THE PRESENT RESOURCES OF MASSACHUSETTS.
By H.K.M.
Massachusetts is a busy state. The old time factory bell has not entirely given way to the steam whistle, nor the simple village spire to the more pretentious ecclesiastical tower of to-day, yet the energizing force of material prosperity has quickened the blood in nearly every hamlet, modernized the old, or built up a new, so that throughout the state there is a substantial freshness indicative of progressive thrift.
The Tenth Census of the United States classifies the entire working population of the state in four divisions of labor as follows:—Agriculture, 64,973; Professional and Personal services, 170,160; Trade and Transportation, 115,376; Mechanical, 370,265; with a total population of 1,941,465.[4] The aggregate steam and water power in 1880 was 309,759 horse power; the motive power of 14,352 manufacturing establishments having an invested capital of $303,806,185; paying $128,315,362 in wages to 370,265 persons who produced a product value of $631,135,284. These results, in proportion to area and population, place Massachusetts first in the Union as a manufacturing state. In mechanical science a complete cotton mill has been considered the cap stone of human ingenuity. In 1790 Mr. Samuel Slater established in Pawtucket, R.I., the first successful cotton mill in the United States, but the saw gin, a Massachusetts invention of Mr. Eli Whitney in 1793, laid the foundation of the cotton industry throughout the world.
There are 956 cotton mills in the United States with an invested capital of $208,280,346, with a wage account of $42,040,510. The relative importance of the four leading states in the manufacture of cotton goods is shown as follows:—
| No. of Mills. | State. | Capital Invested. | Wages Paid. | Value of Product. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 206 | Mass. | $74,118,801 | $16,240,908 | $74,780,835 |
| 133 | R.I. | 29,260,734 | 5,623,933 | 24,609,461 |
| 97 | Conn. | 21,104,200 | 3,750,017 | 17,050,126 |
| 41 | N.H. | 19,993,584 | 4,322,622 | 18,226,573 |
As in cotton, so also in the manufacture of woolen goods has Massachusetts maintained from the first the leading position. In 1794 in Byfield parish, Newbury, Mass., the first woolen mill went into successful operation. In 1804 a good quality of gray mixed broadcloth was made at Pittsfield, Mass., and it is said that in 1808 President Madison's inaugural suit of black broadcloth was made there.
The five leading states in the production of woolen goods are thus classified:—
| No. of Mills. | State. | Capital Invested. | Wages Paid. | Value of Product. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 167 | Mass. | $24,680,782 | $7,457,115 | $45,099,203 |
| 324 | Penn. | 18,780,604 | 5,254,328 | 32,341,291 |
| 78 | Conn. | 7,907,452 | 2,342,935 | 16,892,284 |
| 50 | R.I. | 8,448,700 | 2,480,907 | 15,410,450 |
| 159 | N.Y. | 8,266,878 | 1,774,143 | 9,874,973 |
In its kindred industry, dyeing and finishing textiles, Massachusetts is a controlling force; as seen in the classification of the three leading states in this department of labor:—
| No. of Mills. | State. | Capital Invested. | Wages Paid. | Value of Product. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28 | Mass. | $8,613,500 | $1,815,431 | $9,482,939 |
| 16 | R.I. | 5,912,500 | 1,093,727 | 6,874,254 |
| 60 | Penn. | 3,884,846 | 1,041,309 | 6,259,852 |
Nearly one half of the entire American production of felt goods comes from her, as indicated in the classification of the four leading states:—
| No. of Mills. | State. | Capital Invested. | Wages Paid. | Value of Product. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | Mass. | $820,000 | $163,440 | $1,627,320 |
| 6 | N.J. | 313,000 | 86,170 | 685,386 |
| 4 | N.Y. | 157,500 | 35,289 | 257,450 |
| 1 | Penn. | 150,000 | 80,000 | 450,000 |
Massachusetts is also an all-important factor in the total production of American carpets. The 59 mills in the United States made in 1880 a wholesale product valued at $31,792,802. Massachusetts made the most Brussels, 1,884,723 yards; Pennsylvania came next with 919,476 yards. She came next to New York in yards of Tapestry, and next to Connecticut in Wiltons, a good second in these important grades. The three leading carpet states are thus classified:—
| No. of Mills. | State. | Capital Invested. | Wages Paid. | Value of Product. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | N.Y. | $6,422,158 | $1,952,391 | $8,419,254 |
| 172 | Penn. | 7,210,483 | 3,035,971 | 14,304,660 |
| 7 | Mass. | 4,637,646 | 1,223,303 | 6,337,629 |
In the manufacture of Boots and Shoes Massachusetts stands conspicuously at the front; her position in this great industry is clearly seen in the three states controlling this special product:—
| No. of Factories. | State. | Capital Invested. | Wages Paid. | Value of Product. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 982 | Mass. | $21,098,133 | $24,875,106 | $95,900,510 |
| 272 | N.Y. | 6,227,537 | 4,902,132 | 18,979,259 |
| 145 | Penn. | 3,627,840 | 2,820,976 | 9,590,002 |
One evidence that Massachusetts is not sitting down all the time is the fact that she stands up to manufacture so many chairs. From a small beginning of wood and flag seated chairs, Mr. James M. Comee in 1805, with his foot lathe, in one room of his dwelling in Gardner. Mass., laid the foundation of this important industry, which has given the town of Gardner, where over 1,000,000 of chairs are annually made, a world wide reputation.
The relative positions of the five leading chair states:—
| No. of Factories. | State. | Capital Invested. | Wages Paid. | Value of Product. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 62 | Mass. | $1,948,600 | $1,028,087 | $3,290,837 |
| 62 | N.Y. | 991,000 | 472,974 | 1,404,138 |
| 45 | Penn. | 111,700 | 143,037 | 437,010 |
| 37 | Ohio | 497,026 | 321,918 | 821,702 |
| 37 | Ind. | 395,850 | 232,005 | 632,746 |
In the currying of leather Massachusetts is a notable leader:—
| No. of Establishments. | State. | Capital Invested. | Wages Paid. | Value of Product. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 194 | Mass. | $4,308,169 | $1,939,122 | $23,282,775 |
| 185 | N.Y. | 1,720,356 | 366,426 | 6,192,002 |
| 455 | Penn. | 2,570,969 | 334,950 | 7,852,177 |
| 56 | N.J. | 1,983,746 | 762,697 | 8,727,128 |
| 61 | Wis. | 1,299,425 | 281,412 | 4,496,729 |
| 18 | Ill. | 534,786 | 141,096 | 2,391,380 |
Her position in the manufacturing of worsted goods is also an all important one:—
| No. of Mills. | State. | Capital Invested. | Wages Paid. | Value of Product. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23 | Mass. | $6,195,247 | $1,870,030 | $10,466,016 |
| 28 | Penn. | 4,959,639 | 1,473,958 | 10,072,473 |
| 11 | R.I. | 4,567,416 | 1,222,350 | 6,177,754 |
Again we find her at the head of another very important industry, the manufacture of paper.
The five leading states in production are given their relative positions.
| No. of Mills. | State. | Capital Invested. | Wages Paid. | Value of Product. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 96 | Mass. | $11,722,046 | $2,467,359 | $15,188,196 |
| 168 | N.Y. | 6,859,565 | 1,217,580 | 8,524,279 |
| 60 | Ohio | 4,804,274 | 839,231 | 5,108,194 |
| 78 | Penn. | 4,099,000 | 752,151 | 5,355,912 |
| 65 | Conn. | 3,168,931 | 656,000 | 4,337,550 |
In 1880 Massachusetts manufactured 27,638 tons of printing paper, 24,746 tons of writing paper, 10,255 tons of wrapping paper, 945 tons of wall paper, 3,706,010 pounds of colored paper, 255,000 pounds of bank note paper, 878,000 pounds of tissue paper, and 27,607,706 pounds of all other kinds of paper.
She manufactures more shovels than any other state, about 120,000 dozen annually. Rhode Island comes next with about one-half the quantity, and Ohio stands third, her product being about 7,000 dozen annually.
It also falls to her lot to manufacture more Hay and Straw cutters, about 6,000 annually. In the manufacture of hard soap Massachusetts falls a little behind some of her sister states, but she comes smilingly to the front with her 16,000,000 pounds of soft soap, about one half of the total production. New York brings her annual offering of about 5,000 pounds.
The 4,000 boats she annually builds constitute nearly one half of the number built in the United States.
There are 131,426 persons in the United States engaged in the fisheries.
The prominent share of Massachusetts in this industry is seen in the classification of the five leading states.
| State. | No. of Persons Employed. | Capital Invested. | Value of Product. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mass. | 20,117 | $14,334,450 | $8,141,750 |
| Md. | 26,008 | 6,342,443 | 5,221,715 |
| N.Y. | 7,266 | 2,629,585 | 4,380,565 |
| Me. | 11,071 | 3,375,994 | 3,614,178 |
| Vir. | 18,864 | 1,914,119 | 3,124,444 |
She has invested:—Over $1,000,000 in the manufacture of Baskets and Rattan goods; over $1,600,000 in the manufacture of Brick and Tile; over $2,000,000 in the manufacture of Wagons and Carriages; over $5,000,000 in the manufacture of Men's Clothing; over $1,500,000 in the manufacture of Cordage and Twine; over $2,000,000 in the manufacture of Cutlery; over $3,000,000 in the manufacture of Fire Arms; over $16,000,000 in the Foundries and Machine Shops; over $2,000,000 in the manufacture of Furniture; over $2,000,000 in the manufacture of Iron Nails and Spikes; over $6,000,000 in the manufacture of Iron and Steel; over $1,500,000 in the manufacture of Jewelry; over $3,000,000 in the manufacture of Liquors, Malt; over $3,000,000 in Slaughtering and Packing; over $2,000,000 in Straw goods; over $2,000,000 in Sugar and Molasses, refined; over $2,000,000 in the manufacture of Watches; over $2,000,000 in the manufacture of Wire, and over $11,000,000 in unclassified industries.
The limitations of this article will only allow brief reference to a few of the leading industries of Massachusetts. The facts presented give her a commanding position in the sisterhood of manufacturing States, while the condition of her operatives, their moral and intellectual character, has no parallel in any other manufacturing district in the world.
On her well known but dangerous coast special provisions are made to aid the mariner; so likewise upon her more dangerous coast of sin we find 2,397 ministerial light houses whose concentrated spiritual lens-power upon an area of 8,040 square miles, make the rocks of total depravity loom up far above the white capped waves of theological doubt. The lower law being less important than the higher, it takes but 1,984 lawyers to successfully mystify the juries of the Commonwealth. Of physicians and surgeons there are 2,845. It requires the constant services of 2,463 persons to entertain us with music, and just one less, 2,462 barbers, who are in daily tonsorial conflict with our hair, either rebuking it where it does grow, or teasing it to come forth where heretofore the dome has been hairless.
Of the 4,000,000 farms of 536,081,835 acres in the United States, 38,406 farms of 3,359,097 acres valued at $146,197,415 yielding an annual income of $24,160,881 lie within the borders of the state. Her 150,435 cows produce 29,662,953 gallons of milk, which is the foundation of her annual product of 9,655,587 pounds of butter, and 829,528 pounds of cheese. She would be unjust to her traditional sense of justice were she to send her beans out into the world single handed, with true paternal solicitude she provides them with the charmed society of 80,123 swine, thus hand in hand Massachusetts' pork and beans stride up and down the earth, supremely content in the joyous ecstasy of their Puritan conceit. While Massachusetts has well known agricultural tendencies, and her Agricultural college is one of the most important factors in her system of practical instruction, it cannot be claimed that she is a controlling element in the agricultural interests of the country. Of all her influences for good, perhaps her educational interests would command the greater prominence. She has ever regarded the instruction of her youth as one of her most sacred trusts, and in all the details of her public school system she ranks second to no state in the Union.
In the various departments of technical instruction, she has a national reputation. Her colleges and universities so richly endowed secure the highest attainable advantages. These privileges supplemented by the free public libraries of the state, place possibilities within the reach of every young man or young woman, the value of which cannot be approximated by human estimate.
Six of the leading states are thus classified:—
| Public Schools. | State. | School Buildings. | Sittings Provided. | School Property. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6,604 | Mass. | 3,343 | 319,749 | $21,660,392 |
| 15,203 | Ill. | 11,880 | 694,106 | 15,876,572 |
| 11,623 | Ind. | 9,679 | 437,050 | 11,907,541 |
| 18,615 | N.Y. | 11,927 | 763,817 | 31,235,401 |
| 16,473 | Ohio | 12,224 | 676,664 | 21,643,515 |
| 18,618 | Penn. | 12,857 | 961,074 | 25,919,397 |
The following institutions for higher education have about $5,000,000 invested in grounds and buildings, about $9,000,000 in endowments, yielding an annual income of about $1,000,000, having about 4,000 students and about 400,000 volumes in libraries, Universities and Colleges.
While Massachusetts is a model state in all her educational interests, we do not forget that there are 75,635 persons in the state who cannot read, and 92,980 persons who cannot write, but of the 990,160 native white persons of ten years and upwards only 6,933 are unable to write, being seven-tenths of one per cent., the lowest ratio of any state. Arkansas, per cent, being 25.0; Alabama, 24.7; Georgia, 22.9; Kentucky, 22.0; No. Carolina, 31.0; So. Carolina, 21.9; Tenn., 27.3; West Virginia, 18.2; Connecticut, 5.5; Illinois, 5.9; New Hampshire 5; Pennsylvania, 6.7; New York, 5.3.
There are 15,416 colored persons in the state, of 10 years and upwards; of this number 2,322 are unable to write, but from 10 to 14 years of age, both inclusive, these being 1,504, but 31 persons are reported as unable to write, or 2.1 per cent. South Carolina out of a colored population of 75,981 between the same ages, reports 57,072 persons as unable to write or 74.1 per cent. There are 1,886 colored persons in the state between the ages of 15 and 20, and only 70 are reported as unable to write, or 3.7 per cent.; we find this also the lowest ratio of any state.
South Carolina's per cent. being 71.9; Alabama, 64.9; Georgia, 76.4; Texas, 69.2; and North Carolina, 68.5.
Her density of population makes it exceedingly convenient for her 52,799 domestic servants to compose notes over neighborly fences. Her 281,188 dwelling houses house 379,710 families, placing 6.34 persons to the credit of each dwelling, and 4.70 persons to each family. This density gives her 221.78 persons to a square mile, a far greater ratio than any state except Rhode Island. This neighborly proximity has its social tendencies, which may account in part for the hospitable amenities which are a rightful part of Massachusetts' well known loyalty to a higher regard for the purest type of home, a comparative statement of the density of population of a few states.
| State. | Square Miles. | Persons to Square Miles. |
|---|---|---|
| Rhode Island, | 1,085 | 254.87 |
| Massachusetts, | 8,040 | 221.78 |
| Connecticut, | 4,845 | 128.52 |
| Georgia, | 58,980 | 26.15 |
| Illinois, | 56,000 | 54.96 |
| Iowa, | 55,475 | 29.29 |
| Maine, | 29,895 | 21.71 |
| Michigan, | 57,430 | 28.50 |
| New Hampshire, | 9,005 | 38.53 |
| New York, | 47,620 | 106.74 |
| Pennsylvania, | 44,985 | 95.21 |
| West Virginia, | 24,645 | 25.09 |
As inseparable as night is from day, so also are the ills of life from life itself. Massachusetts is no exception to the inexorable law which defines the conditions of human society; but through her public and private charities so wisely administered, she humanely softens the asperities which shadow the life of her unfortunates. To her lot fall 1,733 idiotic persons, 978 deaf mutes, 5,127 insane, 1,500 of whom are cared for at home, and 3,659 prisoners, 1,484 of whom are of foreign birth. Human life teaches that the boundary lines of a smile and tear are the same, for where happiness is, there sorrow dwells. In the general estimate of 391,960 annual deaths in the United States, about 33,000 occur in Massachusetts.
One evidence of her unswerving faith in the national credit is seen by her holdings in U.S. registered bonds. The four leading states are reported as follows:—
| No. of Persons. | State. | Per cent. of Bondholders. | Amount. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16,885 | Massachusetts, | 23.05 | $45,138,750 |
| 10,408 | Pennsylvania, | 14.23 | 40,223,050 |
| 14,803 | New York, | 20.24 | 210,264,250 |
| 4,130 | Ohio, | 5.65 | 16,445,050 |
In the classification of the four leading states, of assessed valuation and taxation, it appears that the assessed valuation of her personal property exceeds that of any state.
The four leading states are thus classified:—
| State. | Area Sq. M. | Real Estate. | Personal Property. | Total. | Total Tax. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| N.Y. | 47.620 | $2,329,282,359 | $323,657,647 | $2,651,940,006 | $56,392,975 |
| Penn. | 44,985 | 1,540,007,657 | 143,451,059 | 1,683,459,016 | 28,604,334 |
| Mass. | 8,040 | 1,111,160,072 | 473,596,730 | 1,584,756,802 | 24,326,877 |
| Ohio | 40,760 | 1,093,677,705 | 440,682,803 | 1,534,360,508 | 25,756,658 |
The grandest monument of human skill in modern railway science is unquestionably the St. Gothard Tunnel which connects the valley of the Reuss with the valley of the Ticino, which is from 5,000 to 6,500 feet below the Alpine peaks of St. Gothard, being a little over 9-¼ miles in length, costing over $47,000,000, one-half of which was paid by the governments of Italy, Germany, and Switzerland. Until its completion in 1880, there was but one railway tunnel, Mont Cenis, that outranked our own Hoosac Tunnel of nearly 5 miles in length and costing about $10,000,000.
The service, equipment, and management of Massachusetts' railway system is well nigh perfect. Out of 4,100 miles of track in the state, 2,453 are laid with the steel rail. Including the 1,150 engines, 1,554 passenger cars, 394 baggage cars, and 24,418 freight cars, the total cost of railroad equipment in the state has been $178,862,870; from this investment the total earnings in 1884 reached $33,020,816 from which $4,568,274 were paid in dividends. The number of passengers carried were 57,589,200 and 17,258,726 tons of freight moved. One of the most important elements in her system is the Boston and Albany. Its engine service the past year was 5,680,060 miles, the company carried 94,721 through passengers and 8,699,691 way, whose total earnings were $8,148,713.34 and total expenses were $5,785,876.98.
In this connection we would refer to the city and suburban tramway service, which has taken an important part in the development of the state. The total cost of the 336 miles of road and equipment, including 8,987 horses and 1,918 passenger cars is stated at $9,093,935. Number of passengers carried in 1884 was 94,894,259, gross earnings $4,788,096, operating expenses $3,985,617, total available income $924,440. When we consider that the street railway service carried more than 37,000,000 passengers in excess of the steam railways, we realize its importance.
While there are 66,205 more females than males in the state, in the wider distribution of the sexes their equality indicates that it could not happen by chance, and that marriage of one man to one woman was intended.
An authentic estimate of the numerical proportions of the sexes is as follows:—
United States, 983 women to 1,000 men; America, (at large) 980 women to 1,000 men; Scotland, 1,096 women to 1,000 men; Ireland, 1,050 women to 1,000 men; England and Wales, 1,054 women to 1,000 men; France, 1,007 women to 1,000 men; Prussia, 1,030 women to 1,000 men; Greece, 940 women to 1,000 men; Europe, (at large) 1,021 women to 1,000 men; Africa, (estimated) 975 women to 1,000 men; Asia, 940 women to 1,000 men; Australia, 985 women to 1,000 men. In an aggregate of 12,000 men there is a surplus of about 161 women.
Massachusetts has been making notable history ever since 1620, and in picking out here and there a few of the influences which have tended to develope her material resources, we would not be unmindful of those Christian influences which are also a part of her imperishable history.
To the lover of nature, perhaps no state in range of rugged coast and water views blended with mountainous background, can offer more pleasing bits of picturesque scenery. The historic hills of Berkshire and the beautiful Connecticut River, with its 50 miles of sweep through the state, ever hurrying on to the sea, have inspired the tireless shuttles of descriptive imagery to weave some of the finest threads in American thought.
Nowhere within the range of human vision can the eye find a more restful scene of quiet simplicity and softer blending of river, hill and foliage, than in the valley of the Deerfield on any sunny summer day. Let him who would have a sterner scene of majestic grandeur stand upon the storm-beaten cliffs of some rock-fringed coast, while the silver-crested sea and the dark, deep toned clouds, like mercy and righteousness, kiss each other.
To us who love Massachusetts, her principles, her institutions, her hills, valleys and rocks, her future is but the lengthening out of a perfect present; and at last, when the scroll of states is finally rolled up, may her eternal record stand for the highest type of Christian citizenship.
4 ([return])
Census of 1885.