The Portland daily press., 1868-10-21
Miscellany.


David McCrae, Scotchman who has visit
ed this country lately, got some new ideas as
70 what the laboring classes are capable OF In
free country, and writes as follows to the
Glasgow Herald:
Travelling through New England, with it's I
busy centres of population, ITS white towns
and villages, and its white churches with
white wooden spires, and its numt erless
white farmhouses speaking the landscape, the
eye is everywhere delighted with the ev-
dence OF universal com ort and prospect "
Il some places looked about in vain for any
people wearing the appearan OF our work.
Ing and labLtInR classes at home. went
WE IT out one Gay uCm Boston to see the
mills at Lawrence, where 35 QUO girls are en-
pioyed. Isaw thousands OF them at their
work, but could scarcely realize that this was
their daily and hourly aVocation. From theii
genteel appearance, their manners, their
thoughtful and intelligent looks, shouk
have taken til IN to be young ladies OF the
m dde class, who had merely come to try
their hands as amateurs. could not but
contrast them with the poor mill girls al
home, that we see at meal hours swarming IN
Our streets, baIeneaded and barelooted even
In wet AMI frosty weather. These gills at
Lawrence and Lowell earn from eight to ten
anu hall dollars eeek-an average O,
ab.ut thirty shillings-oi which the, pay
about one third for board IN the comfortable
houses provided Tor them. They dress well.
as all Americans do, AMI yet accumulate
money in the savings bank AS much as
$50 6U0 was banked by the Lawrence girls or
one monthly pay DAY. They are all educat
ed. Many OF them continue to attend even
ing classes, and some oil them take lessons il
French and music. They have library and
tree reading loom at the mill. l went into
one OF their libraries and found catalogue
OF 5C0U books, 1850 oil which were out
In the reading room I tsul all the
principal papers, one OF them French. Tt
see these eIrs coming in thousands from the
mliis at six O'Clock, many OF them with books
IN tneIr hal DIS, GU would imagine them t.
be consre alton or young ladies comm.
from meeting. One visitor who went t.
see his sight waited till the str, am was past,
aud then sad, 'But where are the mill girls?
was struck with this superiority in the con
ditlon anu status OF the working classes all
over New England. Speaking Of it one da, |
10 Dl. hopkins of Northampton, Mass, on |
whom was calling, he said 81 will show you |
an Illustration OF it," He took me to his " in |
dow and SAID pointing across the road. dc |
you see thai white house among the trees p
I looked and saw genteel looking house
with its green lattices, its verandah adorned |
with creeping plants, and It's orchard. "That |
belongs 10 the blacksmith" said the doctor |
he owns bis house an occupies it. He shoes |
my horses and lives there like a gentleman |
as he is. DO you see that house elond," he |
continued, that one with the large portico |
There the carpenter stays; and the house apd |
all that ground where you see the trees are |
his own. Ii there are any repairs to be a.
tended to about my blinds, or shutters, OF
woodwork anywhere, he comes and attends |
q inn MAJ lal
aud yet gentleman. Labor here" said the
doctor, rs honorable, and the man who can
turn his hand to most things generally gets
On best, and at least always can get on" He
told me tnst when a lady friend from the
South was on visit to him he said he would
drive her to Hatfield and show her where
their faborers lived. 6u-t're -,va,--ovcr- he
SAID: w hat do you expect to see?" She sale
she supposed the houses were better than
most OF their negro cabins in the South.
''Well," said the doctor, you shall Judge"
He drove her across The beautiful Connect |
cut valley, and entered Hatfield by a broad
street with long rows of elms, and with hand
some white houses on each side surrounded |
with orchards. The lady called his attention
10 some u these as they passed, admiring their
elegance. "By the way" said the doctor,
when they got 10 the end of the street, for
got to tell you that those are the laborers'
nousesw
There can be no doubt that the condition
'f bis class is very much better in America
than with us, where the vast mass of the az
ricultural population hold their houses and
farms ct the will of another. The smallest
farmer in New England is independent. His
house and bis Lana are his own. He is behold
sn 10 no one. He keeps his own horse,
his COW, and bis pigs, draws the manure over
his own fields ;plants and reaps his own corn;
11gs and hoes his own tllrnIps and potatoes.
Moreover, he is educated and we'll informed
and his children ale all at school. lie reads the |
papers; he has the current literature of the
day on the table; he knows what Gladstone
and Dlsraeli are about here; he keeps him
ef well acquainted with home politics; he
las vote and Knows what to do with it land
IAN get up in the to Rnship meetings and ex-
press himself intelligiby it occasion Call for it
These men, after all, form the stamina and
moral strength OF the commonwealth
The prosperity oil New England cannot be
owing to her soil. / had no idea that the |
land there was so barren. passed over greu |
tracts OF 1t where the soil was so thin and |
Il ground SO rocky that began to believe |
the story about sharpening sleeps noses to |
let them get at the blades of grass between |
the stones. IL was continual source o. |
wonder to come. in such regions, upon so |
many beautiful farn-houses and little -four |
shIne villages. But the people are &C i've |
apd thrifty they labor with their own hands |
and waste nothing, are full OF ingenuity and |
resource, and wiring not on y competence and |
out wealth out OF the reluc, ant hand of ma
ture.
A New Highlander, il hard pushed, would
make living out Of whinsiones.