The examiner. [volume] (Louisville, Ky.) 1847-1849, 1848-09-23
Rice and Growth OF n Town.

The age of romance has not passed away.
This matter fact nineteenth century abounds
in wonders many and great, as any past age
on which the Imagination delights TO dwell
The realities Of the present are as striking as
the hctlons Of ancient days. In our youth we
were wont TO follow with eager interest the hero
Of the seven-league boots, and 10! in our man
hood a hero appears, who puts the object of our
youthful admiration entirely In the background;
giant, Telegraph by name, whose strides are
measured, not by leagues, but by the earth's
circumference. Every where around US, in one
OF another form. we find the dreams Of past
ages converted now into substantial realities.
Our mind has been much interested Of late
in come facts which were given us in illustra-
ton of the rapid growth of flOurishing town
in New EBgland.-New England, that land Of
rocks and ice. whose soil would seem very I'M
prOpitiOus for any magical productions. But,
really, the rise Of the town, to which we al
lude, seems like the work of magic. Two
years ago few farm houses stood on or near
the spot where now stands the town Of Law
renee. The Merrimack, whose waters, farther
down in its course, had become Obedient ser
wants TO man, cheerful cO-woTkers with him in
building up the famous city of Lowell, here
rolled on in primitive idleness and indepen-
dence. Bat the keen eye Of Industry rested
upon thOse glsneing, merry waters, and the
days of play were numbered. HencefOrwsrd
the river must work.
Some rsluelanes.Seing manifested BY his mar
Al. l.. n.
little gentle force was applied to ensure has
compliance He fOOlishly thought, it seems,
that because the waters had gone leaPing and
froiicking since creations dawn. he might defy
the power Of man. Bat he soon learned his
mistake. When first a few rocks were thrown
into the stream, he laughed at these manilessa-
tiOns, as he imagined them, Of mans imPotsni
rage; bat when after few days toll he saw I
solid wall rising through his very heart, he
grew serious, and Whsns finally, that wall be-
came q dam, nine hundred and sixty feet long,
twenty-five feet high, thirty feet thick at the
base end twelve at the top, his courage failed
and he yielded calmly TO his fate
But we ere speaking Of matters Of fact, and
we must talk in matter of fact style. Drop
ping then all hgurative language, We add few
plain statements.
Where two years ago few persons lived, al
most in solitude, now stands the town Of Law
renee, with eight thousand inhabitants Where
some lonely farm houses were then seen, now
YOU behold machine-shoP four hundred feet
long, eighty feet wide, and four stories high, or
the immense factory buildings Of the Atlantic
or Bay State, or other companies, with their
capitals OF hundreds of thousands or millions
Of dollars, and giving employment to thousands
Of persons
Nor are the buildings erected for toll and prof
1t the only ones which meet the eye Of the Wis
tier lie sees public hall, or tOwn-house,
built at a cost Of thirty thousand dollars, beau
tIful churches Literally aided by the various
companies. and twelve public school houses.
some Of which cost thirteen thousand doars
apiece.
These, certainly, are astonishing results 20
be effected in the brief space Of two years; and
il is interesting 10 know how they could be sf.
fscted in 50 short a time. Why, says one, it /,
easy enough 20 sss how IL was all done Large
capital, such as belongs TO the founders Of that
town, makes such results easy. Would thai
we might see such results accomplished by the
capital Of our city and State.
Bat, admitting the almost unlimited power o.
capital, whence did that capital comet Not
from inheritance, for most Of the men welding
hwsre once poor men. Il came from industry
(nss lstsr. iaisllissnt labor. Respectable and
spectsd labor. In that hes the secret; there Il
the magical power.