New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-01-21

OF TINS article, together WIFI btWu1e-bhooN5
and linen But the demand for the popular gaaZe
rapidly decreased. Muslin, cambria and eo.ton
thread were the reproduction OF Paisley lnuusy
and skillj TO these succeeded SILK ana c9.son
shawls scarfs ana paids composed OF SIX anu me nc
rinO WOOL These still continue to exhibit tne i "
genuty and taste of the Paisley weavers, anu raat
the facture of them they have arrived at greV
perfection. In Paisley aud its neghb9Ih0ou ar to
numerous thread and cotton spinning mills, pi1ao
ing and printing works, lighthouses, pow, o ond
factories iron and brass foundr1es' panerv dis
wheelwrghts shops, timber yards, Drewcat,
tilleTies soap starch and corn flour manufactures
and very extensive tanDery
The wages of the weavers and the employ noi'
afforded to them still huctuate in the widest hhn a
ner. When any particular fabric OF pa..G,tGi n ns
the good fortune TO take" ana run VI 80 IF
tabished wages go up. But after rush r ~ low
absolute Idleuess, or only fickern9 work aV m"
rates, may be the rule for weeks togstnes 1 tmo
two great thread mills are running sacH nnmbcr
of operatives Clarks mill has oo now
about 5000 on the pay-rolls, 2ooo rI Si
which number are women anu sr,rIovnc
Mr. Coats informed his mills were emp,o 10y az
about 700 | visited both these mills ana haa al
agreeable chat with the heads OF the two nris' 20
first called the attention OF Mr ,rsad mannfac
turers of the United States to the Tariff Commission
showing that wages paid in the Rhode Island ana u,
New Jersey mills were ! 13 per cent higher tnai ~
Paisley He seemed amused at the statement AND AND
called in his brother, Mr.. John Clark, anu
afterwards one of the superii ~ ennninn
aud after some discussion SAID that IN ms opiiloI
the difference was not more than from 40 10 % pet
cent. / was surprised at tins, for the document
presented was supposed to have been autorHTIu "
the factories on both sides of the Atlanlc-a' ea,'
member of tho Tariff Commission, was Coats
neleve 1t was. Then i saw Mr. Thomas ga
and he told different story re su nil Tor The
use of the American MILL out au
United that the statistics covered ILL.,,
Iranch of the oper ;rd the pnmber employ
ed Mr. Goats did not look with great 'aVnI ut ~,
the reduction of the tariff for to use us ,n6rcv
will only give mills that have not .oi' I'D Bnt
invested in your country n share OF TN tlauy
he added perhaps we can stand the aooi''''"e
of the ad valoTem dutg" -, oo4torod all
The oneratiyes of Clark's mill are scattercu '.li
over what is called the new town, som, tlio It'll
pying whole streets. and again IhteIS'oi L oUirs
the dwellings of small shOpkecperS ana nc. aih
stanfial hut dingy- looking s;orehouses, III
yided on the fiat principle, lhouSn;,
excepting a common entranee thc svstem in
If the cOnyeniences that distinguish the system ~
France and America Three or four rooms lio 81 ~,
orally included one Hat. the rent vary -,
f1O Tor the ground floor, and decreasiiia nm
successive floors above. until il reaches the lnlu
of So In addIti rent of course, come oIAoS.
mclu ing poor rates. etc. winch IN England anotI'
10 about one;ff'h of the rnt Dut wn rona one is
generally dignihed into paIloi; ',io,ni,,
the IN dium of gay carpet lew ,oa pta'' Of
upholstered chairs, q painiul SOFA, pvu o1 rho
Melted antimacassaTs. some CHEEKY cnIOhloS On
wall and on the square centre taDlc u lIhli,S
Bible a copy of Burns two or three Vo't I, "
a." WayeTlPV.V and sometimes well "Oi" o."
Much of the comfort of even such home as u r.
desert ed comes from the JOINT eaIhInEst ~ III
family wiz the exception OF the younger Ill
OF lodging houses for girls, such as those NJ LoM
there are none those who come from the county
or Glasgow finding homes and q certain degree VI
protectIon with some of the mill hands; as Il iui0
ONLY one OF two are received III family.
visited dozen or so of he flats just spoken OF
and though with no apparent excuse ior pc sullai
ques IONS. was received with snnpS U America
curious TO see scotch people IN their own MONIES,
Nv oueres were answered readily ana VIII an III
teiligence h1rdy expected Al one p's and awhile
Gao, who managed take care of an invalld daugh1
ter and three others all young siris, VINO W9lheu
in Clark's mill. Struck win the surIouHunss
which were unusually neat and attractive. asked
the daughter Janet. whether she considered her
home as above that of the average mlii manu- III
comfort ,,,
" Ii may be better than some, but 1t shouldna,,
for in Paisley poverty means drink and among my
ain folk there is ma drinking; we have not u mon
How much do your sisters earn ~ l asked.
Just now is slack time, SIR they only WORK
from SIX till two. making a pounda iorlmght; Whlch
is DOW the average wages OF Inc mn hanlS mere
When they work full lime they make more
"What sort of character does the mill giri gener-
ally bear ~ ,, ...
years, and found them to be generally good. III n
body is seen to be light she is sent ava" -,
How is il, then, that SO many single women with
children are retail ed IN mlllsT
AYE, sir, they have been very respectable, ard
when one has misfortune OF thai KIND we III ieei
sorry and try and help her get ready for the poor
baiTnie.'
Many of the Paisley operatives do not earn over
eli !hf shiilings a week in slack times, and hence
numerous homes where the rooms
occupied are poor aud dirty and almost
devoid of furniture. But in nearly everv
instance of tins kind the rrasOn may be traced to
drink. Both the sober and thrifty operatives and
the mill owners agree that most of the misery ana
want in fairly prosperous times ls caused by me
misuse of hquOr | observed the stream OF girls
leaving both the great thread mills. Most OF them
were warmly clad, bnt perhaps score tramped
them had bonnets. They were, upon the whole,
superior class of girls to those l have seen
but they would not compare with the
neatly dressed girls, with shapely American shoes,
neat hats, tidy collars or ruching round The neck'
with umbrellas IN rainy weather ana sunshades IN
the summer, that see at noon coming out oi
the Merrmac Mills at Lowell:
ROBERT 7. PORTER.