The morning call., 1891-08-16
THEIR WORK AND
THEIR WAYS
Interesting Facts About the Pit Brow
LaSSGS Of England.
What 1t Is That They Do at the Brow of the
Coal Mines-The Picturesque Costumes
They Wear-What They Earn.
Special to THE SUNDAY CALL.

the coal dust would fill you with a feeling
| Oh revulslon and dread of contact with such
apparently saturnne creatures, and thrill
OF Indignation that women were enslaved
by such seemingly degrading work. Ac-
! quaintance with the work and the pitbrow
iasSes themselves will completely change
these first impre ssions.
There are five kinds of women's labor at
the mines. To make this clear TO those I'M
used to mine provincialisms, the five classes
may be called washers" "cobblers," Tip
pers, "screeners" and filters" or Jewelers..
The work of the former 1 found to be at
some mines to wash the dirt from coal in a
long shute under rough sheds. A rapid
flow of water filled two parallel troughs.
The women raked the dirt together
and got rid of it through traps in
the tronghs. Most of these women
were singing heartily as they toiled
They were under shelter; seemed to take
their work easily; the sound of the running
water was pleasant; and they told me they
would not like to exchange their work for
any other labor at the mines IL occurred
| TO mo there might be some connection be-
tween the running water and the songs, and
found it to be true. These are the only
lassies who sang always at their work. The
| purllng of the water through the shining
| coal affected these prisoned humans just as
| tiny hOuse-fountain will bewitch cOntinu-
| GUS melody from the Threats Of canaries and
mocking- birds in your window or conserva-
tory. There was the hint of the wildwood
4 In It; the whispered voices of the fields and
| streams; the endless call of natures II cart
to all that was responsive in their own.
| CoKE-BURNERs.
The "cobblers are the coke-burners. At
| many mines all sthe fine coal and refuse of
the screens is transformed into coke on
| their own premises. The women here from
the nature of the work are compelled to do
| considerable hard labor. Armed with long
handled shovels, they scoop the small coal
into arched doorways of the ovens with the
| same throw and force as and lar more
deftnesS and deXterity than the men, When
| the ovens are finally "charged" the women
| build up the doorway with bricks. which
| are plastered over. and the ovens are then
| left TO themselves for several hours. The
| coke Is finally taken out in the form of a
| huge lump, which splits easily in pieces.
! Here again the women are employed in
splitting the coke 'cobbles" or Jumps and
| loading them into trucks. The coke is apt
| TO cut their hands and the women are pro-
| vded with stout leather hand-guards. With
the aid of these they pile the coke into the
| coke wagons or cars until filled and then
| trim" the loads neatly, so that none Of the
! coke is lost in its subsequent railway jour
| ney. At most mines this work by women
| is out of doors in storm or shine, though
some of the owners have lately provided
| sheds.
The clippers" do the heaviest work accom-
| pllShed by women at the brows Of English
| mines. The shafts are surrounded with
| high metal platform, usually covered as
| protection to machinery and workers. but
| open at the sides for light and air. As the
Gage" comes up from the depths below
| with its load of six trucks these are removed
| from opposite sides, the weight OF each
! truck, chalked on it by the weighman be-
| low. shouted to the tallyman, who is boxed
in fr1n I'D Loaf of OIL hty
| tally-bOys, and as the trucks are pulled
from the cage by powerful men
they are caught by the pit-brOw
women, who shove them to the
| Tip" where the coal is conveyed to the
screens, and upset them. Each truck when
| empty must weigh 200 pounds. Its load of
/ Cool will rur from 600 to 800 pounds. 1t is
| geared on diminutive wde-tired whee Is, but
| at best is cumbersome bulk to handle. Yet
| two of these strong pit-brow lasSes will
| catch this truck as though it were baby
| carriage ana send it flying TO the Tip"
| dump it upon the screens by the aid of
| lever and burl it back to the cage for return
| into the mine Ina way that would eectrify
| even an American woman's rights pro
| moter."
DEXTERITY OF THE sCREENERs.
The work of the "screeners" while the
| most trying on account of the endless cloud
Of coal dust In which they are envel0ped,
requires less muscle than deXterity A
screen, kind of riddle of iron bars, working
| on the principle of an endless chain, is con-
| stanty carrying the coal, which has been
| dumped upon 1t from the Tip" above, dow n
along an incline into the coal-ears, or "wag-
| Ons' as they are called here, standing upon
| elevated tracks beneath. AS the coal passes
| along, the dust and fine coal used for coke
| making falls into chute beneath which car
| rles the screenings to storage bins below
] But here and there are clogs of dirt, bits
| of rock, pieces Of shae and huge faulty"
| Jumps of coal. All the shale, rock and dirt
| are picked from the screens by hand, and
| the way they fly from these pit-brOw
women's nimble fingers is wonder. A
| bystander is in danger of broken head,
and one cannot help thinking what mar
velOus contingent these women would make
| in a Belfast riot. They also have in their
| left hand a lOng-handled, tiny tut sharp and
stout spade. One crack or prod of this, so
| dexterous are they, will split into score of
| pieces the hughest lump of coal, which is done
| If it shows signs Of inferior quality. As fire.
| quentlv mines discharge from 1900 10 5000
tons Of coal per day over this double set of
screens. and every particle Of it passes un-
| der the inspection of eight women, four at
| each screen, some knowledge of the won
derful Quickness OF eye and movement on
the part of these pit-brow women can be
formed. No ship-sJoker ever came up from
| :he coal bunkerS more ebony black than
they all become after the first cage of the
| days operation has been clipped"
The Jewellers" or filters" attend to the
wagons or cars Though the coal is carried
In to them direct from the screens much
| tumbleS about on the tracks. This is thrown
| into the wagons, and when they are filled
| the women climb into or upon them and ad-
| Just the coal in the same manner as the
| coke-makers trim the coke-wagons. This
| girls from Ia to IS years Of age.
They =, scramble under, between and
| over the wagons with the agility of mon
KEYS, and every ono has snperb physical
| development. l saw one place her hand
| upon the bumper between the railway
| wagons, and with light spring leap upon il,
and from this, in another motion, vault into
the loaded wagon five feet above. Carry
| ing spade in her left hand, she only had
the use of her right hand; and yet no pro-
fessonal athlete could have accomplished
the performance with more grace or appa-
| rent case.
RosY-CHEEKED LAssEs.
English roses glow from English cheeks
and flame through the pail of coal on the
faces OF these pt-brow lasses. You cannot
sharpy.necks and limbs or daintier feet.
despite the ugly "clogs," in all the Dire am
full Andalusia. There is not harder. firm er,
inner flesh and muscle in any prize ring
their splendid hazel eyes. Their lips are
like the cockney's heart and spirits, cherry
| ripe" And you never will find more daz-
zlingly white or beautiful teeth in the
azores, In Cuba, or with our own c0lored
| people-the coal-dust performing the work
| OF magnificent dentrifice.
| Their picturesque costume varies at diff
ferent mines. AT some there are ragged
| lot indeed at their work. But at nearly all
| those pits which are the property Of single,
| costume of the great Pemberton mine,
| located two miles from Wigan, is in the
main in use. This was originated by the
late Hon. Mrs Blundel wife of Colonel
Blundell, Nj. p, owner Of the PembertoD, a
fund being provided from the purse of the
| deceased lady to furnish annually as free
| gift to each pit-brow lassie at that mine one
| suit for working use.
| 1t is of stout blue serge, and consists of q
| Jacket, which is sort of blouse in shape,
| snort petticoat reaching nearly to the
knees, pair OF trousers precisely like
| mans, and clogs instead Of shoes. Their