Southport telegraph. [volume] (Southport, W.T. [i.e. Kenosha, Wis.]) 1840-1850, 1849-08-24

| -A'' "iti NY oI1ili Oh IH HOBS SIlal TlSt
And pant for lis rest, its home in the skies,
Bright charots shall wait thee
On angel plumes driven;
hare Ltred thee on earth. / trW algei thee IN
hearn.
M.JW.
! CASTLE, June H.
THE FACTORY GIRLS OF LOWELL.
OF the six thousand and three hundred and
twenty female operatives in Lowell, Massachu-
sets furnishes one-eighth; Maine, ome-four Ii;
New Hampshire. one-thifd; Vermont. one-fth;
Ireland, one-lourteenth; and ether places, prn-
cipay Canada, one-seventeenth. OF all these
operatives, more than three-sevenths are con-
nected with some Sunday School. either as
teachers or pupils, this being two thousand seven
hundred and fourteen in all. About three-eigths
OF them are church members, this being two
thousand two hundred and sevcnty-sX in all.
Five hundred and twenty seven have been teach
ers in common schools. The average time
during which these female operatives work in
the mills is between four and five years
Oh the disposition of the factory girls to i'm
prove their minds. we have the following proof:
Quite large number attend evening schools
IN the winter; and it has been asccrtained that in
one Corporation alone, there we're two hundred
nings OF one winter in this manner. Instances
are not uncommon OF female operatives forming
themselves in classes to take lessons in the study
OF some foreign language. Others Till club to-
gether to hire piano. and employ the services OF
teacher of music; and the not Is of that nstru-
Inent are often heard proceeding from the board
ing houses Besides these there are formed
what are called Improvement Circles which
meet once fortnight or once month. to hear
and cricse anonymous communications fur
nished by the members. 1t was in IA circle of this
description that the Lowell Offering had its orr
gin"
Of the mental Improvement actually made,
the magazine referred to, the Lowell Offering
affords convincing proof. A few statements in
regard to this work will, we presume, be found
interesting:
The variety and merit of articles. written by
females employed in the mills and read in an
Improvement Circle" formed in the carly part
of 1910, suggested the publication above named
The first number appeared in October of that
year, and succeeding numbers followed at regn-
lar intervals In April, l84I a new series was
commenced; and, not long after. two female fac
tory operatives became the publishers and editors
OF the work, which now appeared every month
The Offering was received with much favor and
no little surprise. The leading newspapers and
reviews gave it complimentary notices, and ma
ny copies OF it have been sent TO England, where
during the past year. volume has been pub
shed of selections from this periodical. under the
significant title of Mind cmong the SpindIes =
The e. tensive reputation which the Offering has
gained, has been almost incxplicahe to the peo-
pie of Lowell, who so well know that there is
mind among the spindlrs The fact has only
revealed the great extent of the misapprchenSion
abroad of the true character of the Lowell fc-
male operatives.
Ofthe benevolent disposition OF the operatives
we have the following evidence:
Though all these religious societies are COM
posed altogether OF working people. and many OF
them almost exclusively Of factory operatives.
yet their charities are many ii numb n. AMI are
considerable in their aggregate amount. Con-
ributions of 500 have repeatedly been taken
up, in single church. for missionary purposes"
And finally, in illustration OF the opportunities
enjoyed by the operatives al Lowell Tor the acqu-
sition of the means of comfortable living. we pre-
sent the following account oil the Lowell Sa-
wings Bank:
This institution was incorporated in 1929.
since winch it has received s., l03. 500 and has
paid out 81 ,423 500. Ofthe 1000 deposors in
this bank, one half are factory girls; the amount
of whose funds, now on interest. is estimated at
100000. 1t is not an unusual thing for one
OF these girls to have $500 on deposit. Two per
cent interest is paid for every SIX months, which
ifnot withdrawn in three months Is added to the
principal, thus compromising interest twice
year. At the end of every five years all extra
income is divided, and the interest on long depo-
sits has generally amounted to seven per cent.
Probably no institution oil this kind in the coun-
try has been more faithfully and success fully
managed
Too SNARr-Tbe other day one of widow