Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-08-09

Her husband, deceased in November, 1890
was leading iron merchant there, and per.
haps the most popular individual in Lam
cashire-the one exception being his wife.
he was elected to the mayoralty for five
successive terms, between 1882 and 1888, the
same being counted an extraordinary honor,
as Wigan Is the oldest borough in Lanca-
snlre, having municipal history dating
from the DAYS of chivalry and the crusades.
The city is the center of the Lancashire coal
and iron trade 1t is district of collieries
and golfers. Mrs Park is a Lancashire
lady by birth, and had all her life striven
LOT the betterment of the lowly. She is q
shining example of thoroughly cultured
woman OF wealth making use of her gifts
and means in her own neighborhood, with
out requiring mission" or the recognition
OF the Sunday papers in order to reach the
highest fruition of her genius for good.
SHE LEAvENED THE WHOLE LUMP.
These 5000 helpless women had no de-
fender. She instantly became one. BY
clear and truthful presentations of their
morality, their heaithfulness, their need
and that of those dependent upon them,
and the injustice of the proposed depriva-
tlon of their only means of subsistence,
with her ringing urgency upon the infuen-
tial women of England of the principle that
all avenues for voluntary labor by women
should be expanded rather than restricted,
such noted women as Emily Faithful, Lady
Latham and Lydia Becker, of woman's
rights fame, gave the pit-brow woman's
cause their support instead of opposition.
Intelllgently presented facts and clear,
cogent logic on the subject were at once
supplied to Home Secretary Childers and
to members of parliament With the en-
thuslastlc cooperation of Vicar Mitchell,
of Pemberton, an important colliery town
near Wlgan where a large number of
women work at the pit-brow, great meet
ings OF the pit-brow women themselves
were held, and these were followed by like
great gatherings in Yorkshire and Wales.
This class of women are noted for their
integrity and .bluntness 'They are
iannock right through" as they say
in Lancashire. They not on
ly have ready tongues, but there was a, to
them, terrible conviction and necessity be-
hind their rude speech. Petition after pc
titiOn was dispatched to London. These
extraordinary gatherings of extraordinary
women, with an extraordinary woman as
their leader, interpreter and deliverer had
an electrical effect throughout Britain. A
complete revulsion of feeling and conviction
was the result
FOUGHT THEIR OWN CAUSE.
But their first victory was temporary
one. The trades unions, appearing to gra-
ciously accept defeat, were only awaiting
better opportunity. Just year later, early
in the spring of '87, word came to Mrs.
Park from London that the clause against
pit-brow women's work was again being
pressed, secretly but powerfully, by trades
union and other political influence, and that
there was great danger of the Government
recommending the measure, through the
then new Home Secretary, Mr.. Matthews.
Mrs. Park at once determined that the
pit-brow women should go in person before
Parliament and the Home Secretary. She
wrote and telegraphed. mine owners en-
ploying women to call meetings, explain
the threatened danger, and ask the women
at the mines to elect by ballot two of their
number from each mine to Join the deputa-
ton. This was done, the lasses bearing
their own expenses by subscription, so that
no taint OF mine owners interest could be
charged. A continuous ovation greeted
them all the way to London. Mrs. Park
had meantime secured permission from Sec
retary Matthews to present the deputation.
The women were lodged at the Girls Club
and Home, Soho Square. Their arrival
created the greatest interest and excitement.
Royalty itself never attracted greater
crowds They were taken to Parliament
House, and were also granted peep at the
House of Lords. The lawmakers of Great
Britain were won over in body.
A PICTURE FOR A PAINTER.
And SO the pit-brow lasses won. But
have often thought it a pity that some great
painter could not have caught this splendid
scene, where the hopes of the 1000 women
whose work and home life shall describe
In succeeding article-were centered The
Home Secretary of a mighty Government,
with all the austerity and insignia of State
surrounding him, reserved puzzled, yet
kindly; one woman, accom-
panied by famous women, lords and COM
moners, standing before him as petitioner,
her face-the prototype of that noble one
the artist has given us in Isabella before
whom Columbus is urging his cause-beam-
ing with infinite kindness and subduing
glances upon her irrepressible charges, yet
half turned in grave respect and apprehen-
sion to the one who could grant or defeat
their aims; and, to complete the picture, q
crowd of rosy-cheeked, buxom pit-brow
lasses, with heads craned eagerly forward,
their sparkling eyes wide with wonder and
alert attention, lips half parted as if to
"speak oot' OH the slightest pretext, and
every one of the sturdy wenches with mus
cles tense with anxiety, and the whole
figure, in posing and attitude, unconsciously
the embodiment of defiance and defense.
EDGAR l.. WAKEMAN.