70 



^l)C iTarnui's iilont!)!ij Visiter. 



The City of Lowell. 



Prohalily no city in tliy Union, of its size, iif- 

 foids more niatter orinii'iest to ilieslninger than 

 the cily of I.ovvcll. lt,< niai;ic increase in weallij 

 iiinl |Ki|iMlalion, isperliaps without a parallel even 

 in tiiis land of liot-beil growth. A lew years 

 since, the niiije^tie Menininck tlaslied over 

 its rocky bed almost '-solitary and nlone," — a 

 few i.solaled'dwoirmgs serving to cheer the bar- 

 ren waste niKin it.s inarL'in. Now its bright wa- 

 ters are nn'iied Crom tlieir legitimate channel, by 

 the power of hmnan art, and made to propel a 

 vast ainomit of macliinery. The once lileak 

 plains are now occupied by stuppiidnns manu- 

 lactories, handsome l)locisS of dsvelliii^s, stores 

 and worksliops, givin^j; employment fir siieltei' to 

 more than Ihir/;/ thousand of as moral, industri- 

 ous, intelligent and euler|irising people, as can 

 be found in any city of similar magnitude in the 

 Union. Fiom statistics lately pnhiislied, it a))- 

 pears that the thirty-three large mills in this city, 

 owned by eleven distinct companies, embrace an 

 aggregate capital stock of $10,650,000. The 

 number of bales of cotton used annually, avera- 

 ging 361 pounds each, is 53,'2-30 ; the inimber of 

 spindles is 201,076 ; the n'mnher of yards of col- 

 ton inainifactured per annum is74,l H,(i00 ; quan- 

 tity of wool used per annum 1,000,000 poimds, 

 and 3,000,000 teazles ; number of yards of cassi- 

 mere manufactured per week, is 9,000 ; of broad- 

 cloth, 1,800; average amount of wages paid per 

 month is $150,000 ; co!isuui|)tion of starch per 

 nnnuin 800,000 pounds; of charcoal, 600,000 

 bushels; of anlhrai^itc coal 12,500 tons ; wood 

 3,290 cords; oil, 67,819 gallons. The Locks and 

 Canals !Machine Shop, included among the 23 

 mills, it is said, can furnish machinery com|)lete 

 for a iuiU of ,5000 spindles in four months, and 

 lumber anil inateri:, Is are always nt cojnmatid, 

 with w hicli to hiiild or n^biiild a mill in tli.-it time 

 if required. When building mills, the Locks and 

 Canals Company employ directly and indirectly 

 from 1000 to 1200 hands. To the above named 

 principal est;ibli,shnieuls may be added the Low- 

 ell Water Proofing, connected with the Middle- 

 sex Manufacturing Company, the extensive Pow- 

 der ;\lills of O. .^t. VS hippie, Esq., the Lowell 

 Bleacherv. with a capital of .«!.50.000 ; Flannel 

 Mill, P.laiiket Mill, Bating Mill, Paper ;\iill, Card 

 and Whip Fcctorv, Planing Machine, Kecil Ala- 

 chine, F'oinnlry, Gi ist and Saw Mills — togcthe 

 enn)loying about 500 hands, and a capital of 



$5do,o"oo. 



I'l point of populitioii Lowell now stands sec- 

 ond on the list of New Englanil citie.s. I?er 

 state ta,\ is second in amcnnt nidy to tliat ol 

 Boston. 



The opportunities aflorded for mor.al ai:il in- 

 tellectual iiTipRoveuient here, we venture to as- 

 sert, are imexjmipled in any place of similar 

 growth and charticter. Our public schools are 

 numerous and exceedingly well cnnductcfl. 

 Tliey emiirace a Tli-li School, under the super- 

 vision of a principal and five assistant.'!, eight 

 Grammar Schools, and thirty Primary Schools — 

 all controlled by highly competent tetichers. We 

 believe the average number of scholars in .atten- 

 dance to be about JOOO. Li addition to the 

 above may he mention.^d severtd select private 

 schocds of a high order. The follow ing is a list 

 of the churches, comprisitig several beaulil'nl ed- 

 ifices, viz : 1 Unitarian, 2 Episcopalian, 3 Con- 

 gregational, 3 Baptist, 3 Universalisf, 2 Ej)iscopal 

 Methodi»t, 2 Wesleyan Methodist, 2 Koman 

 Catholic, 3 Freewill Baiitist, 2 Cljristian. There 

 are other societies that have not yet erected 

 buililiugs for public worslii|i. 



The hapiiy inlluence of these insfitulions is 

 fully apparent upon the dense and constantly in- 

 creasing population of this cilv. Coutrar\ to the 

 conceived opinion abroad, Lowell is rejnaikable 

 for the quiet and good order which reigti su- 

 preme in her streets. Rarely is the public peace 

 disturbed by riot or brawls, while in towns of 

 one half her size the brand of the iueendiary is 

 busy, atid bloorly assaults and drunken riotinivs 

 are not of unfrequent occurrence. 



We could add nuich to this hasty sketch had 

 we time, or space in the present limuber. We 

 coidd speak of the various improveujeuts which 

 are going oti iii oiu- midst— of the public iusliiu- 

 lions- and private residences — the beautiful scene- 

 ry of the vicinity, &c., but our limited room for- 

 bids us that pleasure. Our principal desire has 

 been to present to tl.o.se abroad, who enlen.jin 



vague and erroneous 0|jinions in r";iard to this 

 city, a true and imexageertUcd, tliough perhaps 

 imperfect, statement ol' tijiiig.s as lliey e.'sist. — 

 Lowell Jldverliser. 



t>"ni tfic Aitmny {."ultiva'nir. 

 Death of Willis Gaylotil. 



A biight light has been extinguished in the 

 death of our associate and friend, Willis Gay- 

 Loiin. lie expired at liis residence, Liuieiock 

 Farm, Onondaga county, on the i;7lli of .March, 

 in the lil'ty-tirst year of bis age. An ased moth- 

 er deplores the loss of a most devoted sou, over 

 whose fiagile form she had watched with all a 

 mother's tender care for more than fifty \ears — 

 a brother and sister weep for one who bad ever 

 n.anifested for them the most heartfelt alfecliou 

 — and his friend.s, and none more than ourselves, 

 mourn the loss of one, beloved alike for his gen- 

 ius, his faithfulness, anil the happy temper oi' his 

 niiiul ; while tiie American firiiier has to regret 

 the sudden departine of one wlio has labored 

 zealously and successfully for years to promote 

 his interest, to eidigbten his mind, and to elevate 

 his calling to that digidty ;u:d respect to which 

 it is sojustly entitled. liis death was sudden, 

 and to hisllunily, as well as to us, most unexpec- 

 ted, lie was taken with a biilious affection of 

 the stomach on the luglit of tlie 25th. The next 

 morning a ()hysician was called in, and remedies 

 wcic adnunistered, « iiieh it was thought would 

 afi'ord relief. No alarm was felt, as no immedi.ite 

 danger w;is apprehended, till early (ui the morn- 

 ing of the 27th, when ifwas discovered that his 

 life was rapidly drawing to its close. .\t 

 o'clock, thirty-three hours after the commeuce- 

 inent of the attack, he sank gradually and gently 

 itilo tlie arms of death withouta groan ora strug- 

 gle, lie had been for more than tliijty years a 

 woilliy meudjer of the I'resbyterian Church, and 

 the hopes and consolations of the gospel had ena- 

 bled him to endure, not only without a murmur, 



but with a buoyant and cheerl'ul si'.irit, an ai mt 



of bodily suffering which fills to the lot ol' but 

 few. 



Mr. Gayloni was born in B.islol, (Conn.) in 

 I7!12, and removed with his lather's family to 

 Otisco, in this State, in 1801. 'I'bis town was 

 then almost an unbroken w ildernes.s, hut three 

 families having preceded that of Air. (jaylord's 

 father. Youiig as he was, the deep, dark and ma- 

 jestic forests, as he entered iliem, at ilic begin- 

 ning (d" summer, maile an iaipression upon his 

 mind, and excited a love for trees, which was 

 never elfaced. He always spoke of thetn with 

 enthusiasm. Li a letter, written but a li;w weeks 

 before his death, he says — "When we entered 

 these forests, the heavy foliage wore its freshest 

 green, and the elm, the maple, atid the litnlen, 

 were suecesively laden with flowers; and never 

 shall 1 forget the rich, the indescribable perfume 

 which filled the .air as tree after tree was cut 

 dowti,and day after ilay passed away before the 

 blossoms had ceased to exhale their o.lora from 

 their withered cups." Deprived as he was, hy 

 this retnoval, at the age ol' tiiiie year.s, of the ad- 

 vantges ol even the district Schools of his na- 

 tive State, he was soon after visited with an :if- 

 tliction -.vhich prevented his rea()ing the benefits 

 to be derived from the establishment of the sim- 

 ilar iuslitulions which are sure to rise Ufi in all 

 new countries, peopled by enugrauts from !Vew 

 England. At the e.irly age of 12 years he was 

 attacked with a violent rheumatic attection, which 

 resulted in a curvtitnre of the spine, and unfitted 

 him, in all after life, for any active or laborious 

 pursuit. Mis innate love of kiiou ledge, howev- 

 er, was such that no bodily iufirmiiy or (udinary 

 obstacle was permitteil to dunqieu his ardor (or 

 its acquirement. Being unable to alfeml school, 

 he studied such school-books as were to be pro- 

 cured at that early day, carefully noting such 

 parts as he coidd not alone surmount, till he 

 could obtain the assistance of some one wiio 

 was able to solve his diiricidties. He not oidy 

 read with avidity, but sluliediM the hooks which 

 came w iihin his reach, lie was remarkably fond 

 of jural scenery, and when the weather would 

 pernnf, it was bis ih light to sit for hours under 

 the sh.'ule of trees, ;iud <die,ered by the singing of 

 birds, piu'sue his studies with pencil and paper 

 in hand to note the current of his Ihongiits. — 

 While thus engaged in the pursuit of knowledge, 

 and ill the enjoyment of such a degree of health 

 as [lertniltcd him occasionally to engage in the 



lighter hdmrs of ilie fiirtn, he met with .•in acci- 

 dent, slight li.decd at first, but vvhich entailed 

 upmi him a v,is-t auiomit of sulfering, :uid render- 

 ed him idiriost as helph'ssas a chihl to the day 

 of his death. It was occasioned by a tiill, from 

 "hich.at the time, he uoticeil only a slight bruise 

 on the left arm. It afterwarils swelled, and be- 

 came a rnmiing sore, causing the decay of tho 

 bone iind rendering his arm I'or ever alter cntiie- 

 ly useless. This iiH'ection of the arm continued 

 for about a dozen Mar.B, and when jt healed tin 

 abeess occurred in one of his sides, which coii- 

 timied, with occasiomd allevialion.s, till his death. 

 Notwithstanding the [i.-un he was thus obliged to i 

 endure lor a long series of years, which was I 

 sometiujes excessive, he was ever cheerliil anil 

 happy; and even under the most acute sufteiiiig, 

 ^vas never known to utter a word of coin|daint. 



.•\t the appropriate sc.-ison, if his health jjcrmit- 

 ted, he resoi ted much to the woods and fields. 

 \ lavorite retreat was the shore of one of thoso 

 beautiful lakes wiiicli adorn the western section 

 of our State ; and there, ciijoying the charming 

 view jitid inhaling the refreshing breeze, bis 

 mimi was at once soothed ami slrengtened by a 

 contemplation of the varied phenoMiemi of na- 

 ture. His was that happy constitution of ininil 

 which finds 



" Sermons in stonca, timijues in trees, 

 Books in ilie running broitke, 

 .^ndgood in every tiling.'' 



"Disqualified by these calamities fiom laljor or 

 active physical habits," in the langiiage of one 

 who ktiew him well, " he devoted his mind to 

 study; and ;illiiougb sulfining under severe bod- 

 ily affliction, depiived of tiic ordimiry facilities 

 for obtaining iulbrmaliou, without teacher.s, and 

 by the aid only of such books ris he was enabled 

 at that early day to collect, he became a ripe and 

 sound schohir, and eventually one of the most 

 able and powerfiil writers of oiu' times. For 

 more than twenty years he had been a regular 

 contributor to many of the American Quarterly 

 and Scientific Journals, and in several instances 

 to some of the most popular Magazines in Eu- 

 rope. His cantribiitioiis to the newspaper press 

 of this country, on almost every variety of topic, 

 literary, religious, scientific, miscellaneous, and 

 occasion.-dly poc-try. havi' been numerous and of 

 ihe highest order of excellence. As a writer on 

 all of these varied subjects, whether we reg:ud 

 the beauty of his style, the chasteness of his die- ' 

 tion, or the invariable accuracy of his fiicts, it 

 would be difficult to find his superior. 



"The versatality of his talents, the rapiilitv 

 with which he wrote, and the great number of 

 his produciioiis, have excited alike the admira- 

 tion and astonishment ol" his friends. 



" But the most valuable part of his writings, 

 and for which he will be longest remendiered, 

 relate to the )iassiou of bis latter years — practi- 

 cal and scientific agriculture. In these dejiart- 

 nients he was thoroughly versed, as his contribu- 

 tion.s, commencing in 1833, to the old Getiessee 

 Farmer and the Albany Cultivator, will abnnd- 

 tintly attest. The services he has rendered to 

 the fiirming interest of the country have been 

 immense, and form a legacy which will ciidiuo 

 to n late generation. He was emiuemly practi- 

 cal and judicious in all his vieus ami recommen- 

 dations, and possessed a hap[)y tact iii communi- 

 cating bis impressions to others. To the read- 

 ers of the Ciiitivator, .and to the agricultural coin- 

 munity, his loss will be irreparalile. 



" Isolated and excluded as he was by jihvsi- 

 c,il infirmity and location, from a general inter- 

 course with his fellow citizens, there are conse- 

 ipietitly but few who can justly appreciate his 

 many social qualities. Thoronglily iufiirmed on 

 almost every subject of general or individual in- 

 terest, he was ahvays ready, iis it was his delight, 

 to impart to others who sotight his sscictv, the 

 rich treasures of his well stored mind. 'J'hose 

 few and liivored friends, will long and' fondly 

 cherish his memory As a man, his philanthro- 

 py knew no bounds. He studied and labored 

 cmi haiically for the benefit of mankind, .-^s a 

 friend, he was true and faithfitl ; as a son and n 

 brother, kind and .'iffectionate. When a man of 

 such gifted powers and universal acquirements, 

 in the liill maturity of his intellect, and in the 

 midst of his usefulness, is cut down suddenly and 

 reniov(?d from among uri, we may in truth mourn 

 a public, bcicaveinciit." 



