New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-03-05
INDUSTRIAL ENGLAND.
BY ROBERT p. PORTER, MEMBER OF THE LATE
TARIFF COMMISSION.
SOCIETY AND WAGES AT LEEDS.

cradle Bc0e mentions III as the place. NHSlo C'"J'
King of Northumberland, routed Penda, the Mer-
clan, and that to the great advantage OF both
nations" Leland, over three centuries ago. thought
it was a praty market tOwne having one paroche
chrche, reasonably well buildid, and as large as
Bradford, but not quick as it. The towne
stondith most by clothing" Camden, in the seven
teenth century, described Leeds as "a wealthy
coathing town" This, until we come down to that
precursor of oil British guide-books, Defoes Iour
Through Great Britain was the of what the ola
historians had to say about Leeds. Deioe, however,
writing over a century aud half ago, seeins ""
haye been struck with the importance OF Leeus'
though he dismissed Bradford as being oil no DINER
note than having gwen birth to Dr. Sharp' 'io soo
Archbishop of York." He described LEEDS as
large wealthy and populous town, Win S'ono
bridge 80 strong 40 large and 80 wide that formerly
the cloth market was held on it, and therefore the
refreshment given the olohiers by the lnn-Keepers
(being q pot of ale. noggn OF pottage anu
trencher of beef for twOpence) is called the brlgg
shot to this day. According to Defoe In his time
the Leeds cloth market was " a prodigy OF its kino
and perhaps not to be equalled in the world" He
had seen the market for serges at Exeter which Is
indeed wonderful thing" but that was ONLY once
n week. whereas Leeds held market every Tuesday
and Saturday. Early IN the morning of these mar
ket DAYS "tressels were placed IN two rows In the
Streets" making a temporary counter. 1hecloihiers
came in early in the m rnng with their cloth, ana
at o'clock in the summer and z in the winter the
market bell lat the old chapel by the bridge rings;
upon which il would surprise a stranger to see In
how n few minutes, without hurry or noise or the
least disorder the whole market is hled,and ali tne
boards upon the tressels with CLOTH each proprietor
standing behind his own piece" The sales then took
place and in less than half hour the cloth would
begin to move of, the clOthler himself taxing 1t on
his shoulder to the merchants house. In this way
Defoe declares b. had seen from 10000 to 10000
worth Of cloth and sometimes more, bought and sold
:" in little more than an hour"
From the time of Charles l., when Leeds sided with
the royalsts to the beginning Of the present cen
tury TO great change in the manners and habits OF
the people of Leeds appears to have taken place,
which period excepting the civil war itself, full of
gloom and turbulence, was on the whoo a sleepy,
unenterpnsing, uninquring time. Trade. with
little deviation In its regular and wontcd chan
mel "A few principal merchants were acquiring from
time TO time ample fortunes and beginning to profit
by the improvidence of anciert families around
them in the purchase of estates. There little of
the spirt OF adventure, little credit and therefore
little risk. The dwellings of the most thriving
manufacturers and merchants of Leeds in those days
were little better than the stables of tO-day-nIrrow
windows with diamond "quarrols" and stone floors.
Al night the
-" Rich burgher. whose substantial door.
CfOssbarred and Dol ed fast. feared 20 assault ~
retired to rest with bis windows secured by iron
stanchells and every part OF his dwelling calculated
TO stand n siege. The coth-maker and buyer Of
Defoe's time would have tremoled to commit him
self and his wealth % the frAil aud hnsy security
of sashes and plate glass The times especially
4, a
The first break into this mono ony at Leeds. and
believe the first undertaking of the kind In the
Kingdom, was to render tho Aire aud the Calder
navigable wi ich was done by the merchants with
out calling in the assistance Of the nobility and
gentry" and by which means a communication was
opened from Iced, aud Wakefield to York and HUI
so says DslOe that all the woolen manufactures
now OF ported are carried by water ull aud here
shipped for Holland. Bremen. Hlmburg aud the
Baltic" 1t is difficult in these days Of railroads to
conceive If the impediments 10 the way of COM
merce and manufactures In these days ofthe IN ancy
of Britt, n industries Tho roads around Leeds
sloughs almost impossible by single carts. The
carriage of raw wool and manufactured goods was
performed on backs of single horses. Tie occupa-
ton of m-rch mt was toisome aud perilous. On
horseback before day break and long after nigbdal
these hardy sons of trade pursued their labors with
spirit aud ntrepiditv amid sloughs. darkness, in
element weather highwaymen and b:oken caus-
ways
la my Bradford and TIuddersfield letters gave n
brief description o a Parli mentary election early
in the present century. Unlike her near neighbours
Leeds never placed much value on Parliamentary
representation, and indeed the pious DIR. Whitaker.
anIiquarian and his'ohan Of Leeds, cougratuates
his fellow-citIzcns that whom Charles l. incorporated
tho town OF Leeds by letters patent, by singular
felicity we csc lped the incOnyenicut privilege OF
sending members TO Parliament" As a result OF
this the good Doctor notes tic entire "ansence OF
periodical seasons OF popular phreuzy which accom-
pauy general elections" Neverthel ss, Leeds was
once represented IN Parliament by A. Bayne, as
creature of Lambert" OF whom Whitaker said. " we
have little reason TO bo proud" Whitaker in his
history publishes a copy Of letter written July IL,
1854, By this Baynes winch shows, from the fol-
lowing extract the importance of the cloth trade
At that time And in all your consultacons let me
bepg of you to endcavor the promotion of the
clothing trade, which you know. under God, Is the
greatest meanes OF most OF your wei beings"
Closing the chapter of Old Leeds. what a contrast
is tho busy city Of to-day. with it, handsome public
buildings its magnificent park. ITS grand charitable
institutions its varied industries and its 10000
population Leeds stand on the edge OF rich and
vast coal-Ged. Near 1t is mined the best iron for
the construction OF locomotives and oil kinds OF
machinery and hence have grown up immense loco
motive works. shops for the manufacture OF SPIN
ming machinery and indeed. ali kinds of metal in
dustries are carried In Leeds including several
celebrated steam plough works. About thirty firms
are engaged In the manufacture Of chemicals, aud
the manu- acture of gas bottles, besides an extern
siye leather rade and several important boot-and-
shoe factories. There Is flax mandatory at Leeds
which employs 900 persons in ono room. and this
factory has the capacity OF spinning 10000, 900
yards of linen yarn daily. Besides all this. Leeds
has blanket canvas carpet. sacking and rope manu-
factories and hunted trade in worsted goods also
dye works. paper-mlls, boat-builders MARBLE glass
earthpnware works, bteweries and glue-works. The
fax mills rank next to those of Belfast This brief