The New York herald., 1877-01-22
FALL RIVER TRADE.
Present Condition of the
Cotton Manufacture.
WORK. PROFITS AND PROSPERITY
One City Where There Are
No Hard Times.
FALL RIVER. Mass. Jan. II, 1877,

FALL RIVER, Mass, Jan II, 1877.
This thriving manufacturing city, despite the dulness
OF trade aud business throughout the country,
Joying fair share Of prosperity, and her mill opera
tves are at work the wages those received
during the past fall, which are ten per cent
more than they were receiving at the corresponding
time last year. The mill agents, reasnrers and the
merchants OF the city are hopeful AID are convinced
that ths worst over. and that alter the settlement oil
tho Presidential question business will revive through
out the country although, as far a. Fall River
cerncd tney satisfied with their business tor the
past six or oght months Although Fall River Is tho
largest cotton manufacturing city In the country the
fact not generally known. The average schoolboy
remembers that when he went school his geography
told him that Lowel was the great uacuring city
in the United States; and again, the little Stale OF
Rhode Island is called the great manufacturing State
OF the Onion. IL Is an indispuiable TACT that FAN
River alone contains nearly as many spindies
owned in the whole State oi Rhode Island.
RUNNING.
Al present every mill ia Fall River is running on
"fun time" There is no accImula ulation OF goods, ana
had such been the in the past there would have
been trouble with tho help on account OF inc
nous overproducIon and the consequent reduction of
prices Tor print goods and OF wages we'll There Is
not likely to be any overproducton Tor long time
than one.hat OF all the production OF the PRINT
cloth mills Is sold up TO April at prices which insure
handsome profit to Tho mills
PROFITABLE FORESIGHT
Fortunately tor the mills IN view oil the advance Of
the raw material, there " enough cotton on nand 10
run every mill In the place To April which in open
market to-day would DO worth per cent more than
1t cost them. This of itself, It will be seen, would
be possible profit upon the three mouths business
This cotton, Of course Is not equally distributed
among tho mills, some not having q stock which
VIII carry them TO the middle OF February, while
others Will be enabled 10 run to the LIST OF
July with their present supply. Upon the best OF
authority your correspondent able to state that the
balance sheet Of nearly every mill IN the city Will
OF the moro fortunate will show very iaticrpg
result. The January dividends, however, Will not DO
large as the conservative policy OF the mills WIN lead
them 10 apply the major portion OF their earnings
the payment OF corporation debts, IRON which many
are not entirely free.
AT present tho weekly production OF Fall River ia
134 OUp pieces of print cloths and about pieces
OF wldb goods
Tho payroll will exceed 100000 Printing cloths
havc advanced from "a cents pcr yard which the
price they sold Tor November ~ ceuls per yard
which is The present price.
ADVANTAGEOUS LOCATION
AZ manufacturing locality Fan River is well stu
ated 10 obtain tho lowest rates OF reigh, upon coal
ana cotton, both very essential items in the cheap
production OF cloth She has also an inexhaustlble
supply OF pure spring water for steam purposes,
which IS essential to the successful and economical
use Of steam boilers. Pure water, the leading mil
owners state, in ample supply Is more valuable to q
manufacturing city tuan water power the latter being
tOo lckle 10 be rened upon unless supplemented by
steam power sufficient 10 turn the machinery In tmcs
OF drought while the water power Is usually located
away from navigable waters and has a heavy item OF
freight aud transportation 10 contend against.
STEADY GROWTH.
The growth OF Fail RIVER both population and the
increase VI mill property. eious, the follow
Ing table Will show
Year. Population Spindies
1855. t5....................... 1925 266, 32S
1870. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. ~, lyl 54l, 600
1876. ....................... 10000 l,300, 900
The cotton mills which rank lrst In i'm por tancc
among the mills OF New England managed and
owned by men whose interests are centred here and
who practical men, who have not only their repu
tatIons us manufacturers Dut also their capital (the
hard earned savings Of year- slaked upon the sue
O tneir nilIs; while the employment OF 'ships
cousins" AZ large salaries, whCn they do not know
enough 10 earn, rs comparatively unknown salaries
TO the agents. trcasurers and other officers o
are uotoriOusly small In this important respect they
unlike those oi every other town Of
the Eastern States. 1t Is well known fact that
the mills IN Lowell, Lawrence Manchester ana all the
large cotton manufacturing districts oi Mauc, New
Hampshire and Massachusetts are owned by Bost on
capitalists, ana whose dividends go build mansion us
ON Beacon street. Those earned here remain IN The
place and are distributed among all classes con
ditions; the operatives themselves many instances
beng stockholders IN the mills where they work.
D, The 4sy mills IN New England, Fad River alone
has 49, 90 sos looms 300 O0U spindies and
manu- featuring 33l, s75 900 yards OF cioth or two
thirds much as the whole vi New England. The
nominal capital Is about SO 900, while the actual
capital exceeds $50, 900 900.
STATEMENT oY RESULTS
The following Is correct statement OF the capital
yards OF cloth manufactured yearly the number Of
hands employed and tho monthly pay Of each com.
pany IN the city