The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1892-07-01
A Hurried Glance at the Indus
tries Of Lancashire.
BEGGARY AND WANT.
Some Wage Figures for a British
Iron Worker.
THE EXPENSES OF LIvIN G,
A visit to One OF Liverpool's Three Great
Workhouses - Enormous buildings
Where Thousands are Housed and
Dozens Die Every week-On to the
South.
rcopyRIGHT 1901


LIVERPOOL, June 15.-Leaving Glas-
Cow for Liverpool from st. Enoch's sta
ton, on pleasant afternoon, gives one,
while rushing through the country at
forty miles an hour, an opportunity of
seeing some very beautiful sights. Green
fields, enclosed squareiy by shrubbery,
immense pasture lands with hocks Of
sheep grazing about, little hills and
dales, while off in the distance smoking
chimneys peeping at intervals serve to
remind one that there are industries and
towns even here.
In this way the hours feet by, until
with start and a jump, you are travel
ing through the tunnel and emerging
know at glance you have reached that
great shipping centre, Liverpool.
Liverpool is the second city and Arst
seaport in England. Situated about
three miles from the sea, strongly forti-
fed, and with unquesticnably the finest
docks in the world, the city with pop
ulation of about 800, 900 people, and the
largest centre Of transatlantic traffic.
attracts many strangers within its bor-
ders. The highest ground in the city is
but $50 feet above the level Of the sea,
which considerably assists pedestrians
and permits more sightseeing.
Let us glance for a moment at its
peculiarities. In place of watering-carts
with two sturdy horses, we see one or
two with one dejected-looking animal,
and the balance in the form of barrels
on wheels, pushed about by men, which
sprinkle when chain is pulled. Lum-
Der yards, grocers, butchers and mer-
chants Of all kind, adopt "a sort of two
wheel cart, similar to those Of our ped
dlers. Over store windows often hangs
the sign Potato Merchant"
Continuing our walk late in the even
ing we see men, women, boys, girls, and
almost infants, selling papers, matches,
books for "a penny, toys and trinkets.
This leads us at once to think there are
too many people at large, in the city,
considering the hour. This may be TO
some extent true, but found after con-
versation with them that many worked
all day, either at trades or elsewhere,
and were absolutely obliged to do some
thing of this kind at night, to provide
the necessaries Of life.
Another popularity was that nothing
was offered for sale for more than a
| penny e cents), while in America 10
cents is often asked for articles on the
streets.
Now to work, and first / will give you
an example of an iron worker from Mid
dlesboro, Cleveland county, in the north
of England. This man was ekeing out
precarious living and endeavoring to
send money to starving family when
met him. Here are the facts of the
case: Employed in one of the largest
iron foundries giving the name) in the
place, almost $500 hands employed.
On account Of a strike in the mine
through which their coal supply came,
1900 men, most of whom had families,
were thrown completely out Of work.
These people are actually slowly starv-
ing to death. and are wholly dependent
on outsiders. Many landlords demand
money, although few are somewhat
lenient. This man was considered q
competent workman, having served as
an apprentice some six years before re-
ceiving anywhere near the sum given
below. The figures given are exactly as
was told me.
EXAMPLE.
Man, wife and three children. Lived
in two rooms.
Foreign. American.
Wages per week........... 81 8. t0.s6
Ialu rent w
Iaid school TAX so OS
Leaving. .......... ....fi 3s. 81. t5.72
With this difference he must provide
food and clothing. Below are the
pricae raid for Soma of tho nacacsar;ac