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Rural Industries at Llanymynech MRS. A. BAILEY WILLIAMS. A. ROPE-MAKING. Mr. John Jeffreys of Llanymynech, who is 83 years of age, started as a boy aged 10 to work for Joseph Powell, rope and twine manufacturer, of Roodee Ropery, Chester, who with his sons carried on business at Llanymynech. Uther ropemakers in the vicinity were McGumey's of Oswestry, Simister of Welshpool (rope-walk in present Smithfield), and Pilots of Newtown (rope-walk along railway embankment). There were others at Pant, Llanymynech. In Shrewsbury were two rope manufacturers, Porter and Eldrid. Their rope-walk was in the present Smithfield, and they also had shops in the town where they carried on extensive business. The first rope-walk in Llanymynech was in a meadow through which the old Llanfyllin railway line was later built, the Railway Company paying Powell compensation. The rope-walk was moved to a field adjoining the railway station-now the Llanymynech Playing Field-and along the rope- walk beautiful trees have been planted, and seats placed for people to rest. The place is still known locally as the Rope-Walk. When Mr. Jeffreys began work at the age of 10, his duties were to turn the handle. He sat on a stool and often fell asleep at his task. He worked from 7 a.m. till 7 p.m. with very short intervals for meals. His wages were is. 6d. a week for the first two years, 2s. a week for the next two years, and 2s. 6d. for the following year. His wage for several years afterwards was 8s. 6d. a week. He had his indentures, but not a real apprenticeship. There was so much wear and strain on the handle of the wheel which he turned, that it often had to be replaced. A new handle would be the width or span of a man's wrist, and it would wear down to the width of a man's finger. Materials: All materials during Mr. Jeffreys' connection with rope- making here were bought from Liverpool-from the firm known as Arthur Goodwin & Brown, hemp merchants, Liverpool. The hemp came in bales of 4-cwt. Some of the stuff was packed by hydraulic pressure and bound in iron- hoops. Others came plaited; often some of these had knots, which made the workers use strong language. Jeffreys maintains that Indians did it as a prac- tical joke on workers, to make white man cross." The material used was: (1) Jute hemp from China, also known as Chinese hemp. This hemp was only