Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1892-10-01
THE FACTORY LASSES
SKETCHES or THEIR LIVES IN THE
GREAT LANCASHIRE MILLS.

EnplOyctA-hOw tho G1rlb Drehs anu |
Conduct Themselves.
For the recreation of their hands mills |
have no provision whatcver-as n rule,
that is. There arc few exceptions,
and only few. Unique certainly are
the Oxford mills Mt Ashtoa-under-Lyn
in connection with which the late Mr..
Hugh Mason founded a little colony.
For outdoor sports there is large play
ground, with swings, etc, and bowl |
ing green attached. When the weather
is unfavorable the hands can go to the
recreation rooms On the ground floor
of these is reading room literally sup
piled with newspapers and periodicals,
and having library of 700 volumes.
A coffee room leads OFF 1t, and from
that again the baths are reached. Up
stairs is a large lecture room fitted with
desks and with platform at the end.
Busts of great men are on pedestals !
round the walls. Scott and Burns are
in niche together, AZ is fitting, and
near them are Homer, Shakespeare,
Dante and Milton. Michael Angelo
looks at Raphael, Bright and Cobden.
Newton and Watt, Franklin and WASH
ington-nll are there; and at intervals
there are also hung portraits Of in
ventors and improvers Of cotton ma
chinery. In connection with these rooms
there is good brass band. Sewing and
other classes, too, are held, while during
the winter months concerts and lee
lures are Of frequent occurrence. OF
all this it should be noted Messrs.
Thomas Mason s. Son dcfray the ex-
penses.
From other portions of the district we
take the following. The secretary Of
cotton operative spinncrs' association Is
stated to have said:
Amy girl who wants work can have
it In the mills. That labor market is
never overstocked. At tho present time,
particularly in the spinning department,
some firms are shorthanded. Nowadays
many girls in Manchester do not care to
go into the mills; they would rather
work in the warehouses nnd shops"
"There has been an improvement In
the lot of the factory workers. asked
the interviewer.
"Yes." replied tho secretary, "in every
way; wages are higher. hours shorter.
But, mind you. hands have TO work
harder while they are at il because the
machinery runs faster aad they have
to look after more Of it Why, in my
Young days weaver ta,del only two
looms. now she tends four"
Throstle spinners, tue writer adds.
work with ~ little clothing as possible
and generally i'll their bare feet. though
some Wear slippers. CardroOm hands
wear straight pinafores, cut away at the
neck and with short sleeves The dis
tinctivs parts Of the mill girls dress are
clogs on tho feet and u small shawl
handkerchief. they are called-on tho
shoulders.
Woavers, though there Is nothing pc
culiar about their dress. can generally
be distinguished from other factory
girls. They have n personal trade mark
-their front teeth are often bad, and
besides many Of them have at times 4
peculiar gesture. Drawing in the breath
to suck weft through shuttle causes
the teeth to decay. The ZIMMERMAN is
similarly explained.
In a weaving shed the noise is 'deafen-
ing. You cannot hear your own voice
So tho veavers attract one anothers at
tention by shrill Whoo!" and con-
verse by means Of signs and by watch
ing the movements of the lips. They
are SO proficient in labiomancy that they
can follow n private conversation any
where if they can see the speakers faces
This circumstance explains n common
observation that .is otherwise enignati-
cal, Mind what tha'rt sayin" one
gossip will remark to another, glanciny
suspiciously at the object of their talk,
ZOOS wayver."
SoRae mill girls never do any house
work: their ignorance i'll which branch
of female education is consequently
colossal Hundreds cannot make pud-
! ding or pie for the life of them, and
the writer has heard of u lass putting a
rabbit in dish whole and making a
crust for it with suet. There are factory
girls on the other hand-aHd these are
in the majority-who take their full
share OF cleaning, cookery, needlework.
etc.
Asa sulc, too. the lasses are in evory
way respectable. When factory lass
and hey sweetheart go off on II "trip or
take week ut Blackpool OK Southport or
the Isle Of Man, as often as not she pays
the expenses She it is who in due course
buys the furniture-ays, and perhaps
the ring and all the resi-. Whether she
will stand treat III this or not, the four
loom weaver need never remain single.
Among factory girls she corresponds TO
the heiress of ordinary life, and us such
has no difficulty in obtaining husband.
When offsprings become old enough
they IRE sent to the mill, as their parents
were before thom. Tho typical Lanca-
shire woman does not like the idea OF
their aiming higher. AS they soon re.
ceive good wages thoir parents are rap
idly placed in comfortable circumstances
-,nore comfortable than they over knew
perhaps. This state is the factory oper-
stives summnm bonum-the position
beyond which he or she very rarely goes.