The record-union., 1891-11-14


the entire canal folk OF England in homes
along the canal banks. Evils, OF course,
still exist, but the change for the better
has been of marvellous character.
George Smith of Coalville not only
brought about both the great brickyard
and canal-boat reforms, but he has been
as persistent an agitator in seeing that
the provisions of the two bills Were car
rted out. He has tramped thousands of
miles in doing this; his long flowing
white hair and beard, his kindly smiling.
fatherly face, his powerful figure, his be-
nlgn, though piercing eyes, which seem
to instantly penetrate the very marrow of
incidents, home lore and secrets of water
side, brickyard and gypsy communities,
being familiar everywhere in England
among the lowly. His face, form and
figure are just as familiar in the streets Of
London among the haunts of the rich.
where he comes with blunt words and
ways to make the fortunate help the un-
fortunate, and he gets it, too. And no
man within the walls of Parliament
house is more known, noted and beloved.
even by those who oppose his efforts in
behalf of children, than is the man who
has no actual right to any of the countless
privileges which are his; who refuse to be
sent to Parliament by those who would
be proud to give him a seat, but who, by
general and genial Sufterance from Lords
and CommonerS, IS practically the Hon.
George Smith of COalville, member for
Everywhere, and representing constit-
uency more powerful than any statesman
or leader-the millions of British chill
dren whom billions of British capital
would otherwise remorselessly enthrall.
One cannot speak of the English canal
folk without telling of this unique and
grand personality. Tramp from one end
of England to another, and the first and
last words you will hear among them will
be, George Smith of Coalville" Simple
and ignorant lot as they are, they re-
aliGe the heathendom OF their former con-
ditiOn and the contrasting manhood,
Womanhood and genuine respectability
that have come to be almost universal
among them.
The chief communities of these people
are found in Staftordshire, Lancashire,
Warwickshire, Worcestershire, North
London district, Shropshire, Cheshire
and OXfordshire. Perhaps they are
densest at Birmingham, Manchester,
Goole, Wigan and Runcorn. The extern
sive distribution of manufactured goods
in Birmingham; of imports as well as
manufactures at Manchester; of York
shire imports and exports at Goole, by
way Of the seaport of Hull; the tremend-
Gus shipments of Lancashire coal at
Wigan, and the bringing of the Cornish
white clay to the Statiordshire potteries
through the Mersey via Runcorn, with
the return craft laden with pottery wares,
account for this.
All the English midland canals are of
far less capacity than our own. The bot
toms are in the form Of an inverted arch,
and the locks are only seven feet wide.
Consequently canal-bOats here are very
diminutive. They are usually only from
twenty-five to thirty ton boats, six feet
and six inches wide, siXty-tive feet long,
and with only three feet of keel. The
cabins are therefore scarcely one-fourth
the size of those of our boats. They are
only five feet wide and high, and eight
feet long. From three to four feet of their
hight protrudes above the deck. The ex-
posed sides are always covered with most
wonderful paintings representing the
highest expression Of art among those
lowly folk, and dog kennel invariably
Surmounts the decorated cabin top. With
in this two hundred cubic feet of space
are a bed for the boatman and wife, a
bunk beneath for the children, a stove,
locker and hanging table, with an extra
ordinary collection of crockery and cook
ing utensils considering the space, and
opposite is a bench which is the parlor
and dinIng-room by day and boudoir for
grown up son or daughter, or male
crew at night.
Sg
folk live well, but everything is boiled.
Hodge-podges of beef and herrings, with
the vegetables, which are got for song,
or for the pulling, along their pleasant
way, are the favorite. In former times.
when their condition was more heathen-
iSh, their food, and all canal boat family
affairs were on level with beasts. They
are now more intelligent, independent,
and, as consequence, better paid. More
than two-thirdS live in their own homes,
and while still conducting the boats, as
families, the little cabins are almost
wholly in the nature of temporary accom-
modations for short journey. Besides
fully one-third OF the boatmen now own
their own boats, as with our own canal
lers. Another one-third hire boats at
about ten shillings per week, supplying
their own help, animals and food, and
earning good profits from their RESPONSE
bility and labor. The remainder are
owned by manufacturing concerns which
employ their own boatmen.
The dress OF these lowly people is quite
distinctive and often UNIQUE. The men
are always attired in flannel jackets and
shirts, open at the neck and with gaudy-
colored, or black handkerchief under
their wide collars, similar to the London
costermongers, a billy-cock hat or fur
cap with visor in winter and summer.
moleskin or flannel trousers, and heavy
hob-nailed boots, in the front of which
there must always be leather tongue or
flap, which falls down over the foot, and
which is invariably decorated with ali
manner of curious nOtches and punct-
ures. All the women and girls wear
flaming quilted calico hoods, similar in
appearance to q small lold-fashioned ''sun-
bonnet" Aprons match the hoods. A
tiny red shawl, pinned at the throat by
massive brooch, falls over the shoulders.
Ilpn a &c, l. xNroI,
dark in color, with short petticoats, and
beneath these appear high navy" hob
nailed boots, laced with stout leather
thongs. Underclothing is absolutely a
supertluity.
The girls and women steer the craft and
drive the animals, usually broken-down
cab-horses, or asses, sitting astride. ONLY
about thirty miles distance per day is
made, as the English canal-boat ALWAYS
stables" Tor the night, and all ''reliefs"
OF labor are indicated by landmarks, such
as tunnels, locks, inns and bridges, and
are not made at stated hours. At the side
Of every English canal are found little
inns, no more than mile apart which are
always public houses, where there are
also canal-side wharves. These inns pro-
vide stabling for the animals, and sell
their owners bags of horse-food consist
ing OF mixed chopped hay, oats and
horse beans. Arrived at one of these for
the night, the crews repair TO the tap
room where "four-ale'' or rum, as is the
custom among the laboring classes every
where in England, are drunk sparingly.
while yarns are spun and ancient and
savory pipes are smoked, until the clos
ing, at 10 o clock. AT that hour an hun
dred thousand canal folk are turning
in" for the night in their tiny cabins,
moored beside the bosky banks of canals
in the slumbrous English valleys-the
woman first, the men afterward. And
all these hundred thousand now civil.
simple and honest folk are up and away
at O'Clock in the morning.
EDGAR l.. WAKEMAN.