and lasts
till mi might.
"All the surplus money" said Mr.. Allen manager
of the American Iron Works of Coatbridge, " goes
TOR whiskey. They will 90 without bread to buy
t."
On nearly every corner is n public house and at
NIGHT t,e streets would indeed look gloomy were 1t
not for the streams of light emanating from these
gin-shops.
For ali this religions and The temperance people
are not idle and Mr.. Allen told mo that during his
residence at Coatbrdge-not over ten or twelve
years-no less than nine new churches have been
built Indeed this city reminds me OF another town
which visited the other day in which tho rival at
fractions OF religion and drink, or the competition
botxe the churches and the " Pubs" they are
vocally called here, had become 40 keeu that the
citizens had determined 10 ascertain which received
the most patronage on the Sunday, the only
day when the two into direct com-
petifion This town, it appears, abounded
in earnest philantt ropic effort. II has coffee
palaces agencies for lecturiDG, amusing ana
otherwise eleyatng the British workman schools
for all tastes ages and beliefs, and temperance as-
! sociations innumcIable. Like CoatbrIdge 1t also
sbounded in dOurshing public houses Inc e2per-
ment referred to consisted OF consus taken by the
" Teuperance Council" to ascertain how many
persons attended divine service aud how many were
In the public houses the evening of Sunday. the
2Gth of last November 1t resulted in showing that
! I'm. former numbered 300 and the latter 5,59l-a
| majority of u for the Iubs." | AIN not informed
what kind OF night 1t was, for experts say that
| climatic considerations count IN these inquiries
! Rainy weather dent know why is supposed to
| fiji the public HOUSES: while oddly enough fog /,
said to swell the attendance at churches. II TINS
be true. both must have been we'll ATTENDED these
last fonI weeks for II has other Deen ioggy or rain
/ ing ever since landed.
Among the other attractions OF Coatbridgel ~ lis
/ " Theatre RoyaLp This is a large dark-lookIng
stone odihce fronting one oi the principal thor
oushfares. The prices for Abundance were rs IS
tonishingly low as ;he acting was ingcniously bad.
The gallery threepcncc pit. B.Xpeuce dreas circle.
/ one shilling: and private stall, two shillIngs.
| Thursday the great gilt at the Theatre Royal
. Contradiction that. an Immense placard informs
us u Ladies Fee Night" pom these free nlehts
for ladies' the miner ami laborer can take ms
missis aud the mill buy his gal and pass them
in without charge OF all thr motley crowds ever
/ beleld that assembled at the Theatre Royal Coat
bridge on ladies' free night carries Oh tho palm.
/ The "aress-crcle" and the private stalls were
vacant but the lott aud pit were filled Every
variety OF clay-pipo aud every assortment OF vile
! tobacco we're in use. Men and women alike talked
/ loudly and chaicd each other. embellishing their
conversation with profanity Inch was hardly less
! revolving tnan the ribaldry from the stage. Inc
audience was largely un~asi cd and attired IN the
clothes ln which they left :hr mill or the blast FUR
mace They not, perhaps. such vicious set
/ ~ my be met in the Black Country or IN south
J Wales. but they were gIimy enough ana nnIn
/ tercsttoo eoonph 10 inspire one with \ desire 10
I leave CoatbrIdgc, with its smoke and mud. IT'S
stapnaut pools It's played-out mines, ITS thry-
i'm. tu,e works and st-fuinarcs. its busy mills
and liz teputatlon a. the centre of the Scottish iron
trade and ser. Tor fresh air and broader horizon
in the green fields and meadows which strangely
/ enough. surround the city.
In the best mills tie average weekly earnings OF
tbe laborer are fiom lss. 10 pos. II hs rs married
no pays from Is to 50 year for such a house as
those described above. II ho Is single he can OBJ
/ tain board ana lodging for about los. week.
Tbegc lodgings Lat might be called the Box
aud.Jox plan; that is, the might hands occupy
T tbe Leds by day. and the day hands by night.
/ beds by this process, doing doubio service. vi
1 course the laborer cannot get mich meat As the
price. OF provisions arc tho same as in Glasgow.
Tho Mill baudsrarn some ~ hioh as $685. but found
fro,, tho books of ole OF the largest firms IN Coat
bridge that the ay erage weekly earnings OF an en-
pineer did not exceed 29s., or g. Boys and young
men mako from -. 10 los. week.
TIM ptorress in the production of coal and iron in
Scotland has been great during the present century.
having in the latter increased from 5000 tons
| in 1900 to the present annual yield Of 100000
tons As have before remarked, The iron-produc-
ing materials are obtained over comparatively
small area, chiefly within and bordering on the
valleys OF the Clyde and Forth, and they prin-
oinaliy found in Landrkshire Gin which COatbridge
is located, Ayrshire being second in this respect.
The other counties comprised within the coal aud
Ironstone yielding area Renfrcwshne and Dunn
bartonshire IN the vale OF the Clyde, and Stirling
! shire. Fife, CIackmannan, Kinross. East Lothian,
| Midlothian and LInlithgOwshlrc or West Lothian,
| in tn vale OF the Forth and all comprised III the
La mn nnrlIe nl nr do