322 THE RAILWAY NAVVIES. CHAP. XV. 



happened, it was not left entirely bare. His corduroy 

 breeches were retained in position by a leathern strap 

 round the waist, and were tied and buttoned at the knee, 

 displaying beneath a solid calf and foot encased in strong 

 high-laced boots. Joining together in a " butty gang," 

 some ten or twelve of these men would take a contract 

 to cut out and remove so much " dirt " as they denomi- 

 nated earth-cutting fixing their price according to the 

 character of the " stuff," and the distance to which it had 

 to be wheeled and tipped. The contract taken, every 

 man put himself to his mettle : if any was found skulk- 

 ing, or not putting forth his full working power, he was 

 ejected from the gang. Their powers of endurance were 

 extraordinary. In times of emergency they would work 

 for twelve and even sixteen hours, with only short 

 intervals for meals. The quantity of flesh-meat which 

 they consumed was something enormous ; but it was 

 to their bones and muscles what coke is to the loco- 

 motive the means of keeping up the steam. They 

 displayed great pluck, and seemed to disregard peril. 

 Indeed the most dangerous sort of labour such as 

 working horse-barrow runs, in which accidents are of 

 constant occurrence has always been most in request 

 amongst them, the danger seeming to be one of its chief 

 recommendations. 



Working together, eating, drinking, and sleeping 

 together, and daily exposed to the same influences, these 

 railway labourers soon presented a distinct and well- 

 defined character, strongly marking them from the 

 population of the districts in which they laboured. 

 Reckless alike of their lives as of their earnings, the 

 navvies worked hard and lived hard. For their lodging, 

 a hut of turf would content them ; and, in their hours 

 of leisure, the meanest public-house would serve for 

 their parlour. Unburdened, as they usually were, by 

 domestic ties, unsoftened by family affection, and without 

 much moral or religious training, the navvies came to 



