The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-09-16

ole Wofk TOT an instant
Course . could" replied the other, apologst-
icall, but e ad shiI' for's baccy.'
Does thee know what pearch isF demanded
the old man. pausing for the first time IN his
work.
did not.
"a pearch tperch) o. land" he explained.
well, If thee was to dig twenty pesrchss o.
land for shin perch. and come Saturday
night the farmer was TO gil thee but nine and
six. How wouid'st like thatr This speech was
delivered with an energy the more startling by
contrast with the mans ordinarily mild man
ner, and then the hammering was resumed
What rent do you pay and what do your
tools costl'
Ii appeared from their reply, given at some
length, that a bare shop rented for sixpence that
new anvils used to cost e each, and forge and
bellows rather over f3 Now, however, there
are fewer nailers at work, and secondhand tools
can be bought very cheap. The rent of q shop
and house together ranged according to size
from two sbillings four pence to three shillings
week, say about 81 cents upon average to
which must be added a triae for taxes and the
fees Of the children at the board schools The
school board, they said, had hurt the nailers
greatly. Formerly lad was set to work at
eight and by the time he was thirteen he was
earning two three shilings week. The
schooling was better for the children, but il YVES
very, very hard upon the parents. With the
wages of the father never rising above seven or
eight shillings and the mother earning four or
FIVE, even the small earnings OF q child would be
great usciocs.
to advise them TO try some other kind of work,
for with their strength eapped bv long hours.
close confinement and lack OF food they could
not stand laborers work for single day.
The explanations were interrupted for mo-
mept by the entrance OF a lad carrying tea
kettle. which he hung over the forge fire.
whats thatf- asked
They boils the Dot over the forge IRE TO save
coal in tn ouse. was the aaswer. This practice
will answer in August, but the chances are that
~ iS kprt nm all I'm
days. causing much discomfort
'.And what do you 1.-Two upon7' was the ques-
ton naturally suggested by the tea kettle
Bread and tea"
''And what hours do yen keep'r
From 6 in the morning till 10 or ii at night"
replied the older man.
''Some much longer as that" corrected the
son. These nails pays seven pence, but there's
many as makes smaller ones at fl pence, aud be-
gins at 3 or o tn clock"
''How do you voter / asked Are you Con-
servative, Liberal, or Radicalf'
A sly reticence was ali at once noticeable in
moment account for He replied slowly, as il
feeling his way: 1--WE heard o. that votin'. No,
/ don't ave Eo vote"
why, yes y ave too" broke IN the younger
man. you're a Conservative. Some Of them
votes one way and some tn other" he added,
turning 70 me, "but il makes difference.
They be all the same and none does anything
for ua"
The old man looked at his needless son with
some distress. Somehow or other the poor
wretch had got the idea that WAS . member
OF Parliament, that was getting points for q
grand speech in 9TH 'Ouse," and that I would
most certainly see that something was done
about it if not vexed by finding the naisrs or
the wrong party OF the necessity of 'doing
something about it they were convinced.
Alas. They had to be Informed that had no
voice IN the House OF Commons, but was only
plain Yankee, who could do no more than put
he ~ daxyc srf nid oxafc her1
and turn away with heavy heart So long as
/ live / shall never look at pair Of English hob
nailsd shoes without shudder.
But the women blacksmiths.
Well, IL ie very simple The women black
smths are the daughters, wives and mothers of
the men, They have no household cares, having
no houses; they have no cooking. having nothing
to cook. And so they work all day eide by side
with the men, making, N ost Of them. a cheaper
and lighter variety Of nail, for which they are
paid the Incredible sum o four pence-S cents
per ]. 200. Passing down alley after alley of that
human beehive and looking in at the open win
dows of the hu,s as passed, saw them atwork
by the score, by the hundred In one shop there
were three generations at work. 9 girl who was
probably twenty. but looked older a middle
aged woman with her hair well streaksd with
gray and the old erandam, too. with her sanity
gray locks neatly cooled, pounding away for dear
life.
And what are they likei Very much, indeed,
like other women. They DO not wear trousers
like the pit brow girls OF whom "Thst Lass o.
Lowries' was a type Their dress Is like that of
surroundings, but plain and old and worn 10 the
last shred with patches aud darns everywhere
testifyine to the penury of the wearers. Their
faces show no trace OF any vulgarzation or
coarssness. All were thin and pale but other
wise pleasant featured enough and not without
a good natured word or smile upon occasion.
And of ell these poor wretches whom | saw
Tot one man, woman child showed any dis
IN hoO not ma hfnta r rnrSt hat At
feet was uttered--indeed, there would have
been excuse enough---nor was there the slight
est incivility. For genuine courtesy OF conduct
they would have compared very fayorsbly with
the well-dressed throngs that daily jostle one
another upon Regent street and the Strand, GER
tain OF their diupere.
The road from Bromsgrove to the station leads
through the pleasant green fields Of Worcester
shire, winding about between pretty vine en-
powered cottages, 'Fernleigh," "Summermode =
West View and the rest Of them. Tho Aug
ust sun was shining with rare brillisnce upon
scene as fair ever blessed the eye of man.
Now and then a carriage with well-dressed 90
culsnts leaning back upon the soft cushions
rolled almost noiselessy along the smooth
road. Hammocks hung upon shaded piazzas
and there were white tennis nets upon the close
clipped lawns. The hedgerows, the wonderful
English hedgerows. cheekered the gentle sw ell
ing hills, shutting of little fields OF grain or
grass where the houses were least thick, and
brooks trickled through the moist bottoms. 1t
would have seemed the fairest spot earth had
not the memory of the nailers' huts and their
pale-faced occupants, wistfully waiting for the
relief that never comes, blasted the scene and
made it hideous Is q nightmare.
1t was inexcusabe to dwell 60 long upon the
nalsrs. Their trade is of no especial impor-
tance, siuce only few thousand wretches are
engaged in it at Bronsgrove, Catskill and few
other Birming CHAM suburbs. Certainly it could
under no circumstances enter into competition
with American industry, since Americans are
not in the habit of carrying about pound or go
of nails in their boot solss. Even If our people
ever do become so English to require No. G
hob nails for shoes they will probably devise
some way of making them by machinery with
fair wages and reasonable hours.
But here is Birmingham itself, city which
has made some stir in the industrial world.
What is the matter with It'll Assuredly il 10 not
"all right" Five or 6 per cent. cf the work
mons houses are to let Business Is dull. wages
| low
| Here ia what Baedecker, the guide book man,
saws OF Birmingham:
The is also remarkable for the compar alive alb
of the poverty-stricken wretchcs that abound
in the streets of most other large English towns-an
immunity which il partly to the immense varie
ty of its in dustres and to the number OF Its small
masters" GOO separate trades)
This is hearsay evidence. 1t may have been
true once, but true it is not to-day. Small
masters mean for Birmingham home work,
where the enforcement of parliamentary acts Is