The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1895-07-24
MINERS OF DURHAM.
How the English Pitmen's Wives ana
Daughters Fare and Dress.

How the English Pitmen's Wives and
Daughters Fare and Dress.
The belief that women and girls
work at the pithead in all GOAL get
ting countries is generally prevalent
in the south. The women of Dur
ham would scorn suoh suggestion.
They are quite as comfortable and
we'll fed as the wives of we'll to do
shopkeepers of the third and fourth
rank, and unless in the time of
strike never feel the pinch Of cold
and hunger-too common in tho fam
lilies of agricultural laborers. They
are distinct class, these Durham
miners wives, with characteristics
of their own. As a rule, they are
plain featured, and their figures are
such as M. MARS" could not even
conceive, seeing that he gives an
English nursemaid the waist of
Partisan. Healthy, round faced,
with lousy hair and much fringe,
the pitman's lass is generally ready
with her tongue. This indeed would
seem to have been acquired by a Ger
tain selective process, for looks go
nowhere with the average pitman.
A positively ugly, bouncing girl with
ready repartee will have a score of
admirers, while the uncommonly
pretty girl, especially if her beauty
tends toward refinement, is left in
the cold.
An extreme love Of brilliant col
ors prevails with all ages. Puce,
striking blue and magenta are the
chief favorites, and Sundays the
more adventurous spirits love to
come out in a rundown collar of
coarse lace and a string Of huge imi-
tation pearls, surmounted by hat
like flower garden. Good nature,
as a rule, prevails. Lavish plenty
and general kindness seem to be
the rule in their homes. This does
not fit the girls for the discipline of
service.
"Now ye can gang and troy ut,
and if ye doesna like ut ye can COON
back in week. is the general rec
ommendation with which girl is
launched into domestic servantdom.
In their homes the fire is always
roaring up the chimney day and
night, for the pitman gets his Goals
supplied free. The girls are thus
generally ignorant Of the most rudi-
mentary principles of fire laying. |
They are exceedingly kind to chill
dren, but in other respects their
training is an onerous task.
- When they come to be wives in
their turn, and they marry very |
young, they seem to pick up the |
principles of cooking by instinct. |
Go into any pitman's house about |
half past 4, the time the men gener-
ally have their dinner, and you will
meet a savory smell. Meat always
and plenty of it and great loaves of
home baked bread, with jam for the
children. Yet for all this rosy face
is the exception. The women look
healthy enough, but have no color
in their cheeks. They age rapidly,
though of course there are exoep-
tons. I myself know blooming
woman, who does not look a day
over 80, who is the mother of ID
children, all living at home, and
when the eldest daughter married,
and her husband died within the
year, leaving her with one small
baby, the grandmother opened her
heart yet wider and said, LET 'em
COON and live wi us; there's plenty
for ALL
The girls sometimes take in dress
making at home. They like this,
as they are more independent than
as servants and can keep what hours
they like. They are frank and free
spoken, not Intentionally rude, but
considering themselves the equals Of
any lady on earth.-London Queen