The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1883-03-22
weird forms Of these shadowy creatures,
doomed to never-ending industrial tread.
MISERY AND DISTRESS.

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In some cases found mothers and three
and ever four, daughters at the forge. II
most OF such instances the father, I wat
told, spent his time in the public house
and the united earnings Of the entire fam
lily would be less than IS. Many Of the
nailers actually sIatve, and cases Of the
deepest sorrow are not uncommon. "Mis'
cry" as the London Standard correspond
ent wrote, 80 deep and dreadful that the
most graphic pen can but family convey
its depth Of sorrow, are witnessed" Now
that have visited this region and walked
through II, and conversed with at least a
hundred Of these industrial slaves, ! am
ready to add my testimony to the facts
contained in the letter written from Edin.
burgh Christmas Day mo. 81. In
reply to some Democratic members Of
Congress who have proclaimed in the
House OF Representatives that the Edin.
burgh letter was chased on hearsay.nn. !
can simply say that have not half told
the misery Of this district, and Of dozen
other industrial districts in England, and
that II any one doubts the facts, / will
gladly take them with me 10 any OF the
places / have visited for the Tribune and
let them zee with their own eyes. It is all
very well to gloss these things over and
keep them out Of the newspapers, as they
do in England, but the poor in England
are day by day and year by year getting
poorer. Not long ago, journalist OF
ability undertook to show the desperate
condition Of the working classes here. l
do not mean, idle, worthless, good.for-
nothing people, but just such industrious
people as those described in this letter. He
sent the result Of his inquiriesto a Liberal
journal and the manager refused to pub
lish the facts. He wrote: - .7H /
at Is better not to call attention to such
matters 1t could do no good" = ~
In this way they hope 10 temptthe United
States to throw down It's protective barriers,
and at the awful risk ofbringing our own
labor to this condition, give back to Eng.
land the esixty millions Of customers she has
lost in so many important branches Of
industry. "a
Itis time the truth about industrial Eng.
land is told. Tile London Standard has
dared to speak out on tho condition OF labor
in the Black Country, and when that paper
makes the following statement1 can say
that actually accords with some OF the hor-
rible facts which have come within my OBJ.
servation during my stay in this dismal
region. mo-
"Women within few days Of their con.
tinement have been known to work in the
agony OF exhaustion, in order to earn a
few pence at the "hearthp-not the
"hearth" OF home, but the hearth OF the
"lorge"; they have been known to return
to work in day or two alter childbirth,
emaciated in constitution, weak and weary
for the want OF simple nourisbment, Their
children, ragged aud i'll fed, haye had to
lead miserable and wretched liyes, with out
hope before them but a lie OF wickedness
and vice." -sl It sl..I..
PATHETicP PATIENCE.
Does any one in the United States fully
realize how these poor creatures can live
on the few shillings week they receive?
1t has been truly said Of the nailers that
they bear privations with pathetic patience.
l must say that in my walks among these
poor men and women was often struck
with the truth OF the above remark. At
Halesowen, where found so many young
girls working the ''olivers" and turning
out heavy bolts, many Of them were
solacing themselves with songs. Some Of
these ballads, though destitute OF rhyme,
are full OF reality. For example the "Nail.
er's Lamentation" opens with some verses
on the meagre pay, and then the mailer and
his wife sit down ITO help to cut it out"
1t matters little to those poor fellows
what the cost Of clothing is, for they can.
not getit. Taking the net earnings the
man, his wife, and his little daughter,
which l have shown in the above tables
was less than l9s,, and here is what he can
buy for it. The man and his wife sat down
with me and gave the facts with great de-
tail and care to 'get it exactly right" n q