Spirit of the times. [volume] (Ironton, Ohio) 1853-1858, 1855-08-28
From the New York Tribune.
ABBOTT LAWRENCE.


He was the son OF Samuel Lawrence, o
moderately independent farmer Of Pnri.
TIM lineage, living in Groon, Mass.
and remained with his father, attending
school and working on the farm, ill
his sixteenth year. when no went 10 Bos
ton and was employed as clerk IN the
importing house Of his eldest brother,
Amos. Frons that time his life was on
bsorbcd bna busy one, and he never
enjoyed any educational advonioecs but
those afforded him by The common or
district school and the srlve work n.
round him. But no man ncvcr priced
more Justly the advantages Of ednca'
ton, and among the many princcly ben
eractions Of his latter life was dona.
ton Of $50, 900 10 Harvard College for
the foundation and endowment OF o
School Of Practical Science, which will
hand down his name with honor TO re.
mote generations.
The Lswrences very carly commenc'
ell the rapid accumulation Of wealth.
They were both men Of strict integrity,
rare seg,city, and unliring devotion to
BUSINESS. They were frugal wthou, be.
ing misers, and knew how TO blend a
iudicious liberali,y with invincible thrift.
A. junior PARTNER, Abbott visited Europe
repeatedly as purchaser Of goods, and
during these visits he made careful in.
quiry into the processes OF manufacture;
and the results ripened in his own mind
the conviction that many If not most ol
tho fabrics required in this country ought
to be produced here and no longer i'm.
ported. His partner shared these con.
victions, and they two became interested
(Is2l-2) in the original purchase for
manufacturing purposes Of the ground
on the Merrimack River then known
"Paw:ucket Falls some miles below
the great eastward bend Of that river.
The ground had previously belonged
to the company which had constructed
a Canal from the Mcfrmack at this
point to Boston Harber, but it was bet.
Ter knownas fishery, and few
fisher mems huls were almost its only
buildings. This barren rock has since
been developed into Lowell, city Of
some 40, 900 inhabitants, whose annual
production exceeds that Of any com
munity not decidedly superior in mum.
bers on the face OF the earth /; while 10
intelligence, independence, comfort and
virtue, there is no manufacturing com
munity in Europe which will bear q
comparison with it.
The Lawrences were rich men when
they decided TO embark in Manufactures,
and they soon gave up their importing
business and devoted themselves wholly
to home products. They never made
money so rapidly in manufacturing as
they had done in foreign goo 8; indeed,
Mr.. Abbott Lawrence showed US, some
wears since. his dividend. book, from
which it appeared that his annual in.
CONS from the capital he had invested
in manufacturing companies had averas.
ed Just about seven per cent for series
of years, adding an avowal Of his be-
lief that his investments in factory stocks
were, as a whole, more fortunate than
those Of almost any other American.-
But the subscriptions CT A. & A. Law.
renee to any new undertaking were
generally made with at least an under.
standing that the fabrics of the company
should be regularly consigned to their
house for sale on commission thus an
immense and lucrative mercantile bust.
ness was gradually built up, from which
the partners realized colossal fortunes.
In 1884, Mr.. Lawrence was elected to
Congress, and served through the term
commencing with Dec. 1885, declining
a re- election. In 1888, he was again
persuaded to stand, and he served through
a part Of the ensuing term but i'll health
and business impelled him TO resign in
ls4o, when R. c. Winthrop was chosen
in his stead. In ls43, he was designat.
ed one Of the Commissioners to settle
our North Eastern Boundary, and dis.
charged the duties of that post with zeal
and fidelity. He headed the Clay Elec.
toral Ticket Of Massachusetts, in 1874,
was an early, active and nKuential
supporter of Gen. Taylor's nomination
in ls4s, and was the choice of the Taylor
men for Vice President but, after put.
ting him ahead on the first ballot, they
conclude to placate the friends of Mr..
Clay by giving the nomination to Mr..
Fillmore. Gen. Taylor, on coming to
Washington, is understood to have wish.
ed to call Mr.. Lawrence into his Cab.
net but this was found impracticable,
and was probably discouraged by Mr..
L. himself, who was soon after nominal.
ed Minister Plenipoten,iafy to Great
Britan, a station more consenial TO his
tastes. He spent three years in England
dispensing generous hospitality, ming
ling freely and frequently with the more
fortunate classes, and enjoying wide
spread popularity. Few Americans
could have filled the station more &C.
ceptably or courteously; and his efforts
to have our country creIitably represent
ed and fairly considered at the great
Worlds Exhibition Of 1851 were credi.
table to his patriotism and his enlishten
ed liberality. He resigned the post to-
yards the close Of 1852, and returned
to devote the remainder Of his days to
his business and his charities in that
city which had witnessed his rise from
poverty to affluence, from obscurity to
eminence, and which ever held the first
place in the affections.