Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-10-19
BRITISH wORKMEN.
How They Work and Live In Shelf
field.

Julian Hawthorne In the Chicago News
Unfortunately there was time to examine but
one factory, but that was the famous Rodgers
cutlery works, the most important in Sheffield
and the most difficult of access ordinarily.
The point having been once yielded to US we
found nothing but hospitality. First we were
taken into the sales room, where the finest
specimens Of Messrs. Rodgers work were on
exhibition. There were a carving knife and
fork six feet long, wonderful jack-knife with
thousand blades, bowie knives deadly merely
to look at. pairs of scissors so small that half
dozen of them weigh but grain.
Thence we walked in a body, single file,
through the entire extent Of the works, and
saw the Sheffield blades from their first incep-
ton to their final perfect evolution. The
working rooms were small, shabby places, the
same as when the fathers and grandfathers of
the present workmen labCred in them genera
tons ago. The machinery was of the sim
plest kind, little more than rotary movements
communicated by BELTS The work is done by
hand tools and its surprising excellence de-
ponds upon the skillful fingers and unerring
eyes OF the men themselves. That is the
secret of Rogers cutlery and in general of
whatever is difficult to beat in English manu-
features. The operatives are so thoroughly
trained that they do perfect work without try
ing. 1t all bears al individual impress, which
constitutes Its charm and beauty.
SHEFFIELD woRKMEN
The workmen were evidently glad to gee ma
and gave US all the information we asked for.
They were sober, quiet-looking body of men,
not apparently of remarkable intelligence but
thoroughly adequate to do what they have to
do. Generally British workman has no am
bition or expectation of rising above the sta
ton In life into which he is born, and the con-
sequence is he makes himself in the course of
vaa fantt To do h,a ell
than the American can be, for the latter al
ways looking forward to an improvement in
his condition, passes from one thing to another
without perfecting himself in anything. The
products OF American manufacturers lack
certain finish and beauty that char acterize
those of England. On the other hand our ma
chinery, in which We probably surpass all ma
tons, enables us to effect results OF vast mag
| nitude, which, were they beyond reproach In
quality also, would render protection a SUPER
fluffy.
The same causes that improve the quality of
English products have a similar effect upon the
workman's domestic environment The house
or lodging in which he lives may be poor
enough, but it is the best that he ever expects
to occupy and therefore he makes it as COM
Portable as possible. Given the same wages
and l think the English workman is more
snugly housed than the American It is true
the latter may end in the White House. whereas
the former will live and die where he il, but
EVENING AMUsEMENrs.
The evening attractions in Sheffield are not
of brilliant character but they are novel TO a
stranger. In company with Mr.. Folsom, our
CONSUL strolled about the murky streets to
see what was to be seen. The manufacturing
operatives were out taking the driZZling rain
and foul atmosphere as matters of course. On
several street corners hand organs were
| stationed playing dance tunes. A dozen or
| more couples of girls were dancing with bare
heads and heavy shoes to these tunes with a
| remarkable. l also noticed that their steps
were singularly accurate and their grace of
| movement extraordinary. They clasped one
| another round the waist. pressed their fore
heads together, and thus locked performed
their evolutions. The mud puddles in the
Shiny streets were no hindrsnce to them.
| They danced on persistently, changing their
| step as the tune changed No men took part
in the dance. Mr.. Folsom informed me that
these girls begin to dance in early childhood.
Ii Is about their only amusement The hand
organs play every evening on the same street
| corners and the girls make habit of resortino
thither. He added that there were more
illegitimate births in Sheffield than in sny
other English town. The women, however, were
very orderly and well-behaved, and prostitu-
ton, In the ordinary sense, seems hardly 10
exist. "
At the principal theater Sensational drama
was being represented-"Man to Man. We
looked in during an act or two. The s.situa-
tons" followed one another with the sharn-
ness and rhythmic regularity Of blows on an
anvil, and the story was q very narrowing and
terrific one, but the audience was Infinitely
more entertaining than the play. Their emo
| tons were easily stirred and they never failed
to give immediate and overpowering nantes
tation to them. They took part In the play.
The pit, the real, old-isshioned English nit.
which has been improved out of existence else.
where, was here rampant in its ancient glory.
| The crowd reared and shouted, hissed and
howled They loaded the villain With abuse
and cheered and abetted the unfortunate hero
| and heroine. Nor was this motion imaaina-
tive. A few days previous, while this Sans
play was snscting, . crowd gathered before
the stage door after The Performance and in
formed the door keeper that they we're goina
70 hill . certain actress Who had psrsonsted
one Of the wicked character. Nhiie they
we're waiting one Of the performers, . good.
looking young lady, came out OF the door snd
| slipped through the crowd unmolested A fev
minutes later the door keeper told them that
she was the obnoxious person for whose blood
they were thirsting. At hrst they rsfused -
believe him, and then they vent near 10 lynoh-
ing him in revenge for having allowed them 70
b Hoodwinked