the age of invention-第14章

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to　come　to　Rhode　Island。〃

Arriving　in　Pawtucket　in　January；　1790；　Slater　pronounced　the　machines　worthless；　but　convinced　Almy　and　Brown　that　he　knew　his　business；　and　they　took　him　into　partnership。　He　had　no　drawings　or　models　of　the　English　machinery；　except　such　as　were　in　his　head；　but　he　proceeded　to　build　machines；　doing　much　of　the　work　himself。　On　December　20；　1790；　he　had　ready　carding；　drawing；　and　roving　machines　and　seventy…two　spindles　in　two　frames。　The　water…wheel　of　an　old　fulling　mill　furnished　the　powerand　the　machinery　ran。

Here　then　was　the　birth　of　the　spinning　industry　in　the　United　States。　The　〃Old　Factory；〃　as　it　was　to　be　called　for　nearly　a　hundred　years；　was　built　at　Pawtucket　in　1793。　Five　years　later　Slater　and　others　built　a　second　mill；　and　in　1806；　after　Slater　had　brought　out　his　brother　to　share　his　prosperity；　he　built　another。　Workmen　came　to　work　for　him　solely　to　learn　his　machines；　and　then　left　him　to　set　up　for　themselves。　The　knowledge　he　had　brought　soon　became　widespread。　Mills　were　built　not　only　in　New　England　but　in　other　States。　In　1809　there　were　sixty…two　spinning　mills　in　operation　in　the　country；　with　thirty…one　thousand　spindles；　twenty…five　more　mills　were　building　or　projected；　and　the　industry　was　firmly　established　in　the　United　States。　The　yarn　was　sold　to　housewives　for　domestic　use　or　else　to　professional　weavers　who　made　cloth　for　sale。　This　practice　was　continued　for　years；　not　only　in　New　England；　but　also　in　those　other　parts　of　the　country　where　spinning　machinery　had　been　introduced。

By　1810；　however；　commerce　and　the　fisheries　had　produced　considerable　fluid　capital　in　New　England　which　was　seeking　profitable　employment；　especially　as　the　Napoleonic　Wars　interfered　with　American　shipping；　and　since　Whitney's　gins　in　the　South　were　now　piling　up　mountains　of　raw　cotton；　and　Slater's　machines　in　New　England　were　making　this　cotton　into　yarn；　it　was　inevitable　that　the　next　step　should　be　the　power　loom；　to　convert　the　yarn　into　cloth。　So　Francis　Cabot　Lowell；　scion　of　the　New　England　family　of　that　name；　an　importing　merchant　of　Boston；　conceived　the　idea　of　establishing　weaving　mills　in　Massachusetts。　On　a　visit　to　Great　Britain　in　1811；　Lowell　met　at　Edinburgh　Nathan　Appleton；　a　fellow　merchant　of　Boston；　to　whom　he　disclosed　his　plans　and　announced　his　intention　of　going　to　Manchester　to　gain　all　possible　information　concerning　the　new　industry。　Two　years　afterwards；　according　to　Appleton's　account；　Lowell　and　his　brother…in…law；　Patrick　T。　Jackson；　conferred　with　Appleton　at　the　Stock　Exchange　in　Boston。　They　had　decided；　they　said；　to　set　up　a　cotton　factory　at　Waltham　and　invited　Appleton　to　join　them　in　the　adventure；　to　which　he　readily　consented。　Lowell　had　not　been　able　to　obtain　either　drawings　or　model　in　Great　Britain；　but　he　had　nevertheless　designed　a　loom　and　had　completed　a　model　which　seemed　to　work。

The　partners　took　in　with　them　Paul　Moody　of　Amesbury；　an　expert　machinist；　and　by　the　autumn　of　1814　looms　were　built　and　set　up　at　Waltham。　Carding；　drawing；　and　roving　machines　were　also　built　and　installed　in　the　mill；　these　machines　gaining　greatly；　at　Moody's　expert　hands；　over　their　American　rivals。　This　was　the　first　mill　in　the　United　States；　and　one　of　the　first　in　the　world；　to　combine　under　one　roof　all　the　operations　necessary　to　convert　raw　fiber　into　cloth；　and　it　proved　a　success。　Lowell；　says　his　partner　Appleton；　〃is　entitled　to　the　credit　for　having　introduced　the　new　system　in　the　cotton　manufacture。〃　Jackson　and　Moody　〃were　men　of　unsurpassed　talent；〃　but　Lowell　〃was　the　informing　soul；　which　gave　direction　and　form　to　the　whole　proceeding。〃

The　new　enterprise　was　needed；　for　the　War　of　1812　had　cut　off　imports。　The　beginnings　of　the　protective　principle　in　the　United　States　tariff　are　now　to　be　observed。　When　the　peace　came　and　Great　Britain　began　to　dump　goods　in　the　United　States；　Congress；　in　1816；　laid　a　minimum　duty　of　six　and　a　quarter　cents　a　yard　on　imported　cottons；　the　rate　was　raised　in　1824　and　again　in　1828。　It　is　said　that　Lowell　was　influential　in　winning　the　support　of　John　C。　Calhoun　for　the　impost　of　1816。

Lowell　died　in　1817；　at　the　early　age　of　forty…two；　but　his　work　did　not　die　with　him。　The　mills　he　had　founded　at　Waltham　grew　exceedingly　prosperous　under　the　management　of　Jackson；　and　it　was　not　long　before　Jackson　and　his　partners　Appleton　and　Moody　were　seeking　wider　opportunities。　By　1820　they　were　looking　for　a　suitable　site　on　which　to　build　new　mills；　and　their　attention　was　directed　to　the　Pawtucket　Falls；　on　the　Merrimac　River。　The　land　about　this　great　water　power　was　owned　by　the　Pawtucket　Canal　Company；　whose　canal；　built　to　improve　the　navigation　of　the　Merrimac；　was　not　paying　satisfactory　profits。　The　partners　proceeded　to　acquire　the　stock　of　this　company　and　with　it　the　land　necessary　for　their　purpose；　and　in　December；　1821；　they　executed　Articles　of　Association　for　the　Merrimac　Manufacturing　Company；　admitting　some　additional　partners；　among　them　Kirk　Boott　who　was　to　act　as　resident　agent　and　manager　of　the　new　enterprise；　since　Jackson　could　not　leave　his　duties　at　Waltham。

The　story　of　the　enterprise　thus　begun　forms　one　of　the　brightest　pages　in　the　industrial　history　of　America；　for　these　partners　had　the　wisdom　and　foresight　to　make　provision　at　the　outset　for　the　comfort　and　well…being　of　their　operatives。　Their　mill　hands　were　to　be　chiefly　girls　drawn　from　the　rural　population　of　New　England；　strong　and　intelligent　young　women；　of　whom　there　were　at　that　time　great　numbers　seeking　employment；　since　household　manufactures　had　come　to　be　largely　superseded　by　factory　goods。　And　one　of　the　first　questions　which　the　partners　considered　was　whether　the　change　from　farm　to　factory　life　would　effect　for　the　worse　the　character　of　these　girls。　This；　says　Appleton；　〃was　a　matter　of　deep　interest。　The　operatives　in　the　manufacturing　cities　of　Europe　were　notoriously　of　the　lowest　character　for　intelligence　and　morals。　The　question　therefore　arose；　and　was　deeply　considered；　whether　this　degradation　was　the　result　of　the　peculiar　occupation　or　of　other　and　distinct　causes。　We　could　not　perceive　why　this　peculiar　description　of　labor　should　vary　in　its　effects　upon　character　from　all　other　occupations。〃　And　so　we　find　the　partners　voting　money；　not　only　for　factory　buildings　and　machinery；　but　for　comfortable　boardinghouses　for　the　girls；　and　planning　that　these　boardinghouses　should　have　〃the　most　efficient　guards；〃　that　they　should　be　in　〃charge　of　respectable　women；　with　every　provision　for　religious　worship。〃　They　voted　nine　thousand　dollars　for　a　church　building　and　further　sums　later　for　a　library　and　a　hospital。

The　wheels　of　the　first　mill　were　started　in　September；　1823。　Next　year　the　partners　petitioned　the　Legislature　to　have　their　part　of　the　township　set　off　to　form　a　new　town。　One　year　later　still　they　erected　three　new　mills；　and　in　another　year　（1826）　the　town　of　Lowell　was　incorporated。

The　year　1829　found　the　Lowell　mills　in　straits　for　lack　of　capital；　from　which；　however；　they　were　promptly　relieved　by　two　great　merchants　of　Boston；　Amos　and　Abbott　Lawrence；　who　now　became　partners　in　the　business　and　who　afterwards　founded　the　city　named　for　them　farther　down　on　the　Merrimac　River。

The　story　of　the　Lowell　cotton　factories；　for　twenty　years；　more　or　less；　until　the　American　girls　operating　the　machines　came　to　be　supplanted　by　French　Canadians　and　Irish；　is　appropriately　summed　up　in　the　title　of　a　book　which　describes　the　factory　life　in　Lowell　during　those　years。　The　title　of　this　book　is　〃An　Idyl　of　Work〃　and　it　was　written　by　Lucy　Larcom；　who　was　herself　one　of　the　operatives　and　whose　mother　kept　one　of　the　corporation　boarding…houses。　And　Lucy　Larcom　was　not　the　only　one　of　the　Lowell　〃factory　girls〃　who　took　to　writing　and　lecturing。　There　were　many　others；　notably；　Harriet　Hanson　（later　Mrs。　W。　S。　Robinson）；　Harriot　Curtis　（〃Mina　Myrtle〃）；　and　Harriet　Farley；　and　many　of　the　〃factory　girls〃　married　men　who　became　prominent　in　the　world。　There　was　no　thought　among　them　that　there　was　anything　degrading　in　factory　work。　Most　of　the　girls　cam