The examiner. [volume] (Louisville, Ky.) 1847-1849, 1849-06-30

Room, yesrs months, and 10 bonorably
discharged. - -, Superintendent.
L0toeH, -.
This discharge is letter Of recommendation
10 any other mill in the city and not without
It's influence in procuring employment 10 any
other mill in New England. record OF all
such discharges Is made in each counting.room, |
in book kept for that purpose.
So much for honorable discharges. The |
dlshonorable have another treatment The
names Of all persons dismissed for bad conduct,
or who leave the mill irregularly, are also en-
tered in book kept for that purpose, and these
names are sent TO oil the counting rooms AZ the
city, and are there entered on thsr books
Such persons 0tfa in no more employment through.
oIa the city. The question is put TO each app!i-
cant, Shave you worked before in the city,
and II so, where is your discharged" IL no
discharge be presented, an inquiry of the appli-
canrs name will enable the superintendent TO
know whether that name stands on his book OF
dishonorable discharges, and he is thus saved
from taking In a corrupt or unworthy hand.
This system, which has been in operation IN
Lowell from the beginning, is of great and i'm
portant effect in driving unworthy persons from
our city, and in preserving the high character
OF our operatives.
Great care is exercised in the appointment
Of Overseers:
Any description of the moral care, studied
by the Corporations, would be defective IL II
omitted a reference TO the overseers. Every
room in every mill has its FIRST and second over
seer. The former, or, in his absence, the latter,
has the entire care Of the room, taking ip such
operatives as he wants for the work Of the room,
assigning 10 them their employment, suoerin-
tending each process, directing the repairs OF
i srix tn au ~
tons of advice, and granting Permissions OF
absence. At his small deak, near the door,
where he can see ell who 90 out or come In, the
oyerseer NAV generally he found; and he Is
held responsible for the good order, propIisty Of
conduct, and ate ton 10 business, Of tho ope-
ratives Of that room. Hence, this is a post Of
much importance. and the good management OF
the mill is almost wholly dependent upon the
character Of its overseers. IL 10 for this reason
that peculiar care 10 exercised in their appoint
ment Raw hands, and Of unknown charac'
tiers are never placed in this office. Ii is attain
ed only by those who have either served regu
lar apprenticeship rs machini.ts in the Repair
Shop, or have become well known and well
tried. third hands, and assistant oserseers.-
Ii is q post for which there are always many
applicants, the pay being two dollars q day
with good house, owned BY the company, and
rented at the reduced charge before noticed
The overseers are almost universally married
men, with families; and az body, numbering
about one hundred and eighty, in all, are among
the most permanent residents, and most trust
worthy aud valuable citizens Of the place. A
large number Of them are members Of oul
churches, and are often chosen as counclmer
in the city government, and represe ntstires IL
the State Legislature. The guiding and sslu'
tary influence which they exert over the oPe
ratives, he one Of the most essential parts Ct th'
moral machinery Of the mills.
s. NUMBERS, PLACES OF BlRrH AND CHARacrER
l-Of the six thousand three hundred and tvent!
female operatives in Lowell, Massachus cit
= furnishes one eighth: Maine, one-fourth; New
Hampshire, one-thir6; Vermont, one-fftk
ireland, One-fourteenth; all other places. prin
eipally Canada, one-seysnteenth. OF all thes
operatives, more than three sevenths are con
! nected with some Sunday school, either as teach
: ers or pupils, this being two thousand newell
hundred and fourteen in ALL About three
= eighths Of them are church members, this be
D ing two thousand two hundred and seventy-si
|, in all Five huadrsd Gad !wenty-seyen hav
{ been teachers in comm0n Schools The ayerag
time during which these femHla operatives wor
in the mills is between four niid hve yesrs.
OF The disposition OF the factory girls Il i'm
( prove their minds, we have tas following proof
: Quite large number attend evening sea DOL
4 IN the winter; and it has been ascsriaIned tha
in one Corporation alone, thsre were two hun
bred and ninety girls who employed part o
the evenings of one winter 10 this manner. :
Instances are not uncommon of female opera
lives forming themselves INTO classes, TO TAX
: lessons in the study OF some foreign Language
Others will cInb together to hire piano, an,
employ the services Of teacher of music; AM
the notes of that instrument are often hear
proceeding from the boarcing-houses. Bsside
these, there are formed what are called ''Im
provement Circles" which meet once a fort
night, or once a month, 10 hear and criiicis
anonymous compositions furnished by the mem
bers. Ii was 10 a circle Of this description tina
the Lowell Offering hao its orgin.
OF the mental improvement actually made
the magazine referred to, the Lowell Offering
affords convincing proof. A few statements il
regard to tais work will, we presume. be foun,
Interesting:
The variety and merit Of articles, written b,
females employed in the mills, and read IN al
Improvement Circle" formed In the early 1sr
Of 1910, suggested the pu blicaiion above nam ed
The fTst number appeared in October Of tina
year, and succeeding numbers followed ut it,
regular intervals In April, Is4l, a new ssriei
was commenced; ana, not long after, two fs.
male factory operatives became the publisher
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 1t complimentary
notices; and many copies Of il have been cent
10 England, where, during the past year, a
volume has been Published OF selections from
this periodical, under the significant title Of
'iMind among the Spindles," The extensive
reputation which the Offering has gained, has
been almost incl applicable to the people of Low
ell. who so well know that Their, is mind among
the spindlss The fact has only revealed the
great extent of the Interpretations abroad. of
the true character Of The Lowell female opera
lives.
OF the benevolent disposition of the opera.
lives we have the following evidence:
Though all these religious societies arr com.
posed altogether Of working people, and many
Of them almost exclusively Of factory o,ea-
tives, yet their charities are many In number,
and are considerable In their aggregate anlou at.
Contributions of four hundred collars have re-
peaiedly been taken up. In a single church, for
missionary purposes.
And finally, in illustration Of the opportuni-
ties enjoyed by the operstives at Lowell for the
acquisition Of the means Of comfortable living,
we present the following account Of the Lowell
Savings Bank:
This institution was Incorporated in 1923,
since which IL has received two millions one
hundred and three Thousand five hundred dol |
lars, and has paid out one million four hundred
twenty three thousand five hundred dollars.--.
OF the two thousand depositors in this bank, |
about one-half are factory girls; the amount of
whose funds, on interest, is estimated at one