Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1874-03-06
ra CslI-Gss. ,.Atk'ks R!.

tie PROPOSE" " N-'N'''' '|ttiN y 'it'i
.,or he ~ operation. Wilmington :
..,n,,n.rcia! prospects are very bright.
:. .,..oYot hc many months DOW before
.,.,r rafirori connection with Charlotte
u,;r he complete, and country alme $!
u,trn,gn to cur merchants, Union,
uecklcnburg, lrcdel!, Lincoln and
CASTOR, will be as easy Of access us
those immediately around us. And it
,,nrot he many years before the cx-
.ra.,e Western counties Of our State,
,,d even the vallies Of the Mississippi
.r1 Ohio, will be connected with our
.;.r hv a line Of railroads shor,er than
70 anv other Atlantic port.
Then, too, tie prospects of our river
and bar improvements are very good.
We have assurance that the labors of
tho Corumitte lately i'll Washington
Citv aud the earnest and efficient eff
forts Of our Immediate Representative
IN Congress. with the individual sup
MORT Of the North Carolinians in both
Houses, will secure an Appropriation
which Will do much to forward the
work progressing for the Improvement
of our River and HarDcr. We do not
L4Ij.ye We are in error in stating that
many months Will not elapse before
vessels drawing sixteen feet can enter
this port with safety.
These are indeed hopeful assurances.
We lave looked forward SO long and
80 nstiently for railroad connections
with the West and for the improve
,aent ot our river and bar that many
nav have despaired of ever seeing
these objects attained, even though
the prospects are good. Yet we do not
think We are over sanguine in predict
that both are now within sight, and
VIII be secured within n very few years
at farthest.
But Wilmington cannot hopo to be-
come porulcus city by its extensive
commerce alone. It takes compara-
lively few persons to handle the i'm
nlense amount of business now done
here, and we suppose double the
AMOUNT could be done with all increase
II twenty-five to forty per cent of the
present number employed. Then if
We expect to attract population we
must provide remuneratiye labor for
them. We have too many unemployed
PEOPLE now. Idleness is leading to
want, and want to crime. The amount
Of robberies now being committed in
OFT city is really alarming. We sup
pose many seek relief through crime,
who would labor honestly if profitable
labor could be had. Whether this be
so or not, we know that there is much
suffering among our poor from inabil-
n''s secure employment.
The ess1,h1iotsmNpt ,s,,di. I'm 3f factories would
people. especially for women and child
ren. In Lowell, out of 4 population
Of forty thousand. fully one-fourth find
employment in the different mills of
that prosperous and growing city.
Then, again, many Of our Southern
cities, which have very large CONNER.
cial interests, do not exhibit CORES
pondirg growth and prosperity. The
export trade Of Wilmington is nearly
i've times that Of Richmond, and
nearly or quite half of that Of Balti-
Iaore. let Richmond has more than
double our population, and Baltimore
l' nearly twenty times larger. Rich
mond does Tot content herself with
tie commissions for buying aud sell
ING and handling the products which
seek market there. Her iron manu-
tactures, Touring mills and tobacco
iactorles not only attract population,
6lt add to the wealth of the city.
NemUstlevy industrial contribution
upon the products which seek a mar
ket Gere, or We can never realize the
iull benc fits To be derived from our vast
business. SO long as we ouly handle
the raw material for others to manu-
iacture into articles demanded by the
wants and comforts OF mankind, 50
ionS will we lag behind
We have received the following
COMMUNICATION from practical me-
clanic giving an interesting history
'i the growth and present condition
oi the factories at Lowell, from which
We may we'll learn lesson:
PETERSBURG, VA, Feb. l., 1871.
Alssrs. Editors Il see by the pa
peFs that you are advocating the cot
IoA manufacturing interest in your
ciIv' Now, Sirs, am a practical ope-
lA'or OF cotton mills, first learned the
G1NulnG of cotton machinery and
men the operatings of the same.
lave been North some and examined
we mills IN Lowell and Rhode Island,
alu fnd them to be successful, and
VII give you little history OF those
VI Lowell, which may help you and be
u ervlce IN helping forward the Ell
eIprlse IN Your city.
:; lowell, IN 1919, was a poor barren
~1to'rict, containing but a few houses.
lie 4ie inhabitants then supported them
3. 4tNes By hunting and fishing. The
SS5 IS,a corporation was organized in
NJ under the name of Merrimack
n,rnSsnluuiiacturing nnslui Company. This cor
poi1Ilon built six mills, exclusive of
= P-'ac ac- works. These mills contain
r,,'3' nr"I splndles and ,92O looms, which
goai DI''ef 3i3, 900 yards OF cloth every
IN IN ,ods Hands employed in 1853, 1880.
NJ, - &c rlo2o' the Hamilton Manufacture
is. company was Incorporated. It has
:S@f os n. mills besides it's print works
53p,--S go spindles ard /, ,Os6 looms. Pro,
1Ia. Iotf Every week 1SO, coo OF prints.
"A -IS an ani fiannels. Hands employ
poSata3, neAt, the Appleton Company, incor-
WIZ it%'sa "a IN IN 1928. They have two mills
nrodr o,i ',92o spindles and 600 looms.
srJ ssrJJuIIcing 10000 yards of sheeting
'+' shlrrting per week.
c,-,,aSl y~eIl Manufacturing Company, in
90 lated IN 1928, has 22O cotton and
! week PET pet looms. which produce per
ril.,s ou o,9oO yards carpet. 30 woolen
s,5 ,Ii S and 5000 yards cotton cloth
SnaaHs rshds employed.
Tbar blIlk I Mills. incorporated 1880.
sr1 nave IA, ,448 srindIes 40S looms