WOMAN BLACKSMITHS.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 456, 22 March 1890, Page 6

WOMAN BLACKSMITHS.

Hard Lot of the Female Toilers at the Anvil in England. From Birmingham I went on about fifteen miles to Dudley, or w'hat is known as the Black Country, and it is rightly named. Both in appearance and the conditions of its people a blacker, more dreary life could not be conceived. It is the property of Lord Dudley. The ill-fated Johnstown, of Pennsylvania, did not 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-Heath, etc.

A description of one of these places 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 dwelling, 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 every nerve and fibre of the unborn babe, and after its birth it is lulled to sleep by the same mournful cadence, and its little body rests on the big bellows, or swings 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 ot different sizes,Nos. and §, are the sizes made by these women, some of whom are over fifty years old. The iron rod is brought from the factories in coils and the women have to straighten it out preparatory to using. They get 112 pounds of iron rod at a batch. They are allowed eight pounds for waste, and must be oceountable 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). One 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. The husbands and fathers of these chain and nail-maldng women are miners, working for 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 Commercial.’