The Waco daily examiner. [volume] (Waco, Tex.) 187?-1888, 1884-07-13
English Female CanaI.BOaters.

talented with their lot. Most of them
he been born on the boat and are
4 kdled on the canal. One of the
men | met on the London & Bir-
krham Canal on a recent visit to the
as OF Northamptonshire, expressed
scli very frequently on the subject
n was hard at first she said, ito
n dav and night in the little cabin,
N | soon got accustomed to it, and
r. | would not leave the boat for any
h. to live on shore There is no de-
Mn that the work is hard, but poor
h. Enlc have 81 work hard wherever
may be. and ii is far plcasanter
I7ravel about with your home than to
in a small cottage, crowded to-
H&er. with ncighbors prying into your
H.. The wages are high enough for
81 roman to keep little home; if trade
shrisk three pounds Il week per boat
a, be cleared after the expenses OF the
|,e. ropes. etc, are paid but trade
~not ALWAYS good, in many cases the
,mily is large, and two homes cannot
kept up. Besides 1t Is ha" Tor the
master to be alone, ~ AS to the
hildrcn's education, on TINS point the
nod woman spoke "a II she had been
Iasb from the perusal of Ruskins
tes, trade against the three Rs.
do they want 10 read and write
81. she asked. "Ihcir parents have
ed all their lives without it; and if
xtn .brats' know how to work boat
are right enough. they are so
49,, vnatc rs to lay by some money. the
lkers accept Il cross instead of their
,,kr As signature; and ii they have to
Aceil letters well, there is one OF the
koars among them who does that
han trillr" But She was one of the
school. Leaving her and her here
Wa let Us now see what the life OF II
kingwOman ON II canaI-boat really
A., it may bc seen any day in the
on any of the Midland canals.
j. six in the morning. The ram Is
i,ring ON the low cabin roof and in
later outside; it drips from the
-, rs yet bare and wintry. and runs
h in inky rlls into the hold of the
Is. three of which heavily laden with
b>S and iron bars are drifting down
Long lIuckby towards the Wclton-
huston tunnrl. Two are drawn by
weary looking horses, at the other
hkeN pulls hraloly away besides his
companion. \ tiny boy runs be.
the first horse; the others are
lem by girls. One of them. a stout,
Faced dam-el with skirts pinned up
+ bonnet drawn over her eyes.
= along. needing neither the
tiug rain nor the heavy mud into
(h her feet sink anklr-drcp at every
Behind the pair marches a
pger girl apparently scarcely in
Gems. She has 4 pale. thin face,
holds long stick. which. when not
aS a support ON the slippery road
pplicd with cruel frequency To tn,
~ of the poor animak Mercy tC
. Edumb creation is pot II failing OF the
.. na-boatcr On thdprocc,sion moves,
!, it comes to theH loutls of Il tunnel,
; .;irr lies the black 'am-tlg. ready to
E,the barge II ron II is not long
, ,xIthat the luxury Il stcam-tug fol
. Ecanal tunnel WAS unknown thing.
: . work was done b '!cggcrs. Or
: wings projecting rom the from
e OF the boat, one a each side. they
: on their backs, pIV ling with thciI
: EpainSt the walls the crown o
!, kanal If the form was the cast
s : e frequently doneV women; il
htcr case 10y men. A large bu
, ! nWn number of vict IS slipped OF
: (. wing and found thci eath in thu
= depths below. I'll manner o
IN cimc is still kept up omc parts
: Em tugs are. however, nG gener
!. Introduced. and will badly be
= long altogether supd fde thl
toiyc mode of locomotig and rc
> women of one brutalitlA more
= Ok into the cabin OF on, the>
does not favorably imH IS thu
ENer. In the tiny >quary Incl
=. s As living, eating and Y PING
b for all on board RON ~
x Elc of bed-clothes is pc
g a corner. and ON IN le
= b. lies ii tiny baby. fast az N
hi it crawl two small childreisN
bed. half-dresscd, with matted NJ
= EliStless eyes Outside in the hatW
= stands their mother, her hand "
- filler, The rain runs down III
- ny face. and the wind blows n
Oh coat almost off her shoulder
- little She needs it rs she watch'
movements OF the boat. Al the DO
--''masler' is employed in fastcniI
NNyesSel to tie tug; his animals al
~ chcd, their drivers mount them Al
nt to rrioiu the boats nj the 9th,
-.ot the hill. the ropes are drawn il
Intern i, lit. and with shrill whist
ltlg enters the tunnel, The hal
- = Journey through the canal-lunn
fmo,t unpleasant part of cana
equal ~ Tourney, Utter darkness rc.gnS ;
hd. the water SplashcS oyerboai
hhe hatchway from the Shiny wall
G c0t tricklcS through the ceiIings
b. filthy drops. The steam ar
miug!e with the presidential al
make you gasp for breath. {
hnlaetnssbgh a canal tunnel, and you vi
some mthe souls Of the departed c'o>,ir
les the s.tyN, when it rains ia hadcs II
e pe st nv Zen crouch in Il corner. the bal
1t msnulalS on It's greasy couch, the voms
motionle>S by the tillG al
the master is | wot not In Il
on Il pee the light is glimmering fro