Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1885-11-20

in the highest degree all the physi.
cal characteristics ascribed TO it. |
The most lovely and the most pro.
tracted indian summer we ever
knew was in Wisconsin and Min
nesota, thirty years ago, before |
mach inroad had been made upon |
tie forests or prai'ies of the Upper
MississipDi.
THE EMPLOYMENT OF GIRLS AND WOMEN
At BRITISH MINES.
From The London Mining Journal, Oeto-
jer 10, 1855.
The employment Of girls and wo-
men at coal mines has long been
a standing reprOach to some of our
mine owners, and we find that the
subject has been taken upin a re.
cent number of the British Med.
ical Journal The writer Of toe ar.
ticle, however, is incorrect when he
states that, after diminishing for n
considerable period, there has been
a considerable increase during the
last four years. The total number
Of females employed at coal mines
in 1884 was HOS, of which 800 we're
between the ages of l3 and l6, and
3 between 20 and 13. In 1888,
however, the total number employ
ed was 4l79, of which one was be
tween 10 and 13, and 2SS between
Is and 1G, so that there was a de.
crease of 81 in 1881, as compared
with the previous year. OF the to-
tai of 1884 there were 1920 females
employs at the mines in Lanca.
shire.
Those who have visited the mines
in the county Palatine, it is need
less TO state, must have been great
~ surprised at the appearance of
the females on the banks of the
pils, for they can not easily be dis.
tinguis'ied from the males who
work along with them. There is
little or no distinction in the attire
of the two sexes, and when they re-
turn from work with their blacken-
ed faces and male attire they are
certainly no credit to their employ
ers, their sex, or even the class they
belong to. 1t is true that a similar
state of things prevailsi in tae mines
of Belgium, in some of which young
women even work underground. In
those mines the men work in com.
pauies of five or seven, and in at
tendance upon them are two yOnng
women, called the bouteur and
cbargeur, one collecting the coal
into a heap, and the chargeur fill
ing it into the tubs. The women
are dressed in jackets and trousers,
like the ordinary pitmen. The lat
ter receive Is. I'd. to Is. Sd. a day,
which, we believe, is rather more
than is paid to the Lancashire wo-
men.
There are some things which may
be worthy of copying from our Con-
tinental neighbors, but we certain
~ believe that we should do we'll to
allow Belgium the monopoly of fe-
male labor at and in the mines.
The late Lord Shaftesbury succeed
ed in forcing females out OF the
mines in Great Britain, and the
time has certainly come, in our
opinion, when they should not be
allowed to work on the pit banks.
Mr.. w. Pickard, the miners agent
in the Wigan district, states that
the miners, as body, are strongly
opposed TO the employment OF fe-
male labor at the mines, and dis
countcnance it in every way they
can. But many of the females pre-
fer it to going into household SER
vice. for they have more time at
their disposal. The only reason
that can be assigned for their en-
ploymeot is that they do certain
amountof work for less money than
il would be done for by men. The
work, however, is by no means
easy, for at many places II conslS's
of taking the coryes loaded as they
come from the bottom of the shaft
10 the screens and wagons and tip
ping them over. They have then
10 saie the corves back to the bank
The mine owners would now do
we'll TO endeavor to do away with
female labor as quickly as they can,
for it is not only an admitted evil
Lut is looked upon as disgrace to
our civilization, and there Is very
little doubt that il they do not the
new Parliament will deal with The
matter, and that in a summary
manner. But no legislation should
be necessary to Danish female la
Dor from the pit banks, the same
AS /. was from the underground
workings, which, in Che first in
stance, was condemned by publi'
opinion aud passed by Parliament
with scarcely any opposition
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0 cure 1t promptly by using Aver
U Cherrv pectOral,