The morning call., 1891-08-09
TED ENGLISH
PI4-BROW LASSES.
An Interesting Portion Of Englanl'S
Working Masses.
How Women and Girls Formerly Worked in
the Mines-The Manner in Which They
Now Work at the Brow of Pits.
Special TO THE SUNDAY CALL.

"Pit-brow Lasses" of England and Wales
are about 5000 in number. They are the
girls and women Of all ages who are en-
ployed about the "brows" or mouths of
British coal and iron mines. No other
working women in England have received
so much not0rety from the press, owing to
various futile efforts in Parliament TO enact
laws prohibiting such form Of labor. and
among the lowly of England | have never
cOmeupon a more interesting or worthy class.
In former times women were employed
Yellow grass" IN the English mines, and
it is scarcely fifty years since. in 1912, that
all female labor in the underground collier
les was put an end to- almost solely by the
efforts of the late Lord Ashley. Whole
some restrictions upon juvenile labor in
mines were also imposed year later.
These female workers were chiefly girls
from u to 20 years of age, and their work of
drawing, or " hurrying,' as it is called in
Yorkshire, then consisted in dragging the
coal in boxes on sledgeS or in trucks on
wheels from the "stall where the collier
was at work to the shaft of the pit. Often
the miners would be cutting the coal, as is
now frequently the case, in a place not two
feet in height, and from one to two miles
from the only outlet TO the world above.
Through pitch-black passages, too low to
down steep inclines, they were compelled to
crawl, pulling the heavy loads after them,
or "thrutching" that is, pushing them from
behind. Frequently two or three children
were harnessed together to thus pull one or
more loaded trucks. Ieathern belts were
nut around their waists, and then the little
mes were fastened together by a chain
passing between their legs from one belt to
another, when the children clawed, scram-
bled and tugged along on their hands and
tees alter the manner Of foGr-footed ami
mails.
The distance these loaded trucks had to
be hauled was in most cases frightful In
stances are authenticated where grown-up
female drawers had to traverse over 5000
yards of rugged galleries and inclines each
journey. or in days work were compelled
TO travel a distance of thirteen miles,
always in g stopping and often in creep
ing, posture. The infamous treatment of
women in these mines is only known to
their maker The exposure of but the
faintest part Of all this wrong brought in
slant legal prohibition under the grayest
penalties.
But there was large number of women
left in every cOlliery region who clutched at
any manner OF labor that would sustain life.
4 few were already working with men and
lads at the pit-brow Gradually nearly all
OF this work-such as dumping the trucks
from the Cage" in which they are brought
40 surface" from the bottom OF the mine
~shaft, screening the coal and sorting out the
slate and stone,
LOADING THE CoAL-wAGoNs
With the coal ready for the market, and
carrying the coal-duSt to the ovens, where it
Is transformed intn cOke-came TO the lot of
y for name for them all, though many
were laSses no longer, and l have seen
women of 30 and 60 years working nimbly
at the screens, they came to be known as
Pit-brOw LaSses," and in time got nearly
q IL 6PYtrOuS
hands. But, few years ago, mutteringS
were heard in those districts like NOTthum-
berland and Durham, where no women were
employed, against the system. Then came
a miners conference at Birmingham in
January of 1885, and a resolution there
passed that women should not be allowed
TO work about the mines was cOyerty in
serted as clause in the Coal-mines' Regu-
latjon Amendment Bill, which came up for
debate in the house of Commons in March,
1886. This was followed by broadsideS
against women's pit-brow labor in the
Miners Journal and other influential
leader in the London Lancet. Then q vast
army Of female reform champions, headed
by Emily Faithful, who afterward confessed
her error IN the matter, began writing to the
press, writing to members of Parliament,
and, for atime, it seemed that the poor pit
brow lasses, as the bill was to be acted on
the following May, would be given short
shTitt at the mines.
linen one lone woman also arose. lnlS
one lone woman, almost unaided. defeated
the entire efforts OF the entire trade unions
OF England, conquered the opposition or in
difference of two Home Secretaries. Chiders
and Matthews, in succession, nodded public
opinion to the cause OF the pit-DroW laSses,
and achieved one of the most remarkable
social and labor victories ever won in Great
Britain. Her name is Mrs Margaret Park,
late Mayoress of Wigan. Her husband, de-
ceased 10 November 1890, was leading iron
merchant there, and perhaps the most pop
ulsr individual in LancaShire-the one ex-
ceptiOn being his wife. He was elected to
the Mayoralty Tor I'VE successive terms.
A.Ween 1882 and 1883, the same being
Counted an extraordinary honor, as Wigan
Is the Oldest borough in Lancashire, having
Il municipal history dating from the days of
chlvalry 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,
aud had all her life striYen for the better
ment OF the lOWly.
SHE Is A SHINING EXAMPLE
OF thoroughly cultured woman Of wealth,
making use of her gifts and means in her
own neighborhoOd, without requiring
EMISSION" or the recognition OF the Sunday
papers in order to reach the highest fruition
Of her genius for good. She consequently
knew these Lancashire folk in their every
day toll and in their homes. Naturally she
was beloved and almost idoliZed. And she
knew too. possibly because woman, and
because of intelligent studies and practical
ministrations, the merits of the pit-brow
woman question perhaps better than any
other living man or woman.
These 5000 helpless women had no de-
fender She ms tanty became one. By
clear and truthful presentations of their
morality, their healthfulness. their need and
that of those dependent upon them, and the
injustice of the proposed deprivation of tneir
only means of subsistence, with her ringing
urgency upon the influential women of En-
gland of the principle that all avenues for VOL
untary labor by women should be expanded
rather than restricted, such noted women as
!, Emily Faithful, Lady Latham and Lydia
Becker, Of woman's right fame, gave the pit
brow wOman's cause their support instead
OF opposition. lntelligently presented facts
and clear, cogent logic on the subject we're
at once supplied to Home Secretary Chill
ders and to members of Parliament With
the enthusiastic cooperation of Vicar
Mitchell Of Pemberton, an important col
liery town near Wigan, where a large num-
Der of women work at the pit-brow, great
meetings OF the pit-brow women themselves
were held, and these were followed by like
great gatherings III Yorkshire and Wales,
stegrily and bluntness. They are iannoek
y ght through" as they say in Lancashire
They not only have ready tongues, but there
was a, TO them, terrible conviction and ne
cessity behind their rude speech. Petition
after petition was dispatched to London.
These extraordinary gatherings of extraor-
binary women, with an extraordinary wo-
man as their leader, interpreter and deliv-
srer, had electrical effect throughout
Britain. A complete revulslon Of feeling
and conviction was the result.
The prohibitOry clause was withdrawn,
and the pitt lasses of England and
Wales we're destined to remain permanent
British institution.
But their first victory was temporary
0ne. The opposition appearing to graciously
accept defeat, were only awaiting better
opportunity. Jast year later, early in the
IprIng Of 'S7. word came to Mrs. Park from
London that the clause against pit-brow
~omen's work was again being pressed,
secretly but powerfully, and that there was
great danger Of the Government recOm-