Morning journal and courier., 1889-07-06


 shea6ng, or gathering, the flax into s'bests" in the field. After this 1t is oarted to the "steep-pond" and "rotted" or "steepedn from eight to ten days. Then the wet and sticky stuff is again oarted to the fields or
 snd saopna and oeT & ara that s
 flax may be again got into sheaves and
 "capped," as with the "grain.shooks" of America, for additional drying and curing. It stands in these for some time and is then taken to the "scutch-mill," ," where the roots, branches, withered bolls, woody heart and finty outer sheath are removed. The fiber comes from the "scutch-mill" in wisps, or 'strikes" containing about one and one-half pounds each. These are tied with a twist of the fiber into stone or fourteen.pound bun dies, and are ready for the little Irish mar ket towns, where the fax-factors or buyers, after much bullying and blackguarding, pay the farmer about six shillings per stone; and 1t is then store housed for use by the spin ners. It is curious to follow the different process es for the conversion of fax-fbre into linen thread ready for the weaver's uss-and all of these processes are carried on under one roof-in these great ,spinning-mills of Bell fast; and the most casual knowledge of the wages and general condition of the one hun dred thousand souls, who, from childhood to the grave, drag their dreary lives through the twelve working hours of every working day of the year, is something to make every working man or woman in America fervent- ly thank God for the privilege of striving in such country as ours. The first process is termed "roughing" The fibre is still filled with finty slivers of the fax-sheath. These are removed by drawing the flax through coarse steel combs, wholly a manual opera tion; and lads of from fourteen to eighteen years of age, called ''roughers," are em- ployed. In one mill saw nearly one huns dred "roughers" engaged in this work. It is stihing, dreadful work, the air being filled with a myriad almost impalpable particles pointed like steel. The constant inhalation fatal lung diseases. For the privilege of ex- isting while under these circumstances ! "roughers" are paid about nine shillings per week. The next operation is one of simi- 1 lar nature called ''hackling." Strengthened l in steel clamps the fibre is further cleaned l and combed by concentric steel teeth revol- wing towards each other. Machine tenders,
 called ",screwers," lads from eight to twelve years old, are paid from five to seven shil- lings per week for this work. The punches of flax taken from the machines by other | lads are laid crosswise in wooden frames. When one of these is filled it is called @ "tipple of fax;" and the "tipplers" are paid ! eight shillings per week.
 The next process is effected in the sorting-
 room. This is filled with benches, each pro- | vided with stationary double steel hackle ! or comb. A very coarse one "opens up" the
 punches of fsx without breaking the fibre, | and a much finer one is used in finishing the | combing and dressing. Flax "sortefs" are l undoubtedly the most skilful mon connected
 with any branch of linen manufacture.
 Their deftness in dressing and sorting is tru- ly marvellous Half dozen different grades
 of weight and color are often found in one bunch of flax; but when the silken stuff
 | leaves their hands thera ia mt A partiala nf
 variation in weight and shade in the shining,
 hair-like piles before them. The utmost
 \ these sorters are permitted to make is twen-
 ty-fve shillings per week. All the subse
 quent processes are in the hands of girls and
 | women The sorted flax is carried to the
 "spreading- -machines." These are provided
 with boards over which six straps, moving al
 the speed of eighteen inches per minute, run
 between cylinders to "spread" and "blend'
 different desired grades of dressing flax. A | girl standing at the right of each machine | straps with little wisps of differently graded
 fibre, 80 laying each wisp on each strap that . an even quantity is constantly being received | by the cylinders. This work is done with incredible rapidity. Proficiency requires years of practice, but the wages are bu
 eight shillings per week. The flax is deliv cred from the "spreaders" into cylindrica : cans in continuous shining "slivers," looking | for all the world like thin ribbon of con ! fectioners taffy. Automatic indicators rinl
 bells when certain desired quantity ha , | been wound into the cans. These are re moved, for the fifth process, to the "draw
 | ing" rooms, where machines, attended by women, double and .draw out" the "slivers of fibre, until when it leaves this process, 1T round numbers fully twenty thousand ? "doublings" of the fibre have taken place l l all for the purpose of "leveling," or evening ' l the 'ssliver" before spinning. The next ope T l ration Is that of "roving," where from sixt. to eighty 'slivers" are run through eacf frame, and wound by machinery upon spooll z into s'roves" ready for the spinning ma ! ! 1 chimes. The women thus engaged are knowI as t'rovers," and earn from seven to eigh 2 | shillings per week, set wages. The seventh and last process in the manufacture of liner yarns is spinning. This is so we'll knowr
 that extended description is unnecessary
 The great machines are fed from the Groves
 just mentioned, the flax "slivers" passing # the spindles, which make from four to si' v thousand revolutions per minute; the spul j. thread passing from spindle to spool wit |. such vibration and speed that 1t Is scarcel ia visible to the eye. All spinners are women a l I never yet saw human beings struggling fo IF life under such miserable conditions. The e are taken on as "helpers" at ten years of ag' l. and are allowed to work every other day fc n two shillings nine pence per week. FroI ,- three to five years of such labor are require IS to make them "full spinners," when the "a then receive only from eight to nine shilling n per week. For reasons which are claimed ,e necessary to manufacture, they are compellt n 1 to labor in rooms at temperature of nine 10 degrees, and from which all fresh air is e, g. cluded. have been told by manufacture if themselves that the escaping steam, t n dreadful odor of hot oils, the foul air ar i- the intense heat of these veritable murde G. pens, kill fully thirty per cent. of all spi ,d ners before they reach twenty-five years es age
 ce Belfast boasts of being great, thrivin sd rich and industrious city. So 1t is. o he hundred thousand souls are kept in slave " so vile and awful that there lives no hum Id who can fully reveal it's detestable and daI CT l nable oriminality. Practically by an unco in querable force of combination and capi of these one hundred thousand souls, fre r's babyhood to old age, death or the po'
 a house, are not permitted to earn more tn VII from fifty cents, the lowest, to four doll, Id. and eighty seven cents, the highest, wag ri- paid for eix days labor during twelve hol ne per day; for the highest wages paid weave he Is also one pound per week. It is no wond of that Belfast is rich in monuments; rich In- public buildings; rich in magnificent trs he palaces that vie with the most splen( he known in America; rich in vast and mlgl go manufactories; and rich in rich men @
 companies whose capital and credit are lin at less But I could show you some of ee- back doors to all this splendor that wo len make your heart ache ever. These one nl in dred thousand souls never know so long ,ng they live a comfortable shelter, comforta not bed, @ comforting meal or 8 new garme lay Every piece of attire secured Is from ust vile auctions of old Smithfeld, suppl fly. from the disease-breeding purlieus of Wh old chapel, in London, and the Gorbals, G
 at gow; while one-half of them all never sel- shoes on their feet. Vile tea and viler bre ing and never enough of that, constitute tf one entire food, save now and then bit of ' ,in- meat or fish of Sunday. They work ch- death. dealing pens and sleep in death -giv nto novels. They form more than one-third
 is the population of this great city; yer no reat cares for their morals or lives. They
 fa- sodden, cruel, vile; hated and hatel r a dreaded and dreadful; awed yet awful. z like if any American capital is to be increased ded the introduction of such methods; or II late American cities must become more prosl for ous through such murder Of human oelr
 Tn then civilization has gone far enough; an +ha were vastly better that we all become { shis s;es. or return to the tents and herds of l nto1 l Christian barbaric life at once.
 ;r,. EDGAR l.. WAXEMAl