UNCLE SAM'S FARM. 161 



prejudicial to health, although very few of the opera- 

 tives complained of their health. Several of the 

 young ladies informed me that they -would prefer 

 working in the mills to any other employment. 

 America is fast becoming a great manufacturing 

 country, and bids fair to outrival old England. 



In Lowell I saw Harriet Farley, who is the editor 

 and publisher of the " New England Offering," a 

 very popular magazine. Miss Farley informed me 

 that the articles in the magazine were written by 

 female operatives employed in the mills. 



During the destitution in Ireland, in 1846, the 

 factory girls of Lowell sent over 1,000 garments for 

 the relief of the distressed. 



The number of spindles at work throughout the 

 United States (where cotton spinning was first com- 

 menced in 1821,) is 2,500,000. 



The number of spindles throughout the world, in 

 1849, was as follows : — 



Great Britain, 17,500,000 



France, 4,300,000 



United States, 2,500,000 



Austria, 1,500,000 



Zolle-Verein, 815,000 

 14* 



