Scott—Labor Conditions in Massachusetts, 1860-70. 179 
as it had been in 18GO. 57 In fact the progress of cotton manu¬ 
facture in the state had been permanently retarded by reason 
of the growth of the wool industry and by the fact that the 
South had been thrown on its own resources during the war 
period, and was learning to manufacture its own cotton. 
A third industry ranking in importance with cotton and wool 
was the manufacture of hoots and shoes:. Here we note a decline 
between 1855 and 1865. The annual output of the factories 
dropped from about 45,000,000 pairs to about 31,000,000 pairs 
during the ten years, 58 while the number of manufacturers de¬ 
creased during the war period from 1,885 to 1,269. 59 In 1859, 
750,000 cases of boots and shoes were shipped from Boston; in 
1865, 715,844, while the figures for interveuing years are much 
smaller. 60 Immediately after the war there came a rapid re¬ 
action. “The shoe business was never more promising than at 
this time/ 7 says the Daily Evening Voice, August 21, 1865, and 
again, “The shoe business of Lynn was greater than it has ever 
been before for a corresponding length of time. 77 61 The follow¬ 
ing figures, giving the number of cases forwarded annually from 
Boston indicate the progress of the industry from 1866 to 
1870. 62 
1866 . 852,622 
1867 . 938,379 
1868 . 1,941,172 
1869 . i,182,704 
1870 . 1,213,129 
The number of establishments increased during these five years, 
and while the number of hands employed was slightly less in 
1870 than it had been in I860, 63 this may probably be accounted 
for by the introduction of labor-saving machinery such as the 
McKay sewing machine, for sewing uppers to: soles. This was 
patented in 1858 and put on the market in 1862. This inven- 
57 Ibid, Reports 1860-1871. 381,966 bales received in 1860. 265,026 
bales received in 1870. 
ss DeWitt, Statistical Information, etc., 1855; Warner, Ibid, 1865. 
59 Mass. Census Reports, 1860, 1865. 
60 Reports Boston Board of Trade, 1860-1866. 
61 Oct. 22, 1865. 
62 Reports Boston Board of Trade, 1871. 
; 63 u. S. Census Reports, 1860, 1870, give 62,283 bands employed in 
1860. 54,831 hands employed in 1870. 
