Early Factory Labor in New England. From the Fourteenth Annual Report of the Massachusetts Bureau of Statistics of Labor, for 1883. Paperback - 1889

Boston: Wright & Potter, 1889. Offprint of this study of factory and mill "girls" and their milieu, an extract from the larger state document, the first separate publication. Robinson herself had worked in the Lowell mills beginning in 1836, at the age of 11, as a bobbin doffer, and continued off and on in several positions until her marriage in 1848, attending evening classes writing poetry. Later in her marriage, partly inspired by her husband's work, she became an advocate for women's suffrage. She wrote several books, including a memoir of her youth published in 1898.  In the pamphlet, she describes the lives & experiences of these young factory workers during the time she herself participated, discussing the types of people involved, their other opportunities, and general prospects. At the time, mill-work was a well-paying job, with some down-time and many local cultural facilities, libraries, and educational possibilities. Skilled labor, says the author, "teaches something not to be found in books or in colleges" (page 22), built character and allowed the women so engaged in youth to better prosper in later life. By the time of her initial discussions with women engaged in factory work in 1881, the work load had become exhausting, and wages comparably much lower, leaving little chance for self-improvement. She concludes with a plea for factory owners to "mix a little conscience with their capital" to bring back the better days she recalls. Light wear, minor creases & stains, one corner bumped. Text clean; [4], 26 pages.. Reprint. Paperback. Very Good. 5¾" by 8¼".