_Journey from Boston to Lowell—Lynn—Salem—Newburghport—Female waiters,
or helps—Agricultural notices—Stage passengers—Lowell—Manufacturing
females—American and British manufacturers—House building—Benevolent
Societies—Water power—Manufacturing power of Britain and the United
States—Notices of Nature._
Having had my eyes injured in travelling from Albany, I was unable to
enjoy the sights of Boston—accomplishing only, with the aid of a shade,
the delivery of a letter at 50, North Market, where there is an
extensive assortment of agricultural implements, meriting the notice of
farmers.
Next day we left Boston for Newburghport, a distance of twenty-four
miles, travelling by way of Lynn and Salem, the latter containing about
13,000 inhabitants, many of whom are extensively engaged in the Indian
trade, and the former containing 4000 souls, is celebrated for the
manufacture of ladies’ shoes.
Newburghport is situated on the banks of the river Merrimack, three
miles from its mouth, over which there is a suspension bridge of six
arches, 350 yards in length. It possesses considerable trade, and
contains a population of about 7000 souls. In our progress through the
New England States, attendants at table, except in cities, were chiefly
females, more especially during tea, which is invariably served out by
them. The female waiters at Newburghport were ladylike in manners and
appearance, and politely opened the door on our retiring from meals. In
every case that came under our notice, their demeanour was
prepossessing, and such as would command respect from gentlemen. Having
been unaccustomed to such attendants, I felt disappointed at the manner
in which their services were received at table—a polite or kind
expression never being addressed to them, and their assiduous attentions
unacknowledged. In no instance did I observe a female attendant seat
herself at table, nor even in the room with the guests of a hotel, and
only on one occasion, in a private house, a help of slender years
occupied a seat in a dark corner of the room during tea, when her
assistance was not required. I do not see why a help of low or high
degree should not seat herself when her services are not wanted. There
are many anomalies in human customs. In Asiatic countries, the slave is
required to bend himself almost in the dust, while in Britain the
superior exacts homage in an erect posture.
Remaining for the night at Newburghport, we hired a gig for the purpose
of visiting a farm fourteen miles distant, belonging to a gentleman
residing at New York, to whom, for his polite and friendly attention, I
am much indebted, and should feel pleasure in having an opportunity of
expressing my gratitude by deeds. We returned by Newburghport, in time
for dinner, after which we proceeded by stage to Lowell, along the banks
of the Merrimack by Andover.
The country from Boston to Newburghport and the interior, which we
visited, is low and marshy, with a poor soil and inferior crops. The
pastures appeared in most cases suffering from want of drainage and
previous management. In the eastern States of America, and more
especially in those of New England, hay is the best paying article of
farm produce, which induces farmers to mow their grass lands when first
sown down, year after year, so long as the herbage can be collected with
the scythe, after which it is converted into pasturage. Grass land so
treated cannot fail of yielding a poor return in pasturage in any
country, and more especially in the States of New England, where there
are few natural grasses, the soil poor, and where the husbandman does
not assist nature by a judicious supply of seeds. Many of the enclosures
consist of stone walls; and in one instance, near Boston, I observed an
excellent thorn hedge. On the farm which we visited, there was a good
short-horn bull, and a thrashing-machine. The wheat straw of the
preceding year was sadly mildewed. In one instance I observed meadow
foxtail grass growing in a situation which induced me to think it was
indigenous.
The surface of the country along the banks of the Merrimack, after
leaving Newburghport, is finely undulating, and several sweet lakes were
seen. The soil, on passing Andover, was of the worst description of
sand, bearing crops truly wretched. A few patches of hops were seen in
the fields.
The stage from Newburghport to Lowell was crowded with well-dressed
females, unembarrassed in manner, untainted with forwardness or
vulgarity, and who evidently had not been accustomed to high life. On
our arrival at Lowell, we observed several stages deposit loads of the
same sex, which circumstance was accounted for by the extensive
cotton-manufactories situated in the immediate neighbourhood. There is a
constant succession of females departing from, and arriving at, Lowell;
the high wages of those attending the factories attract such as
particularly want a sum of money, after obtaining which they return
home.
Lowell is the chief seat of cotton manufactures in the United States;
was formerly a section of the town of Chelmsford, and derives its name
from Francis Lowell, who introduced the manufacture of cotton into the
States. It is situated at the confluence of the rivers Merrimack and
Concord, and has risen into manufacturing importance of late years. The
source of its riches and power is the water of the Merrimack, which is
conducted to the town by a canal, one mile and a half in length, eight
feet deep, and sixty wide, distributed by lateral branches, and again
discharged, either into the Merrimack or Concord; the fall being
thirty-two feet. Lowell communicates with Boston, from which it is
distant twenty-five miles, by a canal, and a railway is now forming.
The manufactures comprehend those of cotton, and woollen of various
kinds, gunpowder, ale, &c. The chief manufacturing company is the
Merrimack, which, in 1832, employed four hundred males and nine hundred
females, with one thousand looms and twenty-six thousand spindles at
work.
By the census of Lowell for January, 1828, the total population was
3532, of which 2190 were females. On 12th June, 1830, the population was
6477, whereof 4085 were females. The following is the census on 1st
June, 1832—
_White Males._ │ _White Females._
10 (_under_) 703│10 (_under_) 771
10 to 20 563│10 to 20 1,465
20 to 30 1,996│20 to 30 2,735
30 to 40 720│30 to 40 638
40 to 50 208│40 to 50 238
50 to 60 62│50 to 60 83
Above 60 27│Above 60 52
Grand Total, 10,254.
The females engaged in manufacturing amount to nearly 5000, and as we
arrived at Lowell on the afternoon of Saturday, we had an opportunity of
seeing those connected with some of the largest cotton factories
retiring from labour. All were clean, neat, and fashionably attired,
with reticules hanging on their arms, and calashes on their heads. They
commonly walked arm in arm without displaying levity. Their general
appearance and deportment was such that few British gentlemen, in the
middle ranks of life, need have been ashamed of leading any one of them
to a tea-party. Next day, being Sunday, we saw the young females
belonging to the factories going to church in their best attire, when
the favourable impressions of the preceding evening were not effaced.
They lodge, generally, in boarding-houses, and earn about 8s. 6d.
sterling per week, independent of board; serving girls earn about 4s.
3d.
The recent introduction of large manufacturing establishments, thin
population, and ample reward of labour, account for the apparent comfort
and propriety of the Lowell young women. The situation of the
manufacturing class in Britain is very different: nurtured amidst
poverty and vice, they toil in crowded and unwholsome factories from
infancy, often disregarded by parents and employers, and attaining
maturity ruined in constitution and in morals, with few of the
sympathies of humanity.
The factories and dwelling-houses at Lowell are mostly composed of
brick, although good building stone is to be had everywhere. The people
seem to be influenced by habit in house-building at Lowell; a wooden
dwelling-house was being erected where rock, which had been dug from the
cellar, was obstructing its progress, and thousands of loads of stones
quarried in forming a railway, were lying at not more than one hundred
yards distant. Here I saw a stone arch building across a lateral branch
of the canal, which was the only bridge of that material I saw—wood
generally being used for their construction. Many large sized
dwelling-houses and factories were in the progress of erection.
Lowell is connected with the village Belvedere by a bridge over the
river Concord, the water of which is also employed in propelling
machinery. In Lowell there are seven newspapers published, one of which
is a daily paper. There are no less than forty religious and benevolent
societies—a magnitude of number, owing, perhaps, to the many religious
sects wishing to equal each other in good deeds. This village may be
taken as an instance of the giant strides by which the United States are
advancing to greatness, and the immeasurable water power nature has
lavished on them. The canal supplies more water than the present
machinery requires; and, after inspecting the surplus in the canal and
rivers, I am of opinion, there is water enough to propel nearly one
hundred times the machinery at present employed, and which might employ
a population of above a hundred thousand souls.
Britain is said to owe much of her greatness to the supply of coal with
which she has been blessed; but however extensive and available it may
be, the water power of the United States will excel it in cheapness and
magnitude. The price of labour is, and will likely continue, much
cheaper in Britain than in the United States, which seems the only
circumstance that can ultimately give a superiority to the manufactories
of the former.
The strawberry plant was met with in every direction throughout our
excursions, and the fruit was found to be of superior quality on very
poor soil on the banks of the Concord. In one instance I removed a plant
from the earth, the leaves of which did not cover three-fourths of an
inch in diameter, bearing two ripe berries and one unripe. The
apple-trees from Boston to Lowell exhibited leafless trunks; and, on
inspection, I found the cankerworm which was said to have destroyed them
had disappeared.
At Newburghport the noise of toads and land turtles, in the evenings,
was deafening. At Lowell we first became acquainted with the call of the
bull-frog, which in loudness and expression strongly resembles the note
of the English bull.