The Daily spy., 1849-04-16


writing from Georgia to the N Evening Post,
gives an interesting account of cotton mill near
Augusta.
"But what interested me most, was visit to
cotton mill in the neighborhood,-a sample OF
class Of manufacturing establishments, where the
poor white people OF this State and of South Car
olina find occupation. 1t is large mandatory,
and the machinery is in perfect order as in
any of the mills at the north. Here said
gentleman who accompanied us, as we entered
the long apartment in the second story, 'you will
see a sample OF the brunettes OF the piny woods
The girls OF various ages, who are employed
at the spindes, had, for the most part saIlow,
slcky complexion, and in mahy OF their faces,
remarked that look OF mingled distrust and de-
lection which often accompanies the condition OF
extreme, hopeless poverty. 'These poor girls
SAID one of our party, think themselves extreme
ly fortunate to be employed here, and accept
work gladly. They come from the most barren
parts of Carolina and Georgia, where their fan
lies live wretchedy, often upon unwholesome
food, and as idly wretchedy, for hitherto there
has been no manual occupation provided for
them from which they do not shrink as disgrace
tul, on account of its being the occupation oil
slaves. In these factories negroes are not EN-.
ployed as operatives, and this gives the calling
of the factory girl a certain dignity. You would
time effects in these poor people. They come
bare footed, dirty, and IN rags; they secured,
put into shoes and stockings, set at work, and
sent regularly 10 Sunday school, where they are
taught what none of them have been taught be.
fore-to read and write. In short time they
become expert at their work. they loose their
sullen shyness, and their physiognony becomes
comparatively open and cheerful. Their tami.
lies relieved from the temptations to thef and
fpl b,c,o IL,
condition OF poverty without occupation
They have good deal fthe poke.easy man.
ner OF the pny woods about them yet said one
OF our party, a Georgian. 1t was true, | per-
ceived that they had not yet acquired all that
alacrity and quickness in their work which you
see in the work people of the New England mills.
In one Oft the upper stories saw girl OF a clear
er complexion than the rest, with two long curls
swinging behind each ear, as she stepped about
with the air of duchess. s'That girl is from the
North" said our conductor; "at first we placed
an expert operative from the north in each story
of the building an instructor and pattern TO the
rest"
have since learned that some attempts were
made at first TO induce the poor white people TO
work side by side with the blacks in these mills.
They utterly failed, and the question then be-
came with the propretors whether they should
employ blacks only or whites only; whether they
should give these poor people an occupation
which, while ii tended to eev ate their condition,
secured more expert class of work people than
the negroes could be expected TO become or
whether they should rely upon the less intelli.
gent and more negligent services OF slaves.
They decided at length upon banishng the labor
OF blacks from their mills At Graniterille, in
South Carolina, about ten miles IRON the SaVan-
nah river, little manufacturing village has late
iy been built up, where the families of the crack
ers, as they called, reclaimed from their idle
lives in the woods, are settled, and white labor
only is employed The enterprise is said to be
In most prosperous condition.
Only coarse cloths are made in these mills
strong thick fabrics, suitable Tor negro shirting
and the demand for this kind OF goods am
told, is greater than the supply. Every yard
made in this mandatory at Augusta, is taken
of as soon as it leaves the loom. fell in with
Northern man in the course OF the day, who told
me that these mills had driven the Northern
manufacturer OF coarse cottons out of the South.
ern market
''The buildings are erected here more cheap.
ly," he continued, s'there is far less expense 10
fuel, aud the wages Of the work people are less
AT first the boys and girls OF the cracker fami
lies were engaged for little more than their
board; their wages now better, but they are
still low am about to go TO the North, and
shall do my best to persuade some of my friends,
who have been almost ruined by this Southern
competition, to come to Augusta and set up cot
ton mills''
There is water power at Augusta sufficient TO
turn the machinery OF many large establishments
A canal from the Savannah river brings in a
large volume OF water, which passes from level
to level, and might be made to turn the spindles
and drive the looms OF populous manufacturing
town. Such 1t wall become, il any faith is to be
placed in present indications, and considerable
manufacturing population will be settled at this
place, drawn from the half wild inhabitants of
the most barren parts OF the southern states. |
look upon the introduction of manufactures at the
south IS an event OF the most favorable promise
ior that part OF the country, since it both con-
denses class OF population too thinly scattered
to have the benefit OF the institutions OF civilized
life-of education and rehgion-and restores one
branch OF labor at least to its proper dignity, in
region where manual labor has been the badge
OF servitude and dependence.