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a student of Dr. Bricket, of Newburyport, and afterwards of Dr. Cogswell, of Atkinson, N. H., who took a medical degree at Dartmouth college in 1813, projected a power loom to move by water. He went to Byfield and made an attempt to set it up, but owing to some defect in the machinery it failed to work well. Perhaps if he had had more perseverance he would have had the honour of inventing the power loom in America, and like the inventor himself realized a fortune. This brings down the history of cotton mills to the time of Dr. Arkwright in England, the true inventor of the power loom. This with the Cotton Gin, invented by Whitney of New Haven, changed the condition of the cotton business entirely.

The Boston Chronicle for 1816, speaks thus of the cotton business at this time, and about the year 1815-16 the Boston manufacturing company was formed; Mr. Francis C. Lowell having been previously in England in 1812, and Mr. Boot likewise having resided in England. Mr. Lowell, whose penetrating mind had ascertained that the cotton business could successfully be engaged in the United States made the attempt. It is, then, owing to the genius and application of Francis C. Lowell, aided by the talent and skill of his surviving relative and associate, Patrick T. Jackson, and by the mechanical science and ingenuity of that profound but unpretending mechanician, Mr. Paul Moody, that the country is indebted for the first establishment which satisfied our most intelligent citizens that the business of cotton milling could be engaged in with safety and success.

Byfield factory was carried on till about the year 1821, when Mr. Lee died, and at his decease it was sold. It was purchased by Gorham Parsons, Esq., and Major Paul Moody of Lowell. It was thoroughly repaired and raised several feet, a new basement of stone being added and of course altered. It was subsequently worked by Mr. Wm. Cleaveland a number of years.

LOWELL
IN 1849.

The whole number of mills is 48, under the care of 12 corporations, whose aggregate capital stock amounts to $12,110,000. The 48 mills give employment to 7,644 females and 3,629 males-total, 11,273. The whole number of yards manufactured per week is 1,732,827, viz.: 1,704, 996 of cotton, 21,291 of woollen, 6,500 of carpets, and 40 rugs. The amount of cotton consumed is 559,000 pounds per week, and of wool 46,000 pounds. The number of yards printed is 380,000, and of dyed 2,015,000.

The different companies use 25,100 tons of anthracite coal per annum, with 36,303 bushels of charcoal and 2,790 cords of wood. They also consume 70,510 gallons of sperm oil and 35,000 lbs. of lard; 1,090,000 lbs. of starch, and 765 barrels of flour. The buildings are warmed by steam.

Other manufactures are produced in the city to the value of $1,500,000, employing a capital of $400,000 and about 1,500 hands.

The average wages of females is $2 per week, clear of board; males 80 cents per day. The medium produce of a loom is 45 yards per day with No. 14 yarn; with No. 30, 33 yards; and the average per spindle 14 yards per day. The Middlesex company make use annually of 6,000,000 teasels; 1,716,000 lbs. of fine wool; 80,000 lbs. glue; $60,000 worth of dye stuffs; and $17,000 worth of soap. The same company also consume at their Wamesit carpet mill, on the Concord river, 93,000 lbs. coarse wool and 36,400 lbs. worsted yarn-producing 91,000 yards of ingrain carpeting.

There are two institutions for the savings of the operatives-the Lowell and the city. The former had on deposit, in September last, $852,280, from 5,066 depositors. The "city" has been in operation only since March, 1848; yet had on deposit on the 1st of January last, $27,717, from 258 personsmost of the depositors in both banks being the factory operatives.

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An hospital, established by the several manufacturing corporations, is always open for the convenience and comfort of those employed by the different companies. It is under the superintendence of one of the best surgeons and physicians, and is said to be in a flourishing condition.

The population of Lowell, nineteen years ago, was a little over 3,500; now it is estimated at 35,000.

THE WHALE FISHERY.

We publish below our annual statement of the Whale Fishery, showing its progress in 1848, and its condition at the present time, compared with previous years. Our tables include imports and exports of oil and whalebone, prices, stocks, number, and description of vessels employed in the business, &c., &c., all of which have been compiled with great care, and we need give no better guarantee of their correctness, than to state that they have been kept and carefully revised by Dennis Wood, Esq., of this city, a gentleman well known as an able statistician, and who has given much attention to statistics of the whale fishery for several years past. The table of importations of oils and whalebone published below, is made from the gaugers' and weighers' returns of cargoes, in every instance, with one exception, that of the Solo, Saltus, of Fall River, the exact amount of which cargo we have been unable to ascertain, and we therefore use the reported quantity on her arrival. It will be seen that the import of oils falls short of that of the preceding year by 13,000 barrels of sperm, and 33,000 barrels of whale; and of bone by up. wards of a million pounds; while the prices of each article have also ruled lower. The number of vessels employed in the business has also been diminished to a considerable extent, partly by losses at sea, but principally by the withdrawal of the larger vessels from the Right Whaling Fleet. A considerable diminution has also been made in the Atlantic Ocean Fleet. The number of vessels now employed in the sperm whale fishery, is as large, if not larger, than for several years past.

Importations of Sperm and Whale oil and Whalebone into the United States in 1848.

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1841, 1840,

159,304

207,348

2,000,000

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Average for 9 years, Of the arrivals the past years, 52 were Pacific and Indian Ocean Sperm Whalers, and 122 were Right Whalers. Of the Sperm Whalers, 1 sailed in 1843; 28 in 1844; 20 in 1845; and 3 in 1846, the average length of their voyages being 41 months, and the average quantity of Sperm oil taken 1292 bbls. Of the Right Whalers, 20 sailed in 1844; 86 in '45; and 16 in '46; the average length of voyages being 32 months, and the average quantity of Whale oil taken 2187 bbls. Besides these, 30 Atlantic Sperm Whalers arrived, whose average length of voyages was 16 months, and bringing an average of 300 bbls. sperm oil.

The number of Sperm Whalers now at sea, exclusive of Atlantic Whalers, is 246. Of these, I sailed in 1843; 6 in '44; 48 in '45; 50 in '46; 70 in '47; and 71 in '48. Assuming that all of these which sailed in '43 and '44, will arrive the present year, and also an average number of those which sailed in '45 and 46, compared with the arrival in 48, of ships which sailed in '44 and '45, and bringing cargoes equal to the average of last year, and we have an importation of 77,520 bbls. Sperm oil. Add to which an equal average amount to be brought in by Right Whalers, by the Atlantic fleet, and to be sent home from outward bound, wrecked, and condemned whalers, we have a total of 109,154 bbls. Sperm oil as the importation of the present year.

The number of Right Whalers now at sea is 285. Of these 5 sailed in '44; 35 in '45; 69 in '46; 92 in '47, and 84 in '48. In like manner, assuming that all the Right Whalers which sailed in '44 and '45 will arrive the present year, with an average number of the ships which sailed in '46 and '47, compared with the arrivals last year of ships which sailed in '45 and '46, and bringing cargoes equal to the average of last year, and we have an importation of 209,592 bbls. of Whale oil. Add to which an average equal to that of last

• Merchant vessels.

year to be brought in Sperm whalers, and an equal quantity to be sent home from wrecked, condemned, &c., will give a total of 224,037 bbls. of Whale oil as the importation for 1842. We give, therefore, as our estimate of importations for the present year, in round numbers,-109,000 bbls. of Sperm oil; and 224,000 bbls. of Whale oil; remarking that the importation of Whale oil will be more likely to fall short of this estimate than to exceed it, as the average of the last year upon which it is founded, is greater than for several years, as will be seen by our table below.

In regard to whalebone, it is difficult to form an estimate of the amount of importation for the present year. The proportion usually taken is about 900 lbs. to 100 lbs. of whale oil, which would give an importation of about 2,000,000 lbs.; but as a majority of the ships which will arrive in 1849, have already sent home their first and second years' catchings, the importation will fall far short of the amount, and unless an inducement is furnished for the shipping home of bone from foreign ports, by an increased consumption, and, conse quently higher prices, the amount of imports of this article will not probably exceed 1,400,000 lbs.

Statement of Sperm and Whale Oil, and Whalebone on hand January 1, 1849:

New Bedford

Wh. Oil.

3,136

Sp. Oil.
4,227

Bone. 507,600

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Statement of the prices of Sperm and Whale Oil, and Whalebone, on the first and fifteenth of each month of the year 1848, together with the average price per year for eight years past:

Wh. Bone. 1st. 15th.

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Sp. Oil.

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Wh. Oil.
15th.

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26

26

27

November,

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26

December,

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26

Average for '48,

100 c.

33c.

321

23

23

231 23 24

26

25 4-10c.

* The quantity of Oil and Bone on hand at New York and Greenport, and Bone at Sag Harbor, not ascertained January 1, 1848.

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In 1848, 145 ships are estimated to have cruised upon the north-west coast. Six of this fleet only have yet been heard from, the average catching of which is 766 bbls.-N. Bedford Transcript.

AMERICAN RELIGIOUS AND BENEVOLENT SOCIETIES.

The month of May is the season selected for the anniversary meetings of the principal benevolent societies in the Union; the greater part of them being held in the cities of New York, Philadelphia, and Boston.

These celebrations first commenced in London about the year 1796, when the Missionary Society was formed; afterwards, in 1804, the British and Foreign Bible Society was instituted; then the Congregational Union, the Sunday School Union, the Church Missionary Society, the Prayer-book and Homily Society, &c., came into existence: so that almost the whole month of May is devoted to religious festivals in the city of London.

In the year 1816, the American Bible Society was formed in the city of New York, and its anniversary was appointed for the month of May. Then came the Education, Tract, Home Missionary, Colonization, Temperance, Anti-Slavery, Board of Foreign Missions, &c., by all of whom the anniversary celebrations were fixed for the same month.

The first anniversary of the American Bible Society was held in New York in Washington Hall, afterwards at the City Hotel, the Middle Dutch Church, the Chatham Street Chapel, and, lastly, at the Broadway Tabernacle.

We have given in a condensed form the proceedings and statements of the principal meetings held.

NEW YORK ANNIVERSARIES.

AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY.-The thirty-third anniversary of this venerable and truly benevolent institution was celebrated in New York, the Hon. Theodore Frelinghuysen presiding. The following were among the facts stated: The Receipts of the Society have been, from all sources, $251,870 16.

The Issues of Bibles, 205,307; of Testaments, 359,419-total for the year, 564,726.

During the 33 years of its existence, it has issued 2,510,610 Bibles, and 3,836,530 Testaments, making a total of 6,347,140 copies.

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