north america-1-第71章

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sed　for　preparing　the　cotton　and　working　the　spindles　and　looms　of　the　cotton　mills。　Steam　is　applied　in　the　two　establishments　in　which　the　cottons　are　printed；　for　the　purposes　of　printing；　but　I　think　nowhere　else。　When　the　mills　are　at　full　work；　about　two　and　a　half　million　yards　of　cotton　goods　are　made　every　week；　and　nearly　a　million　pounds　of　cotton　are　consumed　per　week；　（i　e。　842；000　lbs。；）　but　the　consumption　of　coal　is　only　30；000　tons　in　the　year。　　This　will　give　some　idea　of　the　value　of　the　water…power。　　The　Pawtucket　Canal　was；　as　I　say；　bought；　and　Lowell　was　commenced。　　The　town　was　incorporated　in　1826；　and　the　railway　between　it　and　Boston　was　opened　in　1835；　under　the　superintendence　of　Mr。　Jackson；　the　gentleman　by　whom　the　purchase　of　the　canal　had　in　the　first　instance　been　made。　　Lowell　now　contains　about　40；000　inhabitants。　The　following　extract　is　taken　from　the　hand…book　to　Lowell：　〃Mr。　F。　C。　Lowell　had；　in　his　travels　abroad；　observed　the　effect　of　large　manufacturing　establishments　on　the　character　of　the　people；　and　in　the　establishment　at　Waltham　the　founders　looked　for　a　remedy　for　these　defects。　　They　thought　that　education　and　good　morals　would　even　enhance　the　profit；　and　that　they　could　compete　with　Great　Britain　by　introducing　a　more　cultivated　class　of　operatives。　　For　this　purpose　they　built　boarding…houses；　which；　under　the　direct　supervision　of　the　agent；　were　kept　by　discreet　matrons〃I　can　answer　for　the　discreet　matrons　at　Lowell〃mostly　widows；　no　boarders　being　allowed　except　operatives。　　Agents　and　overseers　of　high　moral　character　were　selected；　regulations　were　adopted　at　the　mills　and　boarding…houses；　by　which　only　respectable　girls　were　employed。　　The　mills　were　nicely　painted　and　swept〃I　can　also　answer　for　the　painting　and　sweeping　at　Lowell〃trees　set　out　in　the　yards　and　along　the　streets；　habits　of　neatness　and　cleanliness　encouraged；　and　the　result　justified　the　expenditure。　At　Lowell　the　same　policy　has　been　adopted　and　extended；　more　spacious　mills　and　elegant　boarding…houses　have　been　erected；〃　as　to　the　elegance；　it　may　be　a　matter　of　taste；　but　as　to　the　comfort；　there　is　no　question〃the　same　care　as　to　the　classes　employed；　more　capital　has　been　expended　for　cleanliness　and　decoration；　a　hospital　has　been　established　for　the　sick；　where；　for　a　small　price；　they　have　an　experienced　physician　and　skillful　nurses。　　An　institute；　with　an　extensive　library；　for　the　use　of　the　mechanics；　has　been　endowed。　　The　agents　have　stood　forward　in　the　support　of　schools；　churches；　lectures；　and　lyceums；　and　their　influence　contributed　highly　to　the　elevation　of　the　moral　and　intellectual　character　of　the　operatives。　　Talent　has　been　encouraged；　brought　forward；　and　recommended。〃　　For　some　considerable　time　the　young　women　wrote；　edited；　and　published　a　newspaper　among　themselves；　called　the　Lowell　Offering。　　〃And　Lowell　has　supplied　agents　and　mechanics　for　the　later　manufacturing　places　who　have　given　tone　to　society；　and　extended　the　beneficial　influence　of　Lowell　through　the　United　States。　Girls　from　the　country；　with　a　true　Yankee　spirit　of　independence；　and　confident　in　their　own　powers；　pass　a　few　years　here；　and　then　return　to　get　married　with　a　dower　secured　by　their　exertions；　with　more　enlarged　ideas　and　extended　means　of　information；　and　their　places　are　supplied　by　younger　relatives。　　A　large　proportion　of　the　female　population　of　New　England　has　been　employed　at　some　time　in　manufacturing　establishments；　and　they　are　not　on　this　account　less　good　wives；　mothers；　or　educators　of　families。〃　　Then　the　account　goes　on　to　tell　how　the　health　of　the　girls　has　been　improved　by　their　attendance　at　the　mills；　how　they　put　money　into　the　savings　banks；　and　buy　railway　shares　and　farms；　how　there　are　thirty　churches　in　Lowell；　a　library；　banks；　and　insurance　office；；　how　there　is　a　cemetery；　and　a　park；　and　how　everything　is　beautiful；　philanthropic；　profitable；　and　magnificent。　Thus　Lowell　is　the　realization　of　a　commercial　Utopia。　　Of　all　the　statements　made　in　the　little　book　which　I　have　quoted；　I　cannot　point　out　one　which　is　exaggerated；　much　less　false。　　I　should　not　call　the　place　elegant；　in　other　respects　I　am　disposed　to　stand　by　the　book。　　Before　I　had　made　any　inquiry　into　the　cause　of　the　apparent　comfort；　it　struck　me　at　once　that　some　great　effort　at　excellence　was　being　made。　　I　went　into　one　of　the　discreet　matrons'　residences；　and；　perhaps；　may　give　but　an　indifferent　idea　of　her　discretion；　when　I　say　that　she　allowed　me　to　go　into　the　bed…rooms。　　If　you　want　to　ascertain　the　inner　ways　or　habits　of　life　of　any　man；　woman；　or　child；　see；　if　it　be　practicable　to　do　so；　his　or　her　bed…room。　　You　will　learn　more　by　a　minute's　glance　round　that　holy　of　holies；　than　by　any　conversation。　　Looking…　glasses　and　such　like；　suspended　dresses；　and　toilet…belongings；　if　taken　without　notice；　cannot　lie　or　even　exaggerate。　　The　discreet　matron　at　first　showed　me　rooms　only　prepared　for　use；　for　at　the　period　of　my　visit　Lowell　was　by　no　means　full；　but　she　soon　became　more　intimate　with　me；　and　I　went　through　the　upper　part　of　the　house。　　My　report　must　be　altogether　in　her　favor　and　in　that　of　Lowell。　　Everything　was　cleanly；　well　ordered；　and　feminine。　　There　was　not　a　bed　on　which　any　woman　need　have　hesitated　to　lay　herself　if　occasion　required　it。　　I　fear　that　this　cannot　be　said　of　the　lodgings　of　the　manufacturing　classes　at　Manchester。　　The　boarders　all　take　their　meals　together。　　As　a　rule；　they　have　meat　twice　a　day。　　Hot　meat　for　dinner　is　with　them　as　much　a　matter　of　course；　or　probably　more　so；　than　with　any　Englishman　or　woman　who　may　read　this　book。　　For　in　the　States　of　America　regulations　on　this　matter　are　much　more　rigid　than　with　us。　　Cold　meat　is　rarely　seen；　and　to　live　a　day　without　meat　would　be　as　great　a　privation　as　to　pass　a　night　without　bed。　The　rules　for　the　guidance　of　these　boarding…houses　are　very　rigid。　The　houses　themselves　belong　to　the　corporations；　or　different　manufacturing　establishments；　and　the　tenants　are　altogether　in　the　power　of　the　managers。　　None　but　operatives　are　to　be　taken　in。　The　tenants　are　answerable　for　improper　conduct。　　The　doors　are　to　be　closed　at　ten　o'clock。　　Any　boarders　who　do　not　attend　divine　worship　are　to　be　reported　to　the　managers。　　The　yards　and　walks　are　to　be　kept　clean；　and　snow　removed　at　once；　and　the　inmates　must　be　vaccinated；　etc。　etc。　etc。　　It　is　expressly　stated　by　the　Hamilton　Companyand　I　believe　by　all　the　companiesthat　no　one　shall　be　employed　who　is　habitually　absent　from　public　worship　on　Sunday；　or　who　is　known　to　be　guilty　of　immorality；　it　is　stated　that　the　average　wages　of　the　women　are　two　dollars；　or　eight　shillings；　a　week；　besides　their　board。　　I　found　when　I　was　there　that　from　three　dollars　to　three　and　a　half　a　week　were　paid　to　the　women；　of　which　they　paid　one　dollar　and　twenty…five　cents　for　their　board。　　As　this　would　not　fully　cover　the　expense　of　their　keep；　twenty…five　cents　a　week　for　each　was　also　paid　to　the　boarding…house　keepers　by　the　mill　agents。　　This　substantially　came　to　the　same　thing；　as　it　left　the　two　dollars　a　week；　or　eight　shillings；　with　the　girls　over　and　above　their　cost　of　living。　　The　board　included　washing；　lights；　food；　bed；　and　attendanceleaving　a　surplus　of　eight　shillings　a　week　for　clothes　and　saving。　　Now　let　me　ask　any　one　acquainted　with　Manchester　and　its　operatives；　whether　that　is　not　Utopia　realized。　　Factory　girls；　for　whom　every　comfort　of　life　is　secured；　with　21l。　a　year　over　for　saving　and　dress！　　One　sees　the　failing；　however；　at　a　moment。　　It　is　Utopia。　Any　Lady　Bountiful　can　tutor　three　or　four　peasants　and　make　them　luxuriously　comfortable。　　But　no　Lady　Bountiful　can　give　luxurious　comfort　to　half　a　dozen　parishes。　　Lowell　is　now　nearly　forty　years　old；　and　contains　but　40；000　inhabitants。　　From　the　very　nature　of　its　corporations　it　cannot　spread　itself。　　Chicago；　which　has　grown　out　of　nothing　in　a　much　shorter　period；　and　which　has　no　factories；　has　now　120；000　inhabitants。　　Lowell　is　a　very　wonderful　place　and　shows　what　philanthropy　can　do；　but　I　fear　it　also　shows　what　philanthropy　cannot　do。　There　are；　however；　other　establishments；　conducted　on　the　same　principle　as　those　at　Lowell；　which　have　had　the　same　amount；　or　rather　the　same　sort　of　success。　　Lawrence　is　now　a　town　of　about　15；000　inhabitants；　and　Manchester　of　about　24；000；　if　I　remember　rightly；　and　at　those　places　the　mills　are　also　owned　by　corporations　and　conducted　as　are　those　at　Lowell。　　But　it　seems　to　me　that　as　New　England　takes　her　place　in　the　world　as　a　great　mannfacturing　countrywhich　place　she　undoubtedly　will　take　sooner　or　latershe　must　abandon　the　hot…house　method　of　providing　for　her　operatives　with　which　she　has　commenced　her　work。　　In　the　first　place；　Lowell　is　not　open　as　a　manufacturing　town　to　the　capitalists　even　of　New　England　at　large。　　Stock　may；　I　presume；　be　bought　in　the　corporations；　but　no　interloper　can　establish　a　mill　there。　　It　is　a　close　manufacturing　community；　bolstered　up　on　all　sides；　and　has　none　of　that　capacity　for　providing　employment　for　a　thickly　growing　population　which　belongs　to　such　places　as　Manchester　and　Leeds。　　T