The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1883-03-23
AMERICAN W0RKMEN.
THEIR Prosperous CONDITION
coD,ra.,.d win Tia. of fh.lr Easll.A Brethren
OF the "BIaek COuntr,"-Ths wSges and
Homes orwhpelIug Iron Workers pndsr
thsPressnt System Of Protection.

Homes OF Nhtellnk HOu WViAps SeNeA
thePrtssnt System OF Protection.
In yesterdays ISrELLOENcER wOs an ex'
tract from letter written by Mr.. Robert T.
Porter, from England, giving graphic pic
ture OF the poorly paid English working
people, which TO the Wheeling iron worker
who read 1t yesterday morning over his
steaming coffee as be sat at his appetizing
and comfortable breakfast seemed incredible:
The statement that u man. his wife and
Young daughter will labor at making DailS
| for six days In week, aud receive less wages
than boy OF sixteen can make IN any. mill
In Wheeling, Is OF nature to arrest the AZ
tention OF the prosperous and well paid
American workingman. But some Of them
In this vicinity eau testify from personal ex'
perience OF the truth OF the statements, in
credible as they appear.
An INrELLlGENCER reporter visited several
of the mills yesterday, and talked with the
men and boys at their work. Generally they
had read the article referred TO, and ithad been
discussed by some OF the men. who had eithel
witnessed the scenes OF restitution or heard
OF them from eye witnesses.
BRIGHTER PICTURE.
| Ills Iutu Huu 20 WOAV ANRfJ AASSSt -.
which were no traces OF privation. They hat
come from comfortable, well furnished h0me'
after substantial breakfasts, expecting TO dc
All honest Days work and receive talr day't
wages, Seeing an INTELLlGENCER sticking
out OF one nail feeders pocket. the reporter
asked him II he had read the English letter
He replied that his sister has read 1t aloud a.
breakfast, ats awful, isn't 1t, over theEei
Gosh, II couldn't make more ma whole
family over thers I'd quit"
"How much can you make q week ~ The
reporter asked the BOY, who looked rs II ht
were about sixteen years old.
~ can make eight dollars week, and e
10 the matinee Saturday" he shouted bach
above the racket Of the machinery.
"Do you often 60 TO the show =
| "Oh, / take In the minstrels whenever they
strike the Opera House, and go 70 the AGA
DENY generally on Saturdays. fellow don
feel much like shows after he works all day
| though"
Here was commentary on the difference
between the working classes In "Merrie" free
trade England and young America, whos'
| industries have SO outstripped those oil TIT
mother country that the standard Engllst
nails would disgrace new feeder IN one o
the Wheeling mills. This statement was mad'
BY IN iron.wUrker yesterday, and is borne ou'
by comparison Of the nails made in the Two
countries.
Taking on this sabj ect yesterday, a work
man remarked: THE English can't make
nails 10 compare with ours now, but In
year or two more, II the policy OF American
mill owners continues as at present, they
will, A few more lock outs.and suspensions
and they will begin to creep up on the Amer
lean nail makers" nj,
The idea OF women working in nail mills
seemed 10 strike with peculiar force the
workmen here. particularly the feeders, who
as class are boys or young men. ut would
be funny II II didn't seem SO hard" one man
expressiyely put 1t.
WAGES or THE EAILERs.
Mr.. Porter rays that In England skilled
mailer, with the aid Of his wife and daughter,
will only earn net wages to the amount oil
81 II In week. In this particular Is the
strongest contrast between the American and
foreign laborer. In the mills OF this country,
the usual lob" OF mailer is four machines,
each OF which is fed by man or boy. Some
sizes OF nails are cut from cold plates, while
from six penny" up they are cut hot. The
hot feeders receive 80 per cent OF the price
paid by the manufacturer for cutting the
nails, the other half going TO the nailers.
The cold feeders get two.htths OF the price Of
cutting their nails and the mailer three-ftths.
Say mailer has one machine cutting
si1-penny nails, one on eight.penny, one on
ten. penny and one on twenty.penny, the
feeders wages will average about S. 50, 80 90,
sll and $l3a week, In the order the MA.
chimes are named, and the nailer's receipts
from the four machines will be Si2 for the
week. This IL, Of course Hypothetical case.
The average Is not SO large, though when a
special run is made on large nails wages will
be higher. The average Is yariously stated
By nailers at "over $780," and about $685."
a. boilers wages In one OF the Wheeling
mills will average about SCI % week, and
bis helper makes $40 81 and the third
hand" %. ,,. ,,,..,.,,.,.. ,,o,,. ,,rr
The contrast between these figures aud the
starvation wages named AZ current In the
section OF England from which Mr.. Porter
wrote, prevails In as marked degree In the
manner OF living OF the same classes OF work
men in theEe two countries. The home OF a
Wheeling mailer when man oil family Is TO
be enyiea. 1t Is furnished neatly aud attract
lively, the family income enabling the vile
and daugeteis to consult their taste In, max
Ing the house q pleasant place for the hus.
band and brother. Upon the family board
not only substantial and wholesome food Is
found, but many little luxury 70 which
the EnglishMan OF the same calling IA
stranger. Meat three times day Is
common, md instead OF toiling ke slave
BY her husbands side for the means 10 keep
body and soul together, his wife Is busy at
home with household cares, which when
burdensome are lighted by the help OF hired
domestic. Many OF the nailers own the
houses they live In, and in common with the
in t1n fnSIlu tIhV
take pride In clothing and educating their
children as beiit their circumstances In life.
Many OF the feeders are themselves mar
ried men, aud they support their wives COM
fortably and creditably. or the younger
ones, all support themselves and many con-
tribute to thesupport OF large families.
THE KIND or PEOPLE THKY ARE.
A knot Of men were discussing Mr.. Porter's
letter last night, when one said: ~ can
name more iron workers without stopping to
think than you can count on your fingers
and toes who are recognized as among the
best men In Wheeling, liberal giyers to every
good cause, contributors TO chuch and party,
and as good livers as any man need want 10
be-
class OF people whose trade Is more valuable
to store.keepers. We are always glad to see
them, for we know they are liberal buyers
and good pay. Why, what account are such
people as those English working people In
community They can't do anything to
build up place; they can't even build up
themselves. And the poor house is their
hope and their fear. They are always haunted
by Tear that they will have to seek its shel.
ter, and It is their only resort when broken
dowh by age or sickness"
MINING aATTER1