THE MINER POET.

Colonist, Volume LI, Issue 12493, 20 March 1909, Page 4

THE MINER POET.

Dr Spence Watson (says the "British Weekly") considers Joseph Skipser, the minpr poet, was, on the whole, the greatest man he ever knew. Thieequarters of a century ago there was, he says, no man among the Working classes who had the proper means' of -subsistence ; all were on the brink of starvation. .Skipsey was a -miner, and the son of a miner, but ho was not shut put from opportunities of reading, aildthe most interesting part of Dr Watson's book is his account of a mining village called Hlankworth, which he described as always a "centre of intellectual life. "Indeed, few people have any idea of how much- of this life is to be found in many of our pit villages. I cannot but think that one great agent in making tlie more thoughtful of our Northumbrian pitmen the really cultured men they are (using the term cultured not simply to signify book learning)" has been the prevalence of religious societies amongst them." Joseph Skipsey remained in Backtfortii till the year 1882, when he was fifty years old. His friends found places for him, among them being the curatorship of Sliakespeare's house at Stratford-on-Avon. But Skipsey could not endure the work. He hated to show Americans round, and he became doubtful as to the truth of the story he had to tell. In the end he had a small Government pension, and was partly supported by. his family. Skipsey wrote some criticisms which show individuality, but Jiis reaj claim to distinction is his verses, the merits of which were recognised by that generous critic, D. G. Rossetti, and others equally famous.