My life : a record of events and opinions - Wallace-online.org

52 MY LIFEchildren ; but difficulties with the partners arose, theproperty was sold to a fresh set of partners, Owenbeing still the largest shareholder and manager, anda few years later again sold to Owen and a few of hispersonal friends, who agreed to allow him to managethe property, and to expend all profits above 5 percent, for the benefit of the workers. Among his coshareholderswere Jeremy Bentham, with JosephFoster and William Allen, well-known Quakers. Itmay be here stated that the property was purchasedof Mr. Dale for i^6o,ooo, and was sold to Owen andhis friends in 1814 for ;^i 14,100. This great increaseof value was due in part to the large profits made bycotton mills generally at this period, and partly toOwen's skilful management and judicious expenditure.He was now at last able to carry out his plans forthe education of the children, none of whom he wouldallow to enter the mills as workers till they were tenyears old. He built handsome and roomy schools,playrooms and lecture-rooms for infants from two tosix, and for the older children from six to ten yearsold ; and he obtained the best masters for the latter.The infant schools were superintended by himself,and managed by teachers he himself selected for theirmanifest love of children. His instructions to themwere " that they were on no account ever to beat anyone of the children, or to threaten them in any mannerin word or action, or to use abusive terms, but werealways to speak to them with a pleasant countenance,and in a kind manner and tone of voice ; that theyshould tell the infants and children that they must onall occasions do all they could to make their playfellowshappy ; and that the older ones, from five tosix years of age, should take especial care of theyounger ones, and should assist to teach them to