Factory Life

We li.-u-e been soniowhai interesled in a conti otrsy il ihc eaatern pn[crson tlic hnppinesi ol Fmiory iffo. Il unquestinnably lias ils dferk nnd anti lingiit biJor. The yöórig Imlie of Michigan, wlu resido undtr ihoir fathofV root, moy Lko to sïe few lactt. on die subject. ín Lj.voII, accjrding lo ihc Pjtrio', the Co;n panios h;vo regatar boarltn hnucsut thoir ownThe girli are all ruquired to board at ihc corpornti.n lioust's except in special c.iae3 a disponsatioii ia gratitud. The b..ard of ilis girls, the N. News saya, ia jubbcd out by facto ry ojj.mu s liko loeding öo niany catile, and they reteive l .Cir wajjcd olenr of board frorn tlio ïnciorics. - The prioeoi bouid and lodging for irls is $1,25 I er weck. Tliey loJo four in a room. Each room lus twu Oeda. The i'Is workcd in 1342 fouriocn hour. ond received 'J;i cents a dav, cloar ol bo.ird. U ndcr :"ue prcdcnl tarttf, this has been c 41 down to 2'J cents. Tlio eompaiiies notonly require their operiives io board in Corporation houaca. but will not alluw the tenania io board any other ihan factory opurnüvea. The Now York Sun thiu pr.'3en:s oae sidc ol the picture: "Look at thern on a Sundny. Are they half ciad as tlicy wend their way to, and fill the beautifiil churches in tlmt city? Do tliey wulk in that tottering, infirm gait they are represenied to? Do their countenancos beloker. sufTering, deprivation, sorrow and disease? Bear, they the marks ol' ill-treatment, starvalion, or mental poverty? Are they living exponents of a systcm that iá wearying,grinding, & exlerminatinj; the race ? No ; fa r frorn il - far as the east from the west. - Attired in hauiliments that argüe a refinement in taste - passing through the streets wíth a step full ofelasticity and heallh ; countenances beaming with joy, content and intelligence - the picture ol' kind usnge and rather ihan olherwise, living exponents of a prosperous and onward race - a!l these are argumenls, flacts, that meet and thoroughly overthrow the gross falsifications and calumnies of these addle-pated exciters." Tl. o Vox Populi, publialied at Lowcll, responds to Luis ui follow: "The advantages of factory lile ! - What are they? Simply those of being called from bed al four in the morning and tcorked like galley slavcs until seven in the evening, earningin the meantime 75 cents for yoursolf, and nearly $2 tur youremployer ! A preciou.3 "advantage" thi, truly." "A landlord wishiug to procure boarders, ofFered, as induceinem, the reason ihat nooiie had ever died beneatli hisroof. The reason why mnny had not died there, was, that as soon as a boarder becaine unwel), he was notified to leave. So it is with factory opcrative3. Thoy faint not on their way to the milis, bnt oncn should they do so, their names vould be stricken from the list of operntives. Nu sick girl finds employ inent ín the Lowell milis - no sick girl relains employment She mast be well and able to do her duly to ihe employer, or &ho hos íeave to retire to the country for the benefit of lier hcaltli." "Ay, look nt them on Sunday! At' an early hour we slation ourselves in a posïtïon lo "look nt thcmP'' From the heated attic and the crowded chamber, dressed in becoming taste, personifying neatness, see tl'.enj hur rying to the church! Such universal homage was never before paid to the Sabbath ! All are wending their way thilher. W hy is it ? A clauss in the regulations of our factories runs thus - "The Company will not keep in itsemploy any person who absents him or herself from divine service." Very well. But lisien a moment longer. What does this Sabbath sanctimony cost thesa "morallyand physically caredfor" operatives? Hero is the rub. Each female who attends church in Lowell jpays for a seat from 1 to 82 per quarler, and, though it may not be universally the case, it will prove to be so, on investigation, in almostevery instance, that the rent oí the pews pays all the expenses of the church and society, includiug 12 to 1500 dollars per annual io the minister, and affords the proprietors from 10 to 15 per cent. on theirinvestment t The operativo Í3 thus "cared for" morally, and "done Cor" villainously. Jesús Christ taught no suh religión as this. Hls coinmands sayS - "Sell all that thou has and give to thepoor." Rut hore the poor - '-by the graceof God" - are indirectly rodöed of their hard earnings for the benent of the rich." The bilis of Moraltiy n Lowell show it to be o healthy place. This is accounted for by oome, from the lact ihat most of ihe operaties are from a distance. When they become sick, ihey leave for home, and if they die, it ia not in Lowell. A story went the rounds of the papers last year that "the amounl of money deeposited in the Lowell Saving Bank by the feuiale operauves, .is equal to $í;L50Íor each fuciory girl in the place." The Lowcll Patriot replied to ibis that '$12,50 a piece would exceed the arnount depjted by fuciory girls." The number of girls in the incorporoicd milla inLowellia G,30. In all ihe factories, 7,000 témales. In the annual statement of the Lowell Fdciuriea, the numher on the lst of Jonuary last wat 3.1 besides print works, and iho number of epindles, 28,tí58; the capital vrns $10,5óO.OOÜ and the average wagea of male operaiivcs èü cent per diem, and ihoae ol females $2 per week, Loili cleor of board. We uonce thala momoriül of 4,G0J of ihe opcrutivea in these faetones. roying that the Legïalatuiü wouid regúlate by law the hours of labor, was lattly befóte that bdy, and the poutioneru Ijad leave io withdraw their memorial.