labor and art, she prizes beyond the richest productions of the east."
Having made application to the legislature, Dr. Cartwright, in 1809, received a parliamentary grant of £10,000, ($50,000) "for the good service he had rendered the public by his invention of weaving."
There is no knowing to what extent this invention may extend. I remember being very much surprised, when for the first time I walked over a weaving room in one of the cotton mills of Lancashire. The room contained 1058 power looms, all busily at work, excepting a few that were undergoing repairs. These looms give employment to 521 weavers, chiefly young men and women; 22 overlookers, 18 twisters, 6 winders, 2 drawers, and 2 heald-pickers; in all, 571 persons. These looms are capable of weaving 3900 cuts per week, of 69 hours; each cut or piece averaging 46 yards long, 36 inches wide, 52 picks, or threads of weft to the inch. I was taken through a store-room adjoining, nearly filled with goods. I was told that there were about 300,000 pieces in that store ready for the market.
In 1835, there were 116,801 power looms in Great Britain; in 1841, the number was about 130,000, attended by about 50,000 persons, chiefly women and children.
In 1814, a hand-loom weaver could weave 2 pieces of nine-eighths shirting per week, each 24 yards long and 100 shoots of weft to the inch.
In 1823, a steam-loom weaver could weave 7 pieces; in 1826, 12 to 15 pieces; in 1833, with an assistant, 18 pieces similar to the above, in the same space of time.
By returns made to Parliament, dated 28th of March, 1836, and 20th of February, 1839, it appears that in three counties only, viz., Lancashire, Cheshire, and the West Riding of Yorkshire, the steam and water power to turn machinery in factories was increased, in three
