The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1826-12-06

!, Gothic structure standing near the bank
} of the Soane. 1t has bold antique
front and several lofty towers. 10 The
interior of this church, is the celebrated
clock, made by an ingenious Swiss artist
in the 18th century. 1t stands in the
nave Of the Cathedral, 10 The shape Of
pyramid, about twenty feet high, anil
surmonnIed by cock that numbers tbs
hours by Growing and clspping his wings,
This clock de.ignatts not merely hours,
minutes and seconds, but days. mont
and years; the course Of the sun. AMI
the phases of the moon, together with
all the saints days in the calendar. Il
is complex AID curious piece Of ms-
chapism.
On the second day after our arrival,
we took Datet de place, and went tie
rounds of the most celebrate manufac-
tories at Lyons, comprising those foe
drawing gold wire, aud winding it upos
silken threads, TO compose the braid OF
epaulettes and for weaving velvef, Ia
pestry, stockings. ribbons and silk stufEs
of every DIT scription. Velvet is woven
In the same manner as carpets, except
that the rod is much smaller. Immense
quantities Of the article are ANNUALLY
made and semitic all parts of the world,
particularly 10 Russia. The process Of
weaving tapestry is complex and tedious.
requiring Tie utmost attention as we'll Nv
patience.
Patterns Of the richest figures and C
fnest textures were shown TO us ia tie
looms. II is curious fact, that tie
most beautiful Of these fabrics are des.
tined TO the American market, 10 be
Consumed by the plain Republicans Of
the Uoited States. Others of an inferi-
or quality, but more gandily ornament
ed with tinsel, are designed for SpaniSl,
and Italian noblemen. Ribbons are des-
patched by the wholesale. Twenty OF
them are warped in the same loom, and
filled from the same shuttle.
In the manufacturers Of Lyons | was
disappointed-not 10 the quality of the
articles; for nothing can exceed in rich
ness and beauty some of the fabrics
but 10 the manner Of producing them,
There are no great establishme hts, such
as are TO be found in Great Britain, or
even 10 the United States-no wealthy
proprietors, who purchase the raw ma
terials, employ the laborers, and vend
! he goods The marcnanf is tho all -,
all: he bays the raw silk, and gives 1t
ont to private families, TO be rnanufact-
ured in small parcels; bic profits are
Immense, and the poor workmen, who
are obliged to accept OF bis own terms
OF starve, Can barely gain livelihood
| by iGcessan; toll. Our guide took US 10
! perhaps dozen houses, which were
uniformly filthy, and exhibited marks
of extreme poverty and wretchedness.
1t was mol uncommon 10 see the kitchen,
bedroom, and mandatory of the mser-
able tenant, crowded into the same lit
tie apartment. la one instance we saw
twenty bars for winding silk set in mo-
ton by one wheel, which was turned
like tread-mill, by an emaciated indi-
| yidual His servitude is of the most
abject and pitiablc kind, continuing from
4 O'Clock in the morning till in the
evening, for the slender pi;tance of two
francs day. He is worn TO skeleton,
and death will apparently soon put an
end to his tolls. Such drudgery is un-
accountable in an age, when steam en-
gines and labor-saving machines are in
general use. The silk manufactures
are sources of immense wealth to-
Lyons but it is wealth TO the few, and
degradation to the many state of So
ciely above all others to be avoided
Having completed an examination of
. the workshops of industry, we were
next conducted to the Hotel Dieu, the
great hospital at Lyons, and said to be the
first establishment of the kind in France:
1t is noble edifice, of The Ionic order,
, extending along the bank of the Rhone,
crowned by lofty turret, and exhibit
ing front of much architectural gram
, denr. The principal stairway is mag
niicent, and the apartments spacious,
airy, and commodious, though perhaps
r too much crowded for comfort atscer-
tain seasons. There are 1900 beds in
the several wards, and about 5000 pa
tents are annually received. Twenty
: young physicians arc generally in at
Z tendance.
2 from the Quarterly Review.