Daily evening star. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1852-1854, 1853-01-05

and thrift; those fields springing up in
rich verdure where but yesterday the forest
held its shadowy sway; villages starting
up like magic; the iron girdle spreading
it's vast way over coming space, bringing
the products of the but yesterdays distant
forest to be waited to foreign chimes. What
mind can take in this greatness? who keep
pace with its strides. What resources of in
dustry, mighty beyond comparison, taxing
the credulity of the most progressive minds
May we be pardoned for mentioning but
one department of this vast human treasury
of labor-that of ready-made clothing.
This branch of industry, but few short
years ago was scarcely worth the notice of
passing glance, now has assumed one of
the most impor tant stands in the vast ex-
change, disbursing more capital to in
dustrioas laborers, employing in it's vast
ma nufactories greater number of operatives
than any other branch of industry. Take
but the city of New York, who will credit us
D.
landlord & Brother, four thousand five
hundred hands and forty cutters; Brook s.
Brother twenty cutters two thousand five
hundred hands; J. W. Lewis & Co., three
thousand Close & Smith two thousand. D.
& j.. Devlin, very extensive mandatory.
These are but some of the leading houses
in that city. In Philadelphia there are
also extensive houses. Cause, Lerhman &
Co., thirty five hundred, Bennett & Co., two
thousand, besides many others too nume-
rous to mention. In Baltimore Noah
Walker and many others, who work as
many hands as many of the large houses.
And lastly We come down to our city,
which has of latter years been keeping pace
with the progress of the times and keeping
in view that this is city of but compare
lively few years old, it can boast of as
much custom as any of the sister cities
In this same department Of industry
might be mentioned, Wall and Stevens,
of this city, the largest Clothing Manufac-
! turers in the District, employing from nine
ty to one hundred hands, land would en-
ploy many more but for the scarcity of la
bor,) benefting our city by employing
our own citizens, and producing goods as
low in price as any establishment north of
the same quality, excepting the very COM
mon and low price goods, which, from the
large and surplus population Of northern
cities, can be made at lower prices there,
but for better quality, wages are equal
We are pleased to see that within the last
few years merchandise of every kind is sold
in this market as low as in any of the other
cities, and the supply and sales, equal in all
respects.
1t may be asked by some what pay have
this vast concourse of human labor receive
for this work; whether they are benefited
by its expansive and growing resources, we
may say that they are; that much has been
said of their restitution and low price given
for their labor but it is not true in all cases.
Great numbers apply for work who are
entirely incompetent-who are not fit for
the business Of tailors or addresses and
it is well known that the employers suffer
in consequence if compelled through neces-
sity to keep them. Their wages, Of course,
must be commensurate to their services
INDECENT females, seeking employment by
their needles, whose only knowledge is in
making the simple article of shirts and
drawers, and who never were intended for
even that simple employment; and we risk
nothing in saying that their is not one in
ten who is entirely competent to do the work
required in a clothing mandatory of good
quality; and this applies to both sexes.
Thus it is that employers are often consid-
cred as oppressive, and acting unjustly in
payment of wages but this is not the case.
AS general thing, (although there may be
exceptions those hands who are competent
to do the work promptly, can obtain good
wages and constant employment, and are