The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1841-03-27

F''y<u ~ the mills, under IA years OF age, shall
rHend The schools three months out Of twelyd,
FEY year. The average wages of females is
%z,oo per week, clear Of board; and of males
common hands, 80 cents per day. clear Of board
- are pad monthly. The total amounto Of ave1
s&e mon!hiy wages, out of which board bill mu{t
pe PAID, Is about $4,000, making yearly at
9feSate, paid TO operatives, by all the corpora
ions, OF over S2,0O0,0O0
Inc weekly product Of the mills is 1,265.56p
ysrus o. cotton cloth, of which 70,000are Of THE
coarsest KIND, called negro cloth The rest is
mostly common coarse and fine sheetings, shirt
.nes' arli'ings and cotton fannels A large pot
uon OF the liner goods is manufactured into cali
voes ~ me Merrimack print works, and smatl
portion OF the coarser fabric is printed at thf
taunton print works 1900 yards OF broad
eio'n, ana 5000 yards of cashmere are produceU
Pr week, by the Middlesex Company; and y
oVV yards oil carpeting and $50 rugs, measuring
one yard and three-fourths each by the Lowell
company, making a weekly aggregate Of l,2o5i
oou, and yearly Of $500, 120 yards, Thus, II
win be seen that this city manufactures iractioh
pver IL yards of cloth per year, Tor every man
woman and child in the United States, allowing
the population TO be 15,000,0OO. 100000 yards
| ~ Goth are died and printed per week. The
transcription Of cotton, per week, IN all the mills
IS I,0355 bales. or az. 600 pounds The yearly
onsuhiption of wool is, in the Middlesex Milf,
100000, and in the Carpet 439, 1886 pounds, md
king together 1909, $50 pounds. The Middlesex
Company consumes per annum, 5000, 600 ted
sells. All the companies consume, per annumi
1850 tons of anthracite coal, 3410 cords Of
wood 500, 900 bushels Of charcoal, 65,2S9 gal
lon Of oil. 900, 900 pounds Of starch, and 3,00p
barrels 81 -four for starch.
The average time Of working in the mills,
per day is about twelve hours and quarter. The
female operatives remain in the employ Of THE
companies, on an average fraction over tbreF
years Their average ages probably range ffod
is TO "a, Very few are under Is, and not many
over "a. The expense OF female employed id
the mills, exclusive Of board, need not exceed
| $40 per annum, even when she dresses elegant
| ly on Sabbaths and holydays, and well every
| day. She may therefore save, in three years.
SlS6, enough to purchase a small farm in the
western country, or 10 decently furnish wound
mechanics or farmers house in New England
| It's very important fact that most Of the girls
employed in the mills take good care of their
earnings. The cashier Of the Savings Bank inl-
forms me that Of $3.50, 900 deposited in that in-
| stituion, $250,000 belong 10 the operatives,
mostly females, employed in the factories. Some
| young females come here from the surrounding
| country, work few years, and employ their
| earnings to aid their fathers to pay small debts
some 70 procure the means of completing geri
teel education at some one Of our nlmerouk
New England academies. The majority, howl
eNSi, saw thti LHoHSy W iuiHisl tuf IlOusts vi
their future husbands. 1t is supposed that their
chances of marrying are increased, rather than
diminished, by their residence and employment
In the city. Not a few are betrothed before they
enter the mills and while the young men, tb
whom they were to be welded, are laboring
here or elsewhere, for the means to purchase D
farm and build house. they labor for the means
to furnish il, and in most cases successfully too.
There are two banks in the city, besides the
Savings Institution. The Lowell Bank has q
| capital of 100000; and the Railroad, one Of
| $500, OOO
There are eighteen religious societies in the
city, which maintain as many regular clergy
men, and have regular worship upon the Sab
two FreewilI Baptist, two Christian, two Uni.
versalst, three Orthodox, three Baptist, one
Catholic, and one Unitarian Fourteen of these
| societies worship in elegant churches, viz. three
Orthodox, two Baptist, two Methodist, two Uni
| versalisf, one Episcopal, one FreewIll Bapust,
one Christian, the Roman Catholic, and The
Unitarian. The others occupy convenient
| halls The tonrson Churches, or meeting
| houses, with their furniture and dressings, cost
not less than S250,000 The eighteen societies
| raise, and expend for parochial and charitable
purposes, at least $4,000 per annum. Many
OF them own well furnished Libraries, and pro
baby all of them Sabbath school Libraries,
though am not informed as to those organized
also are connected female charitable associa-
tons, under appropriate names, which meet to-
| gether monthly or oftener, for the purpose Of
making bedding and garments, and collecting
small sums of money for the relief of virtuous
destitute families. Besides these charities, some
! OF the societies take up collections as often as
they are needed, and place the money in the
hands of their ministers and deacons, for the
relief of any members of their congregations
who may need and deserve it, Add to these
| provisions for the relief of the poor, the Lowell
| Dispensary, which furnishes medicine and me-
dical advice to all who are unable to pays and
the Howard Benevolent Society, which receives
| funds equally from all classes and denominations
| of our citizens, and relieves indiscrlminately,
the pressing wants Of the virtuous poor OF the
whole city, and correct view of the benevolent
character of the people is given All destitute
persons who come TO want through their vices,
or are likely 10 become permanent charge, re-
ceiye temporary aid from the overseers of the
poor. or are sent to the Alms-house.
Our public schools are as good, in most res
poets, as any, and in some, probably, the best in
the world. The following appropriations for
their support will give some idea of the attention
that has been bestowed on them from the begin
ming. In 1927, there was appropriated and ex-
pended for the support of the free public schools
the sum of 81 200; in 1927 and '29, the sum of
81 200 each in 1880, the sum OF $1,500; in
1881, the sum of SlS00; in 1882, the sum oil "a, !
600: in 1888, the sum of $500; in 1884, the
sum of $500; in 1895, the sum of $4,000; in
| 1886, the sum of 1880; in 1887, the sum OF
S14. 900 in 1888, the sum of $4,000; in 1889,
the sum of $4,000; and in 1910, the sum of
S21,436. These several sums are exclusive OF
the amount appropriated for the purchase OF land
and building schoolhouses, as the wants OF the
people require them. Besides primary school
houses, the city has erected five spacious two so-
nv brick buildings for the accommodation OF the
High and Grammar schools, at cost including
land. of more than 100000.
| There are thirty free public schools in the city,
/ which are kent the wear round. One new Gram