Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1858-11-12
THE CITY OF LOWELL,

II oE LON
The city OF Lowell contains q population Of
about 0,Oee, and OF these about IA 200 are di.
rectly employed in the factories. 1t eiyes
living and stirring aspect to the town when At
the hour Tor meals this vast number 4, NON rod
out IN one moving mass through the strsats.
IN moment the streets are flowing and eddy
ing with these streams and trans verse currents
OF human beings, light-hearted and airy, and
IN smother moment they have disappeared With
IN the walls Of their often eleeant boardi,,
houses, 10 discuss with keen relish the we'll,
spread varieties Of good New England cookery.
Inc bsHness Of manufacturing is here digni-
ned, and carried forward to a perfect system,
Inere IL time snd method for every thing.
and the laws OF the several corporations are
uniform. Though not enforced by penalties,
farther than dismission, they are observed far
better than those which are recorded upon our
statute books, Great attention is paid to the
health, cleanliness aud comfort of the OPERA
ayes, who are, indeed, treated like member,
Of one great family.
me boarding houses are often aroono the
hrst class Of houses in the city, plainly built.
70 oe sure, out In good style, large and coumo-
dious, on some OF the very pleasantest Streets
OF the city. and with an exterior order and
neatness that might pass for genteel aristocra-
ey. We entered one in our rambles to get a
Nies Oh tne interior arrangement, and must
confess have never seen more araer, neathsss
comfort and simple elegance compaeted in a
h1uan domicil. 1t was large edifce maxine
one OF magnificent row that would comnars
WIN the upper ten" life in Philadelphia,
Nothing was out ofplace. Perfect neatnes. and
tidiness marked every room, and among tn.
New England characteristics of this in7door
ine, you might see in almost every private
room the small, but well filed bookcase, with
iFs cctaves and duodecimos arranged IN their
order. We went through dormitories, kitchen
dining room and parlor, and peeped into closet,
vi the good lady Of the house as cur guidS
Mrs klmble, who dispensed the Ceremonies OF
this Paul Pry" visitation with a downriobt
hearty Iest and good humor. We should have
been still further gratIfed with a segment Of
one OF the tempting squash pies which verc
being prepared in munifcent abundance, Int
time failed us
Ihe quality Of board would compare we'll AS
20 richness and variety with our second class
noteis, and far surpass them in cleanliness.
let, oil this board, lodging, wood and lights,
and washing are furnished for 81. so per week
- cents OF which are paid by the companies,
and ten shillings by the individual boarder
Ihe average wages Of females, in the factories
clear OF board, is 81 90 per week, and that of
men, per day, clear Of board. eighty taats
many female is there suppOrtirc brother in
college, or an aged parent at home. or paving
IOr homestead, or increasing bank deposis
for after competency. If thew are sipk tharo
Is a hOsnitsi near by. located IN n bs.r,;e.I
Psrt OF the city, itself CEN nrising several ham
thuf ouiidings in an enclosure and surround
ings exceedingly pleasant aud tasteful wI,nra
,he oest medical aid and nursing attention are
asa es less than the necessary cost, and the
very Poor are charged nothing = !
tne Is;.oriss are some Of the most magnii-
cent buildings IN the State. There are eleven
Pfineipai manufacturing companies, with an
11Ssrefste capital stock of abeut Sl4 900 GOO
ihe old Merrimack Company, incorporatedIn
ioxz, mas capital of 81, 500. 900 IL has ~
miils beside print works, containing 2 200
Iooms; 81 900 spindles; employing $50 females
and 100 men; and turning off $50 COO va-Is nat
week, Of WOODEN and cotton fabric. This ~,
pretty lively business. doubt if the field of
waterloo presented a iiyelier or noisier sc.ne
than the hoor Of one Of these cotton mills witb
hundred and thirty looms each 8yin1 at =
Eats OF little less than a stroke in a second. and
eaeh loom turning Of from 80 to 45 yards per
drive the machinery in one Of tbesa fsctor;a.
ana was told that the pondrous wheels reyolyed
via IIOO horse power. Yet the water wa,
"ehcately gauged that they turned with a
mathematical precision Of seconds. and mot !.
jar was pereeptibls throughout the vast tier of
5ooms ana the thousands Of wheels and cylip-
defs and complicated noii,ns.
Ofthe wonderful variety and invcnr;,v os
machi merry IN the various departments of the
mechanical and manufacturing establishments
At Lowell, one can form no conce ption rr;nr 20
long and careful inspection. Almost has
man transferred the gift Of intelligence 10 mai.
yer. Almost is it made to move BY the laws of
.noaent ana voiition: Imagine, for instance,
card machine, where the wire i. out off
pointed, bent, the hole punched. and the wire
turneo and inserted in Its proper arrangement,
or II anything faulty, is rejected promptly. and
Snotner taken in its place, all by machineryl
imagine power loom, working at the rate of
40 yards per day, aud driving up shuttle at
tne rate st about one shoot in q second, stOp.
ping Oh itself In an instant, If thread break,
OF runs out, or gets out OF place. The Garnet
making 10 enough to make a man take of his
ns nat rom very astonishment If not reverence.
Ihere Is loom, weaving q carpet of variable
ana ricnest eolors, requiring "a different coI-
ored threads to be woven into the figure Tbss.
threads are arranged in shuttlss on either side
IN upright tiers, or courses which are m he
thrown across the lathe after a most in,sr0
VOWED and irregular order, as for instance. a
nrst, q tenth, q third, fifth, fourteenth. fc
whenever particular thread is reouired tba
shuttle containing that thread will rise or fall,
as tne case may be, to the level of the web
ana thsn shoot across No hand touches II m
time, and If anything is wanting 70 coInnIp,. pIp
tne mystery, II is that if a thread breaks. or
gee out oil place, or runs out, the whole loom
stops In an instant. In a building containine
zVV power carpet looms, and turning of 25 OOs
ysrds OF carpeting in a week, this order Ia
more strictly observed than il could be il each
movement depended upon q distinct yoIit;on-
and became the subject of distinct iptelIigen.
cOgnitiOn.
But must arrest these rambling jottings
and beg pardon for attempting 10 describa
wat my hasty observations could not mature.
DR.. Ribbard's Letter.