American Historical Ephemera & Photography Online

One page, 7 5/8 x 9 11/16 in., creased, with some loss and separations to creases and intersections, toning and staining.  Addressed to Mr. Charles Dearborn. 

Signed "F. F. Battles, Agt" (likely Frank F. Battles, Superintendent of the Prescott Mills in Lowell, MA from 1849-1856), the letter outlines the rules for employing young women coming to work at the mills. 

He begins: "Sir, If you meet with girls who are wishing to come to Lowell to work in the mills, I will authorize you to hire them for the Massachusetts & Prescott Cotten [sic] mills, and you will be guided implicitly by the following instructions."

Those instructions include engaging only American girls, not under the age of 15, and only girls "of good size and in good health" and with good eye sight. "New hands" are to earn one dollar a week plus board while learning, "experienced hands" are to earn from $1,50 to $2.50 per week plus board, "according to skill and industry." Battles ends the letter with the following assertion: "Our mills are pleasantly situated and girls who may go to work for us will receive as good pay and as good treatment as is furnished in Lowell on the same kind of work let all whom you engage read the above."