Lewistown gazette. [volume] (Lewistown, Pa.) 1843-1944, 1851-12-19
@tarFIIa an { ott s. .
From the Scioto tOhiO) Gazette.
AMERICAN MAYUFACTURES,

Manufacture of Shalcls-the Bay State .MILs-.nag-
rihtde- Consumption Of Hool-OpsrGtireS-
Their Character-.4nleriean Hrention-Triunph
of Gemits-Polcer Of .Nind-Efect upon the
Economy Of Life.
LAWRENCE, Mass, Aug. 25th, 1851.
Few women, | imagine, have ever re-
fected how large space in human indus
try, and how vast an influence upon sOci
ETY., and even upon the prosperity of
States, has been caused by the fabrication
of materials for their dresses So it is;
and whole communities depend upon the
articles they wear, and the prevailing fash
ions of the day. Mr.. Adam Smith made
one of his most interesting chapters in the
" Wealth of Nations" upon the opera
tions of Pin Manufacture. | shall take
the liberty, at an humble distance of Illus-
trating the process required to produce one
or two other articles of ladies' dress. |
shall commence with the manufacture of
ShaWls, (woolen) the manufacture Of
which involves a magnitude of interests,
which seems at first incomprehensible.
Even in Ohio we are affected by it to no
inconslderable degree. Our farmers raise
large portion of the wool which goes into
the Bay State Shawls, and the fabrication
of shalcls, nuslias, delanes, &C., in which
the wool is the principal article, is the
cause of the profits which Ohio has re-
Gently derived from the export of wool.
| have investigated this subject, in refer
ence both to It's intrinsic interest, and to It's
bearings upon the agricultural interests of
Ohio.
Accompanied by intelligent and cour-
teous guides, | proceeded to Lawrence,
the new town, whose wonders have been
proclaimed by the newspapers. Founded
only five years since, in the same manner
as Lowell, by the " Essex Company" it
has now probably ten thousand inhabitants.
As an example of order, neatness, regular
ity, and industry, ii is unsurpassed. Com
pared with anything we read of IN Eng
lish factory towns, it is as much superior
as are the institutions of our government
to those of the old world. 1t is the man.
ufacture of shawls in the Bay State Mills,
which constitutes, however, the main IN
terest of the town to me. | took down
from the books of the Company, and they
NAV, therefore, be strictly relied upon,
some statistics, which will serve to give
realizing idea Of the greatness, and the So
cial effect of these works; although you
cannot without seeing, realize the beautl-
ful order and system which prevails there.
l. DIMENsIoNs.-The ground occupied
by the " Bay State Mills is 1000 feet
in length and 400 in breadth thus occu-
pying the space of two squares and halt
IN Cincinnati. The buildings surround
the whole; but there is an interior yard
for air and convenience. Some of the
buildings are nine stories in height, but
generally six. The flooring occupies
more than two millions of square feet.
The I" Boarding Houses" are not includ-
ed in the above They are ranges OF three
story brick buildings. numbering thirty
two; and having all the convenlences ne
cessary 10 comfortable living. They oc-
ruPy nearly one-haIf as much space as the
mills.
,. THE OPERATIVES
Men employed l,lOO
Women do. l,l5O