The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1828-06-11

It's value, progressively, that it is Lot unlike
iy that the shares may attain to their original
lcost.
Lowell is place of recent origin, and owes
its growth entirely to its peculiar advantages
for manufacturing. 1t is situated at the confiu-
ence of the Merrimack and Concord rivers, on
both Of which, there is great water power.
The Merrinack falls 35 feet in about quarter
of mile. The principal works are operated
by water from this river. It is taken out in a
canal at the head of the falls, and carried on a
\ level into the town, where it is taken from the
canal and used asst is wanted The Merrimack
Company, which we believe is the Oldest in the
place, engaged in the cotton business, nanufac-
ture nothing but calicoes. They have now in
operation, four factories for spinning and weav-
ing the cloth, and two for bleaching, dyeing,
printing, and finishing their goods Five OF
them are, each, 1856 feet in length, four stories
| high, with lighted attic. The sixth is in
the form of an L and is near twice as large as
the others. The dwelling houses, belonging to
this establishment, are built upon two streets,
| all of uniform size and appearance, two stories
high and contain two tenements each They
all have green front yards, which give them
an appearance OF great neatncss. The Hamil-
ton Company have two factories in operation,
and the foundations laid for two more, all of the
same description as those of the Merrimack
Company. They also have four blocks of brick
dwelling houses, fronting on two parallel streets.
Tha- bo,, e &c
the same size, and two ranges of brick dwelling
houses, built, and another now building. In the
vicinity of these works is an extensive machine
| shop, where vast quantity of machinery is an
nually made. The other principal man afactur-
ing establishments of the place, are, large car
pet factory, more than 200 feet long, and two
large woolen factories. The latter are situat-
ed on the Concord river, and belong to Thomas
Heard, whose works, we believe, were the first
established in the place.
The calico printing works are great curios-
| ity. Through the agency of friend, we pro-
cured admittance and examined every part of
the process, from the bleaching, to the packing
up Of the goods in the finished state. The per-
! feet order and regularity with which every
thing was conducted is truly admirable. Each
one attended to his own appropriate duties
without noise or confusion, so that, like well
regulated machine, the desired result of the
whole was produced by the exact operation of
the individual parts. The durability of the fab
ric and the permanence of the colors, have OBJ
I tanned for the calicoes of this company, hign
reputation.
| Among all the curiosties of this establish
ment, not the least was an albiness, who was en-
gagged in sewing together the ends of the pieces
Of cloth, preparatory to some of the process
es to which it was to be subjected, The pains
which she had taken to dispose of her silken
hair, in ringlets, flowing over her neck and
shoulders, so that it might appear to the best
advantage, Showed that she considered her Pc
cularity as beauty rather than defect. Her
complexion was one of uncommon delcacy and
fairness, on which appeared the freshness indi-
cative of health. %
Few places combine so many advantages as
this, and it is not unreasonable to predict, that
Lowell is destined, ere long, to become the
Manchester Of New England, and that a very
few years only, win make it the second place ii
point of population in the state. But small
portion Of the water power is yet occupied
There are several vacant sites for mills, remain
ing on the present canal, and new canal il
constructing, which will afford power and stu
alton. for from Is to 90 moro factories of the
size of those now in operation. The commu
inication with Boston through the Middlesex ca
nal furnishes cheap and safe transportation FOL
goods, while by means of the river navigation
of from 80 to 100 miles above, abundant sup
piles of all kinds of country produce may BIZ
drawn. The site of the town is very good
bounded on the north by the Merriniack, ant
on the east by the Concord rivers, above which
it is elevated from 90 to 80 feet and nearly lev
ell Before building, the elevated spots are dug
away, and the earth removed TO those which
: are more depressed. A contract of this kind
amounting to many thousand dollars, has beer
taken by Deacon Luke s. Rand where thu
earth has to be removed to a considerable dis
$ lance. To facilitate the operation, he has con
: structed wooden Rail- Way, by means of whicl
the expense will be greatly reduced, and tn
contract rendered lucrative one. The cost 0
2 the Railway was about one thousand dollars.
The land on the opposite shore of the Merri
: mack, hes in handaaina form. is fertile an.
: highly cultivated, and affords an agreeable pros
!, pect from the town The opposite shores ar
i. connected by means of two bridges, one at TN
+ head Of the falls, and the other, new one, a
e the lower part of the town,
: Lowell as it now is, presents but the skele
!, ton of what it must be at future day. Street
Q have been laid out, and built up, in somewha
is detached situations, and the intervening spac