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, 1871.
This thriving manufacturing city, despite the dulness
OF trade and business throughout the country,
Joying fair share of prosperity, and her mill opera
uves are at work tho wages those received
during the past ia which are ten per cen,
more than they were receiving at the corresponding
time last year. The mill agents, rcasnrers and the
merchants OF the city are hopeful and are convinced
that the worst over and that alter the settlement oil
tho Presidential question business will revive through
out the country; although AS far as Fall River IS con
cerned they are satisfied with their business tor the
past six or eight months. Although Fal! River Is tho
largest cotton manufacturing city In the country the
fact Is not generally known The average schoolboy
remembers that when he went school his geography
told him that Lowell was the great manufacturing city
in The United States; and again, The little State oil
Rhode Island is called the great manufacturing State
OF the Onion. II is lndlspu,aDle tact that Fail
River alone contains nearly as many spindles arc
owned in the whole State oil Rhode Island
EVERY RUNNING.
AZ present every mil iu Fali River is running on
"fu time" There is no ccumulation OF goods, ANA
had such been the in the past there would have
been no trouble with tho help on account OF tho enor
nous overrroducon and the consequent reduction of
prices Tor print goods and OF wages as we'll There Is
not likely to be any ovcfproducton Tor long timc
one.hait OF all the production OF tho PRINT
cloth mills sold up to April prices which insure
handsome profit to tho mills.
PROFITABLE FORESIGHT
Fortunately Tor the mills, N OF the advance Of
the raw material, there Is enough cotton nand TO
run every mill In the place 10 April which in open
market to-day would DO worth per cent more than
1t cost them. This of itseli, It will be seen, would
be possible profit upon the three months business
This cotton, Of course Is not equally distributed
among the mills, some not having a stock which
Will carry them TO the middle OF February while
others VIII he enabled 10 run 10 the LIST OF
July with their present supply. Upon the best OF
authority your correspondent able state that the
balance sheet oi nearly every mill in the city Will show
satisfactory profit tor the past SIX months, while
some OF the moro Fortunate will show very nattcriny
result The January dividends, however, will not DO
large as the conservative poicv OF the mills VIII lead
them 10 apply the major portion OF their earnings 10
The payment OF corporation debts, from which many
are hot entirely free.
Al present tho weekly production OF Fall River ia
lS4 O pieces OF print cloths and about IL 600 pieces
oil wde goods
Tho payroll will exceed $lCo ooo Printing cloths
havo advanced from 45 cents por yard, which the
price they sold ior November TO AZ cents Der yard
which is the present price.
ADVANTAGEOUS LOCATION
As anufacturlng locality Fail River Is well stu-
ated 10 obtain Tho lowest rates OF freight upon coal
ana cotton, both very essential items in tho cheap
production OF cloth. She has also an inexhaustible
supply OF pure spring water for steam purposes
which Is essential to the successful and economical
use of steam boilers. Pure water. tho Lending mil
owners stale in ample supply Is more valuable tokl
manufacturing city tuan water power the latter bef
too tickle ~ be rened upon unless supplemented "
steam power sufficient 10 turn the machinery in tinl
oil drought, while the water power Is usually located
away from naviaabe waters and has q heavy item Of
frci light and transportation 10 contend against.
STEADY GROWTH.
The growth OF Fa River, both IN population and the
increase OF mill property. ~ marvellous, as the follow.
Ing table will show
Year. Population Spindies
1865. ...................... ,525 265, 32S
1870 0...................... ~. lvl 5l1, 600
u. l..O
The cotton mills which rank nrst In i'm DO rtuncc
among the mills Of New England are managed and
owned by men whose interests are centred hero and
who practical men, who have only their repu-
tatous as manufacturers, but also their capital (the
hard earned savings Of year y slaked upon the sue.
cousins" AZ large salaries, whicn they do not know
enough 10 earn, rs comparatively unknown salaries
to the agents. trcasurers and other officers vi mills
are notorously small In this important respect they
unlike those OF every other town OF cradle
the Eastern States IL Is VOL known fact that
large cotton manufacturing districts OF Maine, New
Hampshire and Massachuse are owned by Bos ton
CAPITALISTS and whose dividends go to build mansions
ON Beacon street. Those earned here remain In The
place and are distributed among all classes
ditions the operatives themselves many instances
beng stockholders in the mills where they work.
D, the 4s9 mills IN New England, Fali River alone
has 4 containing 30 S65 looms 300 900 splndes and
manufacturing 33I, ,S75 900 yards OF coth, or two
thirds much us the whole ol New England. The
nominal capital Is about 900, while the actual
capital exceeas $50, 600 900.
A STATEMENT or 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,