The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1883-12-12

Of, and when I said 30 the mother offered
to show me "a case sad enough to be worth
coming across the sea to look at," and led
us to workshop smaller than those w
had seen. Here were two men,. cripple
and consumptive, ut work upon "womanf
nails" that ie, small wrought nails. One
OF these unhappy toilers earned three shil.
Ilines per week, OF which one shilling went
for fire and furnace rent; the other earned
four shillings, less the same deductions,
The sight was haunting one, and will not
soon fade from the memory, but 1t was
still not the overwork Of children, the pre-.
else hardship OF which ! was in quest, and
we strolled on.-
After much searching we found one stur.
dy little girl, who was decidedly undersiz.
ed II, as she sullenly declared, abe was
turned fourteen" She was working alone
in an especially dark shop that stood be-
low the level Of an apology for street, In
which we stood watching her. She said
that she worked every day and all day,
and earned three and ninepence, OF which
sixpence was absorbed for rent and six Tor
fire. That Is to say this child turned
fourteen" can earn sixty-eight cents per
week and learn, meanwhile, trade which
Is growing every year more and more com.
pletely obsolete. II she has KEEP. the law,
as she claims 10 have done, she is an illus.
tration OF its Limitation; for 1t could pro.
tect her only until she Ia turned iourteen;"
her youth henceforth Ia her own, to be
spent in bondage 10 the nail furnace. Al
though this was the only child to be found,
and although the young women were most
ly "of to the 'op pickin," there were hun.
dreds Of older women In the village toiliDg
at this unwomanly trade, who all told the
same story Of low wages, heavy deductions,
and the rigid inspections OF the school
boards.
In summing up my visit to Halesoen, the
most salient feature that stands out In the
picture ia the fine fibre Of the people, who
seemed uniformly Woodworking, fond OF
their homes and eager 10 make the best oil
Q lot whose bitterness they themselves can
not measure. No house occupied by q
nailer's family has more than three rooms
one living room and two sleeping rooms.
A cellar Is thing unknown, and q house
with "water pipes laid on" luxury oil
which no mailer dreams. Yet these women
were eager to show Us their homes, proud
OF the cleanliness that shone from white.
washed walls and ill.tiled floors in sharp
contrast with the coal-erime Of the women's
faces, hands, and clothing. How they
keep such brave hearts they only know
Next to the admiration which the work
ers themselves inspire comes respect to the
school board, which gathers up the children
and secures them thirteen years Of child
life before their weary slavery begins. Not
a school child could we see in Halesoen
Workshop; and, though the hop-pickipg
and the possibility Of our being intormers
may have had something 10 do with this,
the parents dread Of the inspectors proves
that the school board is mighty protector
OF childhood.
These two discoveries destroyed several
OF my preconceiyed ideas. had gone in
search OF degradation and cruelty. / found
only men and women who, in their terri.
BILE poverty and their slavish toll, inspired
ouly admiration. found, also, degree
OF governmental protection Of childhood
that made me blush for my own States
neglect OF the education Of her child.
workers. FIX.