1839] 



F A R M i: R s ' mo G r s r i: r 



r67 



There are not fewer than 26 extensive eetablish- 

 nienis lor tlie manulacture and priming of cotton 

 •roods, and the manufacture of carpets and other 

 woollen goods, whose agregale capital is not much 

 short o( >: 10.000,000, and which enixage not 

 many lees than 10,000 o|)eral:ves and sujierin- 

 lendenis. There are nearly oOOO looms and 

 more than 160,000 spindles in continual operation, 

 which produce, annually, the rise ol'Sl millions ol' 

 yards, and consume more than 16 millions ol' 

 ptiunds. Nearly 4,000 harrels of flour are annu- 

 ally consumed to make starch, of which 500,000 

 lb.s. are used in sizing, &c. The wages of the 

 operatives amount each month to more than 

 §100,000. The manulacture of locomotives and 

 divers other smaller matters is also carried 

 on. Lowell now contains upwards of 20,000 in- 

 habitants, and it was only about 16 years ago 

 that the first factory was established. 



Query. Had Richmond, with its unlimited 

 water-power, (a water-power as far superior to 

 that of the Merrimack as the energy of the people 

 of the north is to tliat of the people of the south, j 

 been in the hands of the citizens of Massachu- 

 setts tor the last 30 years, what would now be its 

 extent, its wealth, its resources, its population i 



At Lowell a stranger, particularly a southerner, 

 meets with no difficulty in training admission into 

 any of the factories. I tbund this the case through- 

 out the north. The general appearance of good 

 health and happy looks among the hands are no 

 less a source of gratification than the extensive fac- 

 tories themselves. 



When we consider the immense intercourse 

 which must exist between Boston and a place of 

 this sort, only 26 miles distant, the quantity of 

 material and manufactMres, and merchandise, 

 which must be carried from one to the other, we 

 may form some idea of the business of the Bos- 

 ton and Lowell road. It is regularly dividing 12 

 per cent, and could easily divide more, but for the 

 lolly of the stale legislature, (lully exemplified in 

 this case,) which requires that the dividends shall 

 be limited to 12 per cent, and that all over and above 

 that amount shall be paid as a tax to the state. 

 The company, however, waste all the surplus re- 

 venue in making alterations, &c., in their road, 

 which are not called for, or so little so that they 

 would never be made, were the stockholders per- 

 mitted to pocket what they justly consider ought 

 to be their own. 



Lowell and Nashua Railroad. 



On arriving at Lowell, I ibimd this road just 

 opened. It extends from Lowell along the 

 southern bank of the Merrimack, 15 miles to 

 Nashua, which is a village just within the south- 

 ern border of New Hampshire. The lattice bridge 

 by which the road is to cross the river to reach 

 Nashua, which is on the opposite side of the river, 

 is not yet finished. 



This road, 15 miles long, cost ^300,000 and is 

 built on an excellent plan, and is now in good or- 

 der. The superstiuciure consists of wooden sills, 

 placed as cross ties, 3 feet from centre to centre, 

 and resting on two parallel string pieces of 3 inch 

 chestnut plank, placed longitudinally beneath each 

 rail. Where these planks abut one against the 

 other, the joint comes over the centre of a board 

 lour ieet long, giving a lap of two ieet to each 



plank, and thus effectually preventing ihe extre- 

 mity of one siring piece lion) sefdiiLT l>el(iw that 

 of the other. On the cross sills res d a heavy T 

 rail, the cross section ol which is 4 inciies high, 

 and has a base 4 inches wide. 'I'his rail vvei<rlis at 

 least 2 lbs. to the lineal yard, more than any rail 

 which has been yet irn()orie(l. The chair by 

 which it is confined to the sills is the same a.s that 

 used on the Providence and Sionington roads. 

 The <rra(lin<r was light, and there is no heavy 

 structure besiiles the bridge mentioned at Nashua. 



Boston and fVorcester Railroad. 



Like the other roads radiating from Boston, this 

 ranks with the first class of railroads in this coun- 

 try, both in point of corstniction and the amount 

 of its business. It is 42 miles Iniiir — route direct — 

 curvatures easy, with some deep cuts, but princi- 

 pally through sand. The ei\^.e rail id used, sup- 

 ported every 3 lt;et, generally on wooden sills, 

 but sometimes on stone blocks. The rail rests on 

 a chair similar to that in use on the Philadelj)hia 

 and Columbia road. 



From Worcester, the present termination of 

 this road, a railway by next sununer will be in 

 operation, extending westward to the banks of the 

 Hudson, by which means a new route will be 

 opened lor travellers from New York to Boston, 

 viz. by steamboat up the Hudson to the terminus 

 of this new road, (which will most probably be 

 Hudson City,) and thence by railway through the 

 heart of Massachusetts to Boston. By this means 

 the Boston and Worcester road will be enabled to. 

 come into competition with the Boston and Provi- 

 dence road lor this inmiense travel, and its revenue, 

 already large, will be greatly increased. The 

 eight-wheeled coach does not seem yet to be much 

 in use in this state, but on all the roads the coach- 

 es, though on the ibur-wheel principle, are elegant 

 in point of style, and delightful in point of comlbrt. 



The three great and important roads, namely, 

 the Providence, Lowell and Worcester, were 

 chartered in 1830 and 1831. They cost a great 

 deal of money, but have been completed in a 

 style which will render them permanent and use- 

 ful. They do credit to their projectors and con- 

 structors, and are justly the pride of Massachusetts. 



ANSWER TO '•' PRINCEANA. REMARKS ON 



aiULBERRY AND SILK-CULTURE. 



" o tlie Editor of the Farmers' Register. 



It was not until to-day that we saw the article 

 in your paper, signed " Anti-pufl," and which 

 hears .some marks of having emanated from a 

 source, where the writer was not disinclined to 

 benefit your sales of trees, &c. A question may, 

 perchance, arise in some minds, whether it is the 

 most especial duty of an editor to admit commu- 

 nications to his paper, which are particularly cal- 

 culated to advance his own personal interest, by 

 attacking those of his subscribers and advertisers, 

 whose business avocations may happen to come 

 into collision with his own ; as there may be sonte 

 persons so ill natured as to presume, that he is not 

 totally adverse to their admission. Your paper 

 has always received from us what little aid we 

 could bestow by recommending it to our friends,- 

 and it has been with pleasure that we have mark- 

 ed its rapid advancement — but permit us to say,. 



