THE FIRST COTTON-MILL. 17 



they were influencing the business of the world at large ; and 

 even its own people have been surprised to learn that the 

 ej^es of all nations are turned towards it, and that its name 

 is fast becoming a familiar one upon the lips of all people, 

 because of its peculiar manufactures, which are of importance 

 not only to its own people, and to our state and country, but 

 to the world. 



Within view from the hall in which we are assembled, 

 stands the first cotton-mill of the world, where, beneath a 

 single roof, cotton was taken in a raw state, and manufac- 

 tured into cloth by power. The system of performing differ- 

 ent parts of cloth-making in separate and sometimes distant 

 buildings is still adhered to in the Old World. In Manches- 

 ter there may be seen to-day great loads of yarn that was 

 spun in one building, in transit to another and distant one, to 

 be woven into cloth, at great loss of time and expense in the 

 transportation. Since the erection of this mill, all the large 

 manufactories of our country have been built upon the plan 

 adopted by the Boston Manufacturing Company; and the 

 economy and comfort of the system have no doubt given our 

 manufacturers one advantage over those of Europe. 



Very soon after this mill was put in operation, wise busi- 

 ness considerations induced the company to erect a bleach- 

 ery, — the second large one in the country, — which now pre- 

 pares for sale not less than fifteen tons of cloth daily. So 

 we can almost say that this is the first place in which raw 

 cotton was made into cloth, bleached, finished, and packed in 

 boxes ready for shipment, beneath one roof. 



The establishment of the bleachery created a demand for 

 sulphuric acid and bleaching salts. Up to this time, these 

 chemicals had been made in this country in small quantities 

 and by individual manufacturers. The Boston Manufactur- 

 ing Company encouraged the formation of a company that 

 should make the chemicals in large quantities. And one 

 was formed whose works soon covered many acres. 



But while the men who accomplished all this looked for a 

 just return for the risk they assumed, and the capital and 

 wisdom and genius they invested, and were fully entitled to 

 it, they did not consider their pecuniary interests alone. 

 They were men of large hearts and large souls, as well as 

 men of large means and brain ; and they provided generously 



3 



