Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-12-25

blacklist, milk and rose complexion and
neck and arms that Washington City belle
would prefer rather than the value of all
the linen in the building. But their faces
are not SO bright as this coloring would in
dicate and there is not much jollity among
them.
They Have America in View.
And hundreds of young men are at work
here who were possible husbands for these
girls; young men with determined counten-
ances, working with America in view. And
there are old men and old women not few,
who are the fathers and mothers and grand
fathers and grandmothers of these youths,
some of these nearly bent double, probably
the result OF q lifetime of service
at the loom. And little people, less than
half grown, any number of them, are con-
tributing their mite of work to this great
industrial beehive, thereby increasing the
family exchequer This proportion of the
mill hands, however, are only permitted to
serve half of each day. The balance of time
must be spent in the village school.
The village of Bessbrook, better known
as the 'tModeP' village, is built entirely of
gray granite, from the same quarry that
furnished material for the great mills and
their Offices, and is occupied solely by men
and their families employed in the mills
The houses are square and built rather
monotonously after uniform architectural
plan, with little attempt at decorative effect
But tidier or more wholesome looking
village, it would be hard to find
There is no such element as
squalor in the town. Doorsteps
rival each other in cleanliness Flowers
are in nearly every window in the village,
and profusion of bloom ornaments the lit
tie yards and sldeTalks. The streets are of
Al
phalt During working hours the houses
are deserted except BY mothers with brand
new babies and children too small for either
school or the mills.
Even Death Doesn't Intrude.
A few doctors shingles was all we noticed
that suggested disease, death or decay in
the village. We heard OF no sickness, saw
no door with Grape on the bell, and, judging
from the extreme age of some of the old
people in the mill, we concluded that peo-
pie Of the ''model" village lust drv up and
are blown away on friendly breeze.
1 talked with one of these old men who
had been most of his life in the employ of
Mr.. Richardson, who, by the way, died
recently, and among other things he told
me Mr.. Richardson was an ardent admirer
of the character of William Penn, and then
told me the whole story of William Penn.
The main feature of the Penn policy, the
old man said, was the way quarrels were
settled, that if an Indian and colonist ''fell
OUT the case was to be tried before a iury
half of colon1sts and half of Indians, and
this he thought the only just way, but he
wound up with "things has changed since
them times"
1t Was an Old Story.
thanked the old fellow for enlighteninp
me in regard to the history of nv own
State, which he told us he heard had be-
come "the greatest State over there" and
we felt sure there had many men as old as
he lived and died in PENNSYLVANIA. who
knew its history more imperfectly than he
did. This same informant had the pleasure
Of hobbling with us to the showroom, and
calling our attention to the great linen
banner, which was made by this firm for
our Centennial Exposition, upon which,
with hfe-like accuracy. the shuttle had de-
picted Penn's dramatic treaty with the In
dians.
When Bessbrook was purchased, Mr.
Richardson's pet idea was to form colony,
in which there should be no temptation tor
the working people by means of saloons,
and in which party spirit should be dis
couraged and strong eadeavor made to in
culcate the Christian virtues of mutual for
bearance and respect. The model village
is the outgrowth of this idea So far as
wise endeavor could achieve its end, the
project has been successful, though it is
hardly possible in one generation to pro-
duce a total revolution in the habits of
very much mixed population, such as mill
workers represent.
Successful in a Measure.
However, there has been brought together
community in which the proportion of
sober, well-living, industrious and peace
able folk is greater, when compared to the
extent of the population, than in any
known town. That each inhabitant is
privileged to worship according to the die
the several churches of the village, which |