Daily evening star. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1852-1854, 1853-01-07

dure where but yesterday the forest
held its shadowy sway; villages starting
up like magic; the iron girdle spreading
its 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 it's 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 important stands in the vast ex-
change, disbursing more capital to in
dustrioas laborers, employing in it's vast
manufactures greater number Of operatives
sthan any other branch of industry. Take
but the city of New York, who will credit us
when we give some of the few details.
landlord & Brother, four thousand five
hundred hands and forty cutters; Brook
Brother twenty cutters two thousand five
hundred hands; j. W. Lewis & Co., three
thousand; Close & Smith two thousand; D.
& J. Devlin, P. L. Rogers, Union Hall;
and P. D. Barnum; the latter establish
ments are wholesale and retail, and
employ as many hands as the larg-
est houses. These are the most extensive
and splendid establishments in the country,
keeping the most fashionable and elegant
goods, even superior to those gotten up by
merchant tailors, which is the case in all well
regulated clothing establishments
These are but some of the leading houses
in that city. In Philadelphia there are
also extensive houses. Cause, Lerhman &
Co., thirty-fve hundred, Bennett & Co., two
thousand, besides many others too hume
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 enterprises 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-
p1oy many more but for the scarcity of la
bor,) benefting our city by employing
our own citizens, and producing goods as
lew 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 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 ncompetent-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 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.