Page:The Granite Monthly Volume 5.djvu/301

 NEW HAMPSHIRE MEN IN LOWELL. 273

��NEW HAMPSniRE MEN IN LOWELL.

��IN every state in the Union, and in every considerable city and town, New Hampshire men are found, prominent and successful in all the walks of life. Fifty-four thousand natives of the Granite State were returned by the last census among the residents of Masssachusetts. Of these, nearly four thousand were found in the city of Lowell alone. It is safe to say, moreover, that a very consider- able portion of the present native population of that city — probably not less than one third — are the children of New Hampshire born parents upon one side or the other, or both. When the first factories were opened in Lowell, New Hampshire girls in large numbers went down to engage as operatives. They were bright, active, and in most cases well educated young women, im- bued with that genuine independent spirit which is far less prevalent among our American girls of the present generation than was the case in those days Many of these girls found permanent homes in that city, becoming the wives of substantial citizens and raising large families of children who have become an honor alike to their parentage and their native city. Then, too, there were many young men from this state who there sought employment, or established themselves in business, from forty to fifty years ago, not a few of whom survive, in the enjoyment of the fruits of a lifetime of honest industry and intelligent enterprise ; while many of the younger men, now filling their places in the sphere of active labor, also went down from New Hampshire in later years. In the present, as in the past. New Hampshire men are found at the front in the '• Spindle City ," in every department of human effort, professional, industrial and commercial : and at all times, since the establishment of the city govern- ment, they have had a goodly representation in the different branches. The present mayor and four of the eight members of the board of aldermen, were born in this state, as also were half a dozen members of the common council, the chairman of the board of assessors, and one member, at least, of the school committee.

The mayor, George Runels. is a native of the town of Warner, born February 3, 1823. He left home when seventeen years of age and went to Lowell, where he learned the stone cutters' trade, and subsequently engaged in busi- ness as a contractor in stone work. With the exception of seven years spent in California, and other parts of the country, Mr. Runels has been a resident of Lowell since 1840, and has been in active business until within the last three years. During this time he has engaged in the construction of many large buildings, public and private, in Lowell, Boston, Portland, New York and other places. He had two years experience in the common council and two in the board of aldermen, previous to his election as mayor, and was, therefore, well acquainted with municipal affairs. He is a cousin of Col. John H. George of Concord, his mother having been a sister of Col. George's father.

Previous to the election of Mr. Runels, seven natives of this state held the office of mayor of Lowell, five oi whom are still living, and four remain resi- dents of the city. The two deceased were Stephen Mansur and Benjamin C. Sargeant. Mr. Mansur was a native of the town of Temple, born August 25, 1799. At twenty -one years of age he engaged in the hotel business in Boston ; but in 1830 he removed to Lowell, where he opened a hardware and crockery store. He was a member of the first common council upon the organization

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