Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1903-07-09
GIRLS IN BELGIUM'S MINES.
The Country Is Unable to Find a Suit
able Solution to It's Indus
trial Problem.

Notwithstanding all the criticisms
and ameliorative suggestions that pre-
vail on social reform among the labor
ing classes, and the dreams of the
modern sociologists of both hemis-
pheres, the problem of how Belgium
can supply decent employment to it's
southern girls still remains to be
solved. The kingdom is only one
fourth the size of Pennsylvania, and
yet within its boundaries more than
100000 persons are battling for their
daily bread, says the Chicago Tribune.
Undoubtedly the American girls
pity their Belgian sisters and condemn
the act OF employing the weaker sex
upon dangerous and strenuous labor in
subterranean galleries, just as Belgian
servant girls and farmers daughters
have pitied them for many years; new
ertheless, the girls at work in the mines
make light of their sympathizerS and
seem more than satisfied with their
miserable lot. None of them would
voluntarily exchange it for the posi-
ton of a servant girl. Complaints sell
dom arise from their lips, no matter
what grave danger the days share of
work may involve or to what wretched
condition of servitude they may be
doomed
The mines wherein so many young
girls are spending the best days of
their youth are indisputably the deep
est in the whole world, some reaching a
depth of 400 feet, and their interior
is insuficiently ventilated; the air is
impure, the heat intense and highly ex-
plosive from numberless creyiceS ca
pable of Transforming hundreds of
toiling bodies into lifeless masses in an
unexpected moment. Numerous in
stances of such disasters are on rec
ord.
The clothes worn by the unfortun-
ate girls during working time are made
of blue linen Of the lightest weight,
and consist of large pantaloons the
ends of these bifurcate garments being
tied around the legs just above the
shoes; also jacket wherein the body
can freely exercise its muscular
strength. The hair is skillfully en-
veloped in a handkerchief, thus pro-
tecting the head from coal dust as well
as if it had never approached coal
mine. The whole outfit costs about 70
cents, and is changed twice week.
In full dress the girl of the Belgian
mine resembles bicyclist of her sex
arrayed in boomers.
For 10 hours work day in the
mines the Belgian girl earns so cents.
Cared Nothing About the Color.
Uncle Josh lin restaurant)-Say, hev
yew got emmy fish?
Waiter-YeSsah. We has black bass,
striped bass, bluefsh, an whitefSh,
sab.
81 don't keer nothin' erbout the color
jist so long es they be fresh."-Cleve-
land Leader.
ElVe TaTfcTIcs o. 49,
On the continent of North America
here are live varieties of wild sheen:
he white sheep OF Alaska; the black
heep Of British Columbia; another va. 1
iety living in the cold, barren regions [
bout Point Barrow, recently discov-
red and not yet classified; the Big n
Torn and the Mexican sheep, discov-
red only few years ago in the noun
aims Of northern Mexico.-Livestock
ournaL
Friendly Tip.
Miss Screecher-Papa is thinking of
living my voice trial.
Mr.. Bluntleigh-Weu, 1 hope for
our sake he'll not select a jury from
mong your neighbors.--Chicago Daily
ews.