WOMAN BLACKSMITHS.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 455, 19 March 1890, Page 4

WOMAN BLACKSMITHS.

From Birmingham I went on about fifteen miles to Dudley, what is known as the B’aek Country, and it is rightly named. Both in appearance and the conditions of its people a blacker, more dreary life could nob be conceived. It is the property of Lord Dudley. The ill-fated Johnstown, of Pennsylvania, did nob present a more pitiful appearance after its fearful disaster than does this landed property of a lord. Thecountry is divided into little hamlets bearing such burlesque names as Thibbett’s Gardens, Cinder Bank, Primrose Hill, Netherton Ruins (very appropriate), Crodley-Heatb, etc.

A description of one of these p’aces will suffice for all. Thibbett’s Gardens is a miserable, grimy, dirty path, with little hovels built along its one foul-smelling street, over which all sewage matter from roof and kitchen has cub little ditches. At the back of every d welling, and included as a part of the rent, is a forge with fireplace sufficient for one or more anvils. Here, at these anvils, the women and children of this pov-erty-stricken locality stand day after day, | until months roll into years, and years into a lifetime, swinging hammer and tongs, welding into every link' of chain their health, comfort and happiness. The doleful sound of the hammer and anvil, used by the mothers, is welded into evpry nerve and fibre of the unborn babe, and after its birth it is lulled to sleep by the same mournful cadence, and jts little body pests on the big bellows, or swipgs in the rude cradle that hangs from the rafters. Nails, such as are used in the bottoms of ships, hobnails for heels and soles of shoes, and chains of different sizes,Nos. $ and g, are the sizes made by these womeu, sorpe of whom are over fifty years old. ’j’he jrorj rod is brought froip the factories in poHs and the women have to straighten it out preparatory to using. They get 112 paunds of iron rod at a batch. They are allowed eight pounds for waste, and must be oqeountable for the balance.

Chainmakers, by working steadily, make 18 pence per day, which equals 39 cents American money. The rent of a house of two rooms, with forge and two anvils, Is 2 shillings 9 pence per week (66 cents). Qne good woman, of whom the clergyman who accompanied us spoke very highly, said she had lived in one house and worked at one forge for seventeen years, and in that time no repairs had been made, except such as were paid out of her own earnings. husbands and fathers of these chain and nail-maling v/omen ave miners, working ior such a miserable pittance that it is absolutely necessary for the mother, wife and daughter to live this cruel life.—Mrs Leonora Barry, in ‘Pittsburg (Jomiß<jrciaV ; • •