Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1841-1853, 1848-02-10
For the State Sentinel.
Cotton Manufactures i'm the West

beginning 10 De earnestly OlScusstO, any Information
bearing upon it, based facts, will doubtless be well
received and properly appreciated 10y bni capitalists
and Legislators, well as by the public generally.
| speak frum personal knowledge and experience
and, while fully Of the strong and honest pre-
judces in regard to the effects of manufacturing
towns upon the morals and condition of the people,
shall hesitate to speak plainly, though IN spirit,
which, it is hoped, will tend conciliae aud
those preudices, rather than to arouse and offend
them.
That there are moral evils dOve-taled into the frame
work of great cities, which. if they exist in rural
districts not pal pabe and grievous, and there
fore make less or no impression upon the mind unac
custumed 10 deep and close investigation into the ele
menls, structure, habits and condition of human
cety, in It's various shades of religious political,
cIa and intellectual character, need not be denied.
Nor will it be denied that great cities present to the
christian and statesman and phanthropst, society, in
the highest state of intellectual and moral refinement,
unknown and impossible in sparsely settled rural dis
trIcs, that if the hand have the greatest
human degradation and vice, have, on the other,
the human character presented to us in It's most al
tracllve Orm-n It's highest state of wisdom and pu-
rty But great cities, whether their population be
better worse whole, than that of rural districts,
have existed in every nation, and will exist In every
nation, that has made one remove from pastoral lite
towards civilization. The only question that
US is, whether manufacturing cities are worse than
Commercial cities. One of the evils of
mercal city is, that large numbers of the male popu
latiOn sOend their lives from home, returning
sionally upon visit to their families and friends
The sailor is abroad from three months to year, and
from year 10 three years, at tlme and the river
men, we call them, not at home more than
about half Of each year. The consequence is, that
multitudes of sem-faherless children Ell the Streets
in more danger of growing up in ignorance, and of
becoming the victims of temptation and vice, than
of Eth
never away from home, and who, therefore, enjoy,
like the children in purely agricultural districts, the
attention and care of both parents. | am acquainted
In Boston and Lowell and in other commercial and
manufacturing towns, and 1t is my firm conviction,
founded on careful observation, that the public schools
of Lowell fully equal Those of Boston, and that
in both cities they equal to any In the world The
intellectual, religious and moral character of the per-
manent citizens of Lowell will lose nothing in COM
parson with those of Boston, while the character of
the operatives In the mills is the same as that of the
farming districts whence they come and whittier they
generally return, after two years labor. very
much doubt whether another city can be found in the u
States, Of equal number of inhabitants $4,000
with better schools, better churches, better public
buildings and streets, better police regulations better
morals and better informed in regard to nstitu-
tons and the duties of citizenship, than in the great
manufacturing city of Lowell while sure | am that
the manufacturing towns of New England generally,
worse IN any particular, than the commercial,
and in respects, better. This statement is not
made without a full knowledge of the strong preiu-
dices it will encounter, and of the extensive belief to
the contrary among large numbers of intelligent and
candid men. l know what | am saying, and am pre-
pared 10 defend my positions; not against random
sertons and empty denunciations, but against facts
and candid arguments.
But whether we wish it not. commercial towns
will arise good harbors upon ocean and lake, and
at favorable points upon navigable rivers and other
great thoroughfares and will manufacturing
towns, where there is good water power cheap Goa
near navigable waters, where healthy sites can be
found This being admitted, it follows that along the
navigable waters of the West, running through the
coal regions, whenever there shall be surplus capita
seeking investment and a sufficiently dense popula.
ton, manufacturing establishments will spring up
and spread till the demand for their goods for homo
consumption or exportation at net profit, equal tC
that OF agricultural pursuits, no longer exists.
Having made these preliminary remarks, will pro-
coed to state facts showing that the full time has
to begin in the older settlements along the Ohio river
and charter being before the legislature TO incorporate
u company in the town of Patriot in Switzerland
county with capital Of S2O0O0O, take that
specimen of great many other points between Pitts
burgh and its mouth.
The township of Posey in which the town of Patri
OF is situated, contains population of about 100
of them with considerable of surplus capital
varying from 500 TO $1,000. Under these circum
stances they have commenced removing further west
One after another sells odt to his neighbours
starts for Iowa that, while the surplus capita
thus employed leads the evil of large of lan
accumulating in few hands, 1t stops the increase
population and pospones for indefinite period, TIL
advantages of dense agricultural population. 1t j
evident, too, that this surplus, invested, will
produce more than six per cent. per annum, while
to keep down rather than TO increase the valu
: of real estate in the vicinity.
: 1t costs at Lowell to manufacture yard of coars
CLOTH taking the average for series of years
and including the cost of the material and othe
expenses, from No IA yarn, such as the sheet
ings in shops that sell for nine and ten pc
yard at retail, four and half cents per yard Th
average price of this cloth at wholesale is not les
than six cents per yard, and giving net profit to tn
manufacturer of one aud one half of cent per
d mum, the capital being turned once year. Now 70
an example, we will take mill with 5000 splndes
which we will suppose will cost there 100000. Sue
D mill will turn out 20 900 yards of cloth per week
or 1852 900 per annum The net profton this guam
tity, at one and half cents per yard is 800 go.
over 20 per cent on the whole investment of 500
> 600; and this is not very far from the dividends
; the stocks of such establishments, when well man
0 aged, in New England, for q series of years
Now let us see what such an establishment woul
divide az Patriot. From estimates that have CO.
lected, with great care, / can build mill OF tbl
e size, and fill it with machinery and stock 1t for
= year, for S75,0O0. Here is a saving of $4,000
and, reckoning money at per cent, saving
81 500 over Lowell The mill would consume i
round numbers 1000 bales Of cotton per annum. 45
= pounds to the bale. This cotton be laid down
e Patriot the cost that it be landed in Ne'
Orleans and will cost at the lowest possible estimat
;. 81 80 per bale transport it from New Orleans