Daily Richmond times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1849-1850, 1849-08-11
Correspondence Of the Richmond Times.
LOWELL
AS SEEN BY A vIReINlAN.


AS SEEN BY A vIRGINtAN.
LOWELL, August lSi9
Editors Tfn,es:-My last sortie against Time, was
made in the direction of Portland Maine. Now, am
complishing one upon Lowell the American Manchester
Having taken my position in passenger car on the
Lowell Railroad in Boston in something less than an hours
time TWENTY-FIVE miles of Massachusetts had streamed by
me- and discovered myself amid the noise of Lowell
The CITY itself is like its maidens, fair and comey to
behold" From Bevidere an elevated point in the East
city, you may have fine panoramic view OF Lowell with
its large factory buildings and dwelling housesand
the winding Mermac- rather ghat is left of the wind
ing Merrimac-ost Of its waters being now turned of TO
do another kind Of winding The bed OF the below
the dam at Pawtcket Falls is left dry, and all the
is appropriated by these inscriptions Yankees, through
canals, to the several mills.
All the mills not opened freely to the public, but on
application permission visit them may be obtained An
attendant ready to show visitors around The kindness
OF acquaintance introduced me to the freedom OF the
city and sauntered through all the mills at leisure It's
customary for every praise the beauty OF the factory
grIs-I certainly will not violate the cusomfo they
happy, mschevous looking set OF daSsls as ever
saw together. And when arrayed In aAre glory
though they have "toed Ia very little and qqnned"
they must be lovely as lilies.
minute description of the machinery and operations
repeat the dose" Some general statistics of later date
may not be so unacceptable. There about twelve
large manufacturing companies at work in Lowell The
total capital stock amounts S12 10000 the total num-
Der of mills 49, total spindes 100000 looms 9359;
number OF females employed 1874; number OF males en-
ployed 1929 Cotton consumed per week pounds
wool 5000 pounds; starch, per annum, 10000 bs'
flour, per annum, 765 900 bbs
copy for the information Of your readers, the follow
ing printed statistics showing the wages Of the operatives
and other interesting facts
Average wages of females clear OF board per week. 50 90
Average wages OF males clear OF board per day 80 W
Medium produce Of loom, No Ia yarn yards per day. 45
Medium produce Of oom No 80 yarn yards per day, SO
Average per spindle yards per day. ..........lt
The Middlesex Company make use annually OF 6,ooo-
900 easels 1716O0 lbs fine wool 5000 lbs glue $4,000
worth dye suffs, and $l7 900 worth Of soap They also
own the Wamest Carpet Mill on the Concord river where
consumed annually lbs WOOL and Sc 400
lbs of worsed yarn producing 81 900 yards Ingram Car
The Lowell Machine Shop, included among the above
mills, furnish machinery complete for mill of 5000
spndes, in three months, and mill be built in the
same time
The several manufacturing companies have established
hospital for the convenience and comfort OF persons
poyed by them respectively when sick which under The
clans.
There are institutions for savingsthe Lowell and
the City The Lowell had deposit in September, ls4s,
from 5O66 depositors 1852 400 The City has been
operation only March, lS4S and had deposit ia
nuary l849 from 1858 depostors, $27,717 The opera
uves the mills are the principal depositoTs in the above
banks
The population of Lowell in 1928 was 1882, it is
(1s49 estimated at 900. This umpet-toned fact
which ought Richmond, Lynchburg, Lexing-
ton and other Virginia localities where the natural facilities
for manufacturing intellectually greater than Lowell
Itneed be said that Virginia has the facilities for
marketing Why has she not2 Isthere any natural
why the granite hills Of Massachusetts open before the
steam cars and yet plains and the clay banks
the mountains of Virginia. should be impossible the
same2 But OF this at another time.
young Virgnian, the Of one of the estima
bic gentlemen Of my native Valley, has been years
Lowell acquire thorough and practical knowledge
OF the Manufacturing business and to be hoped tor the
benefit particularly of his State He will be absent
all the time OF my VISIT but gentleman interested in
Of the mills, told that he had often heard those who
knew him personally, speak OF him in the highest terms OF
commentator young OF most excellent charac
ter and confirmed business habits and qualifications He
concluded by wishing that Virginia had many such
The interest felt by VISITOR 10 Loyein examining Ine
complicated and ingenious machinery only be apps
ciaed by those who have been there to see" Perhaps
OF the ingenious contrvances the card making
machine invented by OF these wonderful Yankees The
whole operation OF prckng the leather cutting off the
wire bending into proper shapes for the teeth and insert
ing firmly in place, performed by single compare
lively small, machine One would think, on viewing the
Lowell Works. that invention had been fairly exhausted
that s mother necessity longer existence:
yet told that almost every day discloses
invention improvement upon the old machinery. Ours
is more truly than Byron's-
"The patent age OF new inventions
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