The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1891-08-01
WAKEMANFS TRAVELS.
Liverpool, England, and the Million
Souls Housed Within
HER BOUNDARIES AND SUBURBS
Little Consideration for Her Work.
ingmen.--Poor System of Libraries,
Art Museums and Charitable Instl-
buttons,

It's maritime interests are enormous
and commercially 1t no doubt ranks at
the second city in the empire. It is a
hard, practical city. It's business mer
and factors are grim, severe fellows
stern OF decision Us New York million
aires, and restless, diligent and uncon-
querable as the men who haye set the
killipgpac in Chicago.
There is little room for pleasant
things in Liverpool. It's chief and al
most sole gallery OF paintings was given
the city by graduated rum seller,
whom Victoria out of surprise
and wonder no doubt, made "a
baronet. Although one OF the
worlds greatest depots for the book
collector, 1t has but one library OF note
available to the public. Charities are
done in perfunctory, petulent man
ner, although the helpless were most
ilI.mannefcd in selecting busy Liver
pool to starve in. And Its hundreds Of
thousands of working men aud women
are treated with less consideration than
cattle.
With few shining examples, 1t is a
city OF commercial Gradgrinds on the
ON the one hand and public house devil
fish on the other. The lowly have a
sad lot between them. Nobody here
wants It that way. Nobody here be-
lieves 1t is that way. A few men, like
Sir James Poole, are endaayoring to
help tho masses to better things, and
are finding a little time from business
affairs to do something practical and
good. But as rule the men who own
great fleets, who exchange half the
English-speaking worlds raw and man
ufactured products, push forward in
their money-grabblng career like auto
nations OF stone, and their follow hui
mans are counted as coal, iron or cot
ton are computed in loss or gain.
In studying the condition OF the
lowly of any great city, the demand for
labor, wages paid and the cost Of living
are the first things to be considered.
These things indicate how the people
might live, il possessed OF all prudence
and sobriety. How they really live and
why is another matter.
There is seldom dearth OF labor in
any great seaport. Liverpool has nj
ways stood high in percentage of labor
demand. The city has never been sub
ject to the relentless overcrowding Of
manufacturing towns like Leeds, Nam
chester and Birmingham, or the de-
structiye greed Of tremendous and end
less immigration, as at New York. 1t
1t is the greatest eitrepot IN Europe.
The landing, handling, and reshipment
OF nearly all north and South American
products exported to Europe, and the
reshipment to all quarters OF the globe
of the greater part OF the stupendous
quantities OF British manufactures, are
done at this one port. Its warehouses
and docks are almost inconceivabiy nu-
merous and extensive. Fifty thousand
men are alone constantly required in
the various forms OF dock labor. This
fact will sufficiently indicate the almost
Ineasureless business ramitications re-
quiring uninterrupted service.
STEADY LABOR
and plenty OF it is the rule. The least
possible wages upon which the workers
may exist also prevail. The best paid
men among the $4,000 laborers en-
ployed upon the docks are the steve
dores who load and unload the ships
Bumpers" they are ealled-who get five
shillings per day, and the dock porters
or goods handlers, who receive six
pence less. "Lorrymen" or cartmen
with two horses tandem earn thirty
shillings, and, with one horse, twenty
six shillings. The police are paid from
twenty to thirty-two shilling, with cor
responding deductions to eventually pay
for their own pensioning when too old
for further service. A gateman ut the
Exchange railway station told me he
had been in the same service sixteen
years and had never received above
nineteen shillings per week; and no
manner Of employe about these great
stations is paid upwards Of twenty
shillings.
All grades of clerks, porters and sales
men and women about the markets re-
ceivc from eight to eighteen shillings.
Tram-car drivers get as high as twenty
four shillinSs, but conductors, mover
above twenty-one. BARRIERS, caretRkers
or janitors and wutchnien, milkmen,
bakers men, grocery and market trap
drivers, express and railway package
and freight collectors, receive only from
ten to eighteen shillings, while corpora
ton day leborers are paid from sixteen
10 twenty shillings per week.
Liverpool cabmen are the most woe
begone lot OF their kind in the world.
Cab owners occasionally rent hanson
or brougham to o trustworthy fellow at
a stated sum, but theretl re not ffty out
OF nearly 5000 that have arrived at this
dignity in their calling. The remainder
get. from twelve TO eighteen shillings
per week. Ono pities these fellows.
They are lame, halt, blind, veinous-
nosed and palsied, without sufficient
spirit for genuine viciousness. l had
thought the Havana cochcros the most
beggarly set OF these fellows on earth.
But ii you wish to observe ut one
study all that could be seen in all the
British warehouses, refoHRatories and
hospitals for incurables, station your
self anywhere on Crosshall street, op-
posite the municipal buildings, near
st. Georges Hall, or at the landings
on any steamer arrival day, and cast
glance down along a line OF waiting
Liverpool cabmen. have asked sew
eral cab-owner why, In the name OF hui
nun existence, such mockery OF wages
is paid.
6W'y, blow their bloody l'eyes! they
rob us juss SO much hany 'ow," is the
universal rejoinder,
Couldn't you book them for each
trip and fare?"
10 aye, some hon us doocs that VERY
thing. Then they rob the fare (passen-
ger) at tn bend o the journey, an
picks oop a back.fare hon rs beside.