The enquirer — Richmond, Va., 1810-05-22 00:00:00, page 4

LETTER.
VKOK THE SECRET AKY OF THE TREASURY,
'Jk-anrmitting o Report, in part, on the subject qf
DOMESTIC <^IAN UFACTURES.
(Concluded.)
NOTE (F.)
-Antonyit numerous other facto, the following are
fiarticularie stated ••
o 5
M
1=
.n
u.
=-J
•a
cfl 2
3 «
5
•ft
T-i
O_
Onefor
SnN Hamp
shire,
140. 800000 Considerable
evcrv
250
fardies
Vermont,
163,1040000:1315000 yds.
135
Serkshire,
fassachuset
1000001 Considerable
Ontario conn
13; 140000 do
New York
18
York county.
1120.000 lb. of;
Maine
8| 70000 flax & cotion
l 'spun 8t woven
Of the clftth anil flannel thus wove, about two
thirds are cloth, geiu rally wortli more than £ 1
a yard, and the remainder flannel.
In Delaware 150,000 lb* wool annually spun
•nd woven in private families. Large exportati
ons of linen from the western counties of Penn
sylvania, and some l’rom Kentucky, and several
places in the eastern and middle states. E'jfhty
thousand yards brought for sale in 1809, to Pitts
burgh alone ; and the number of looms in that
town has increased since the year 1807, from 17
to 44
In the lower counties of Virginia, North Caro
lina generally, and the upper counties of South
Carolina and Georgia, almost the whole of the
Summer clothing, for every descriptions of per
sons, '•» of household manufacture ; and almost
all the slaves are entirely clothed in the same
manner. The scarcity of wool alone prevents an
adequate supply from the same sou> ce for winter
clothing. The number of stores for the sale of j
foreign goods, has in Matthews county, Virginia, !
from the year 1802, decreased from 15 to one_!
At a general review of militia last summer in N. j
Ciroii ia, where more than 1500 persons were on
the ground, there were not forty who were not
emuely clothed with homespun.
(G.)
Household Manufactures in Heis Hampshire.
In almost every town (of six miles square, or a
district containing one or more towns,) having
a population of 200 or 300 families, there is a
carding machine and fulling mill. The cost of
a carding machine is about 500 dollars ; one
described to me, cards annually 6,000 pounds
of wool, at 7 cents per pound, attended by one
liand.——-This mode of carding relieves the
liouse spinner of one half the labor of a day,
for the sum of 3 £ cents.
I very farmer’s house is provided with one or
more wheels, according to the number of i'e
mJes.
Every second house, at least, has a loorft for wea
ving linen, cotton and coarse woolen cloths,
which is almost wholly done by women.
Manufactures of these kinds amount probably, on
an average per family, to from 100 to 600 yds.
in a year, without an hour’s loss of labor to the
held.
Considerable quantities of coarse Sixer, cloth,
worth from 14 to 20 cents per yard, thus ma*
nufictured in families, are sold to traders in
country villages or in towns, r.nd scut for a mar
ket to the southern states, on which a profit is
made by the trader.
A specimen of the cost anJ profit on the employ
of a Fulling mill, in the county of Cheshire,
in dressing cloths for household manuf ictures ,
Yearly supply of Cloths for dressing and dying.
Of fustian or cotton Yards 1,000
Woollen, merely to be pressed, 1.700
D. to be dyed, fulled, kc. 4 000,
Yards 6,70u
The charge and sum received for dressing
the above, dolls. 1,225
7 'he expence of labor. &-c. as follows .
The'proprietor stales Ins service at 110
T wo tnen employed 4 months, at 20
dols. J60
Two apprentices the same time, 80
Cost of dye stuff, kc. 175
Other expenses, 75
6u 0
Leaving a balance to tbe mill of 625—1,225
The coKlol'the mill and machinery is
stated to be, 1,500
The foregoing may be considered os a sample
of me clolUicr’s mills in New Hampshire, of
which there are about 140 in liie slate, some pro
bably may do less, and others much more than
the *.bave.
The cost of manufacturing IS pounds of l(roo’i:.to
20yu> C* oj Cloth, at Joilo.es ;
58 prjund* of wool, (.best common)
at 50 i
i. 9 00
Carding, oil, Sic. 8
1 44
Spinning, 14
2 80
Weaving, 8
1 60
Dressing colored black, 52
6 40
21 24
This cloth £ yards wide, (costs per yard 160
cents,) is thick amt fi<m, is finer than Lnglish
cloths of 6 4 yaula wide, sold at retail stores at
S J dolls, per yaid, and is twice as durable.
ou
Extract of a letter from H'/lliam Whltterfiore, of \
W> tt Cambridge, to the Collector of Loston, dated 1
24th November, 1009
** Tne mncliinery with which we now manu
facture all k1 nils ot wool and cotton cards that
hare been culled for, were invented by Amos
IVhittemore, in the year 1797 ; he then obtairferi
the exclusive privilege of using said machines,
by letters patent, for fourteen years, Amos Whit
temore and myself", were jointly concerned in the
first machines that were built, and are still the
•ole proprietor s of t.ie patent. Congress at their
last winter session, extended the patent fourteen
years by a special act. We have fifty five of those
patent machines, tbiity seven of winch are now
m use ; these machines, with the other appara
tus necessary to carry on ttic business to its pre
end extent, have cost us about forty thousand
dollars. We have now cm >yed in the factory,
upwards of forty hands—we manufacture week
ly one hundred and cighfy dozen pair of hand
cards, and two hundred square feet of cards for
the woollen and cotton factories, which together
amounts to about two thousand dollars. Had it
been in our power the year past to have supplied
ourselves with card Wire, the amount of the cards
in anufxctnreil in our factory would have exceed
e 1 tsree thousand dolls.p^r week, for wer.hou.d
Lave i» id nil our machines m use. The building
in whicji wo now carry oh the business, has cost
ns ten thousand dollars ; fifv) thousand dollars at
lease, is ne< e»*ary for a capital to carry on the bu
siness to the extent, exclusive of buildings ami
machinery. IVc havs been obliged to make great
Sawrihsv* to obtain money to enable n. to carry J
in the business, sb as to be able to answer the
demand Tor cards: our monied institutions have
afforded but little support to domestic manufac
tures.
The wire is the only article necessary to the ma
nufacture of cards, but what our own country pro
duces, & that might be manufactured here as good
& nearly as Cheap as in England We have s» far
satisfied ourselves (by experiment,) that nothing
but. want of capital lias prevented us from setting
up that business. The iron made on lake Cham
plain, is found to be as good for wire if not su
perior to any ever imported The wire to sup
ply our factory one year, will, in E igland, cost
about fifteen thousand dollars, and the expence
of importing about ten per cent, (it being free
of duty i) perhaps about the same quantity is u
sed annually in the other card manufactories in
i lie United States. There is no doubt in my mind
from ihe observations made since I have been in
the manufacturing business, that had the s-inte
support been afforded manufacturers.generally,
that has b* en to trade and commerce, our ma
nufactories at this time would have been carried
on much more extensively, and would have ge
nerally afforded a profit to those concerned.
Since the obstructions to our foreign trade, the
manufactories of our country have increased as
lontsbingly -, the demand for wool and cotton
cards, the present season, has been twice as
great as it has been any year preceding. Since the
receipt of your letter my tunc lias been so con
stantlv occupied with the concerns ol the manu
factory-, that [ have not been able to make out any
statement of it before—1 have endeavored to give
a general description of cur manufactory ; tune
would not permit me to to be more particular.”
(Copy) (I.)
WoRCHESTKR, NOV. 29, 1309.
Hon. Hjnrj Dearbon, Ett/uire.
Sir—Having invented a cheap and simple
method of manufacturing wood screws from i
ron wire, 1 obtained a patent for the same flora
the U S. in July last, and finding it extremely
difficult by- any means within my power to obtain
wire of suitable siaes, I was induced to attempt
the manufacturing of it i and as a necessary ap
pendage, to connect this business with that of
screw making, the process being so easy 8t sim
ple that two men ol common capacity can man
ufacture from rods, about the si sc of common
nail rods, three hundred weight of assorted
screw wire per day ; in the same time a man
with two boys can make from the wire twenty
gvoce of screws of a q tality very much superior
to those usually imported. The expence of con
slructing screw machines upon the principle of
my patent is small, and the capital now employ
ed, (the business being in its infancy) but in one
year, with the capital I can command, it would
be in my power to erect as many machines as
would enable me to supply the United States
with that article, and of a quality much superior
to any ever imported, and at as low a rate as are
'now paid for those imported of aa inferior quali
ty
1 he manufacture of iron and brass wire has
been often attempted within the United States
with success, and can be carried on to a very
great extent ; but all the undertakers, in conse
quence of foreign wire being imported free of
duty, have without exception abandoned the bu
siness; If I depended on foreign wire for the
manufacturing of screws I should not be an advo
cate fora duly on it; but as I make my own
wire, its fret?importation'does not affect me, as
relates to the quantity appropriated totiiat par
ticular use ; but it very seriously affects me in
a much more enlarged and extensive point of
view ; but if a duty of 15 or 20 per cent, ad vo
lerem was laid on the importation of foreign
wire, the capital within the control of the com
pany now interested with me in this business,
would enable me immediately to extend my ma
chine) y to a magnitude sufficiently extensive to
meet the consumption of coarse wire within this
state The manufacture of card wire also, of
which there is a great consumption within the
United Suits, could be made to equal advantage
and would follow in course on account of tne
demand tor it, provided manufactures were ai
ded by the above mentioned duty on foreign
wire ; but if they should extend their works, an
ticipating that encouragement from government,
and it should not be given, they would suffer
great loss and disappointment
rtie malleability of the American iron renders
the United Slat s perfectly independent of ail
other countries for that fit st of all raw materials
and it is only by the patronage of Congress that
industry and the ai ts can be so extensively cul
tivated as to lake the greatest advantage, not
only of this article bul of other raw materials
which tin- great resources of our country fur
nish. The prevailing spirit of enterprise at t he
present time, in the exertion and extension of
hi miifacturing establishments, L much uw mg to
the mes>ur''s heretofore adopted by government
and I fed confident iiial f.w articles can be made
in this country losogres :ul\uiit.ige as iron wire,
Mid that no sufficient reason can be adduced why
tnia . rtic. rh .i:Id he ex. rupt from duty mere than
many others, to the parucul*< and very great in
jur)1 <>1 our own citizens. I am, however, much
t icon raged to hope that the measures governs
Rient qow appear to bs taking wiil be efficient
in patronizing the very valuable exertions of it
cilrzcn* in the production of articles iudiapensa
hie to our necessities, and especially those that
tre ptoduced from the raw materials of our own
country.
And the only patronage required in thishusi'
ness, is that the article of iron wire should be
subjected to the same duly that other articles of
iron manufactures are subjected to when impor
ted from Great Britain.
I am, most respectfully,
Sir, your most obedient and
Very humble servant,
(Signed)
ABEL STOWELL.
I am satisfied that wire of all kinds can and
would very soon be manufactured in this neigh
borhood sufficient for the consumption of the
United States, if a duty should be laid on impor
ted wire equal to what is paid on foreign .>rti
cl< s gencrully. It Congress should deeni it ex
pedient to lay a duly on wiiv, 1 have good rca
mm tor believing that a considerable capital
would be immediately vested in the nianufaclo*
ty ol that article.
(Signed)
H PEAHDORM
P. S. The wood eerews manufactured by
Slowed and those concerned with him are supe
rior in quality to imported ones ; and I presume
that there is no doubt in ibe mind of those who
have become acquainted with the facility with
which they are now made, but that a nifilci
ent quantity will be made for the use of the
United Slaves, ii suitable encouragement is af
forded by die government for tue manufacturing
of wire.
H. D.
NO IE (K.)
Statement cf Manufacture at Albanv. '
Capital g 8000— work men 20—1600 bats at
8 7—1800 .t $ J—and 3000 at £ 1—total 6 400
—mi e aunt: 4II3 made, the value of which is g iy.
600.—Value of foreign gonna and materials an
nually used, £> 1>G0—Profit, 15 u 20 per cent.
Memorandum by a Country Hatter, in the state ej
Nevt- York.
FINK HATS.
Racoon, & at.
3 50
II- aver, 1 oa.
1
t>ye stuff and trimming*.
63 1-2
Making and finishing,
1 50
’ dries,
JJ
* £6 1 2
Nett profit, 1 06 1-2
Sell for, Dollars, 7
NAPPED HATS FIRST QUALITY.
Wool, 5 oz. 20
Racoon, 1 oz. jj
Muskrat. 1 «*z. 50
Dvr-KiiiD'iuiil trimmings, 69 1-2
Making aiul finishing, * j 25
Sundries, i> i„2
3 07
Nett profit, 1 93
Sell for, Dollar*, 5
NAPPED HATS SECOND QUALITY.
Wool, 7 oz. 28
Muskrat, 1 oz. 50
Dye-stuff and trimmings, 6R
Making and finishing, 1 25
Sundries, 12 i_2
Nett profit, 1 16
Sell for, D>llart, 4
NETT PROFIT.
On fine hats, 1 Ofi
Napped do 1st quality, 1 03
Ditto do 2d do. 1 16
Felt do. * 60
(L.)
Boston, September 25, 1819.
** With two brothers I am inttu.stcd in tin; ma.
nufactnre of cut nail*. We have no establish
ment at Malden 5 miles from Boston, where we
have in operation, tw mty two patent machines
upon J Heed** plan of cutting’ and heading with
the same operation. We aie also interested in
two establishments upon the same plan in the vi
cinity of Philadelphia. One situated on Chester
creek, where we have ten machines, the other
situated on French creek, where we arepreparing
to erect twenty machines. The three manuf.ic
tones with the mill streams, buildings and ma
clmjery, necessary ‘or that purpose, when the
French creek establishment is completed, with
two rolling and slitting mills already buill, will
cost 90,000 dollars. The active capital emplov*
ed, seventy five thousand dollars. With the fif
ty two machines, sixty men and boys are render
ed capable of manufacturing from the nail phies,
fiiteen hundred tons of nails per year, and by
multiplying the number of machines, a quantity
could be manufactured, more than adequate
to the consumption of uie United States, more
especially if congress duly estimating the ben
chts to be derived from this important branch
ot industry, should see fit to grant a drawback
on exportation somewhat prop irtionate to the
duty paid on foreign iron. It would be very de
sirable and encouraging to manufactories if per
manent regulations could be consistently adopt
ed that would tend to render cheap and plenty
the raw raalerik', and that would discourse fo
reign importation. Such a mcasu-e would great
ly facilitate domestic manufactures j it would di
vert the energy and enterprise of wealthy men,
i.uu. .Iiumary pursuits; De productive of the
welfare and interest of our country, whereas on
ly temporary regulations tend to intimidate —
"1 lie encouragements offered by government,
whether prohibitory or remunerative, should at
least he co extensive with the time necessarily
required for the erection of extensive works, far
laborers to be instructed, and fir the manufac
tured articles to find a market, that the inauiif'ac
turer may without distress, be enabled to meet
his current expencea, and to replenish his stMck
trom the return <f sales, otherwise the we alto
and influence of foreign competition, w mid by
long credits and by purposely furnishing a .stir,
plus of cheap inferior articles at low price, no:
only retard but impoverish Uie veiy existence of
any infant manufactory in our country I*' the
foreign manufacturer can find a ready s.de for his
goods in the United Stales at cost and charges,
his object is g lined, the manufacturing profit is
secured and not unf. equeiuly both to the mju
1 y of the consumer ar.d of tiie American ma&u
f icturer; to the consumer becaiiae the cheapest
goods are commonly iliu must deceptive, and to
the American maim lecturer, bv an unexpected
influx of foreign goods in his line, he m .y be de
feated in nia calculations, be supplanted in n.s
salt s and compelled to ware house a heavy stock
of finished goods until the season is p. B fin
procuring t» advantage, the raw material indis
pensably necessary to Jiis business. Being tnus
situated, he must either abandon his employ neni
or resort to the painful a hern alive of t mi filing
his /inched goods for less than their cost, or bt»r.
rn i ng money up »n usury to replenish Ins stock
u- . Ivaiicetl price, cither of which to a mo
derate capitalist, f pi rsisted in, is inevitable ru
in. English nails, the fine drawn «x < pted, are
usually made of interior iron, and arc sometimes
transported to tins country in lieu of hiilasl, al
most freight free, ana ».>ld tor cost i* c!i rrgts j 5i
their hoops, rods and nail plates, are ui.de fr n.
a kind of unwrought iron, by a process recently
invented ; and when the latter are put into nails
i they are tender and brittle, hence arise, a m, i.i
dice against all cut uaiis, the consumer hemg
ignorant of the cause ; but cut nails mmc . i
ltiissia,Swedish or American iron are good suo
stitutes for hammered nails, and in fact have the
preference with most peopic, for the following
reasons, viz on account ul the sharp corners anu
true taper with which cut nails ure forihed, it
may be driven into harder wood without bending
or breaking or hazaid of splitting the wood, uy
which the labor ol boring is saved, the nai. one
way being of the same breadth or thickness from
head to point. A moment’s recurrence to the
origin ol this art, and to its rapid progress with
in a fvw years in this slate* may not be ainisB at
thi' time. By the effect of necessity in the time
ol the revolution, cut nails were first made out of
the l usty hoops of old casks, and weie as worth,
less as the materials of whichThey are made, but
after the introduction of rolling and slitting mills
into the stale, nail plates of new iron were sub
stituted instead of rusty hoops, yet nails were for
sometime manufactured in a very imperfect
manner ; at present it is otherwise. There are
now in this vicinity extensive nail manufactories,
with useful machinery for the saving of labor ami
the business i» better understood and conducted,
and the quality ofeui nails is so much improved’
that little seems to be wanted in order t» success,
buttha piotection and patronage of government’
Uy the best information I can obtain, 1 find on an
average of the last three years, the quantity of
nails and brads manufactured wiimn the stale
may be computed at no less than 2 thousand tons
per year, of winch about seventeen hundred
and fifty tons have been cut, the residue hammer
ed.
The foreign relations of our country for som c
years past have been so contingent, that me puce
of iron bus been fluctuating between 95 ana 140
dollai s per ton, whilst the consumption of nails
lias been diminished and ofcouise the demand
for them j and notwithstanding foreign nails
have been prohibited, yet the quantity on hand
when the prohibition commenced, added to the
quantity since manufactured in the U States with
a great dimunition of exports, has left no chance
f..r mem to rise in proportion to the rise of the
raw material. The manufacturer's profit is,
therefore, less than it was prior to the rise on
'.ron. touring the present contest with Great
Britain, both t -c French and Spanish colonies
in America and the \yept Indies, have received
considerable supplies of nails from the United
States and particularly cut nails, which they
for manv purposes. He fere nee
to (he custom house books will probably show
the difference between the imports and exports,
nod the result, the expediency or inexpediency
or entourage by drawback, the etfbortati’on o!
them.
In the event of peace in Europe, and a free
trade between Great Britain and the Spanish co
lonies, lh*» f trmrr perhaps c»uM supplant the A
meric-an supply of lliia «nb-|e in the markets cl
•h* Utter, were not congress to grant some en.
■'ouragement either by drawback or bounty to
the exporter.
The fact Is that American Iron, although the
ore is excellent, is brought to market, and sold in
an unfinished state ; it is not sufficiently bam
mered to be sound, and it is hammered in a atate
so cold, that the seams and cracks, of w hich
there are many, do not close and weld ; the iron
therefore to the worker or consumer is worthless
by 10 dollars per ton, than iron finished in the
style of Kti-a5a or Sweden; and this is not ali, for
the ends of the bars of American iron, are *o un
sound that they are only fit for sap iron, and in
fact are c.nl oft and sold as such hv the manufac
turer, who pays full price for them, losing there
by S ^ 25, besides los3 sustained by transporta
tion A Il—o• imt hand ing. This being the case, C.
the manufacturer not benny disposed to a reform,
1 should l>e sorry to be left in their hands, or be
subject to their pleasure, so much as I would
be, if our government would adopt effectual
measures,to prevent tRe impoit'ttion of iron, un
der the mistaken impression that our country
is at present capable of producing a sufficient
quantity lbr it* own consumption.
Any tiling that would tend permanently to ad
vance the price of iron, by increasing the dc
maud, would tend to increase its inferiority in
P >jRf °1 intrinsic value, I »r when any article in our
markets of home manufacture produces the Ifgh
e<t price, and is in demand, it is frequently hur
rieil i.ll hand in a very uniimsiitd and slovenly
manner, even in such an imperfect state as w<>ul<l
not in common times sell at any price—it is thcie
fore necessary, that our country should be pro_
tected Irom imposi’i msol this Kind, and that in
stead of prohibiting the importation of iron, as
some would have it, it should frontinueto be en
con raged until we can be supplied at home with
lens hazard—these occasional remarks you can
think of, and il proper, use them to advantage.
(M)
Boston. Aug. 1809.
Xhe irnportar.ee in Mass chusetts of nail
machinery, anti of ail that relates to rolling
anil slitting mills, with winch nail machin
ery is immediately connected, inquires
that a particular account should be given of
them.
In old countries, nails are forged ; here,
they are cut, fcc it is curious to trace the pro
gresses of American gennis, through the va
rious steps of this invention, Twenty years
ago some men, now unknown, and thee ob
scure, begun by cutting slices out of old hoops
I and by a common vice gripping those pie
ces, headed them with several stvokes of the
hammer. CJradually slitting mills were
I buiL and the shares and the heading tools
were perfcctioned ; yet much labor and ex
igence were requisite to make r.-ils. In a
little while, Jacob Pei kins, Jonathan Ellis,
and a few others put into execution the
thought ot cutting and of heading nails by
water ; but more intent upon their machin
ery than upon their pecuniary affairs, they
wer« unable to prosecute the' business__
At different times, different men have spent
lor uses in improvements, and it may be
said with truth, more than a million of dol
lars j but at least these joint efforts are
crowned with complete success, apd we arc
now able to manufacture at about one ih id
ot the expence that wrought nails can be
manufactured for, nails which are superior
to them for at least S 4 of the proposed are
applied, and which tor 7 8 of those propo
ses to which are as good. The machine
made use of Dy Oihorne, that lately iuven
teu by Joint than I'm is, and a tew others,
present very ti.ie specimens of American r;
ipus.
io northern carpenters it is we'l known
that in almost all instances, it is not neces
sary to bore the wood before driving a cat
nail. Ail that is required is to place the
cutting edge across the grain of the wood.—
It is also true that cut nails will hold bet ■
ter in the wood. These qualities arc in some
instances, worth twenty percent of the va
lue of the article, which is equal to die whole
expence <>1 manufacturing it. For sheath
ing and drawing, cut nails arc full as good
as wrought nails. Only in one respect arc
the best wi ought nails a liitle superior to
cut nails, and that is where it is necessary
they should be clinched. The manfacture
ot cut nails was born in our own country’,
and has within its bosom advanced through
all lie various stages of infancy to manhoood,
and no doubt we shall be soon able, by rc
ceiving proper encouragement, to render
them superior to wrought nails in every par
ticular.
The principal business of rolling anti slit
ting nulls is rolling mill plates. They also
>eive io make nail rods, hoops, tires, sheet
iron, and sheet copper. In this state, we
have not less than twelve, viz.
At L> »ver—one owned by the Boston iron
and mil tactory, wlucn is composed ol John
and Samuel Welles, and It. Whiting.
At Plymouth-One owned by Samuel
Spear, W Davis and Nath. Russel.
At Dover, Beverly, Amsbury—One each,
all incorporated companies, owned m part, I
presume, by William Gray,Samuel Oiuydc
Osgood.
At Newton-'One owned by Rufus Ellis,
gen. Elliot and others.
At Norton——One.
At i aunton—— i nrce owned by Leonard
and Crokerand others.
At Bndegwater-Two.
These mills could mil and slit 7,000 tons
of iron a year. They now, it is presumed,
roll and slit each year, about 3.600 tons, 2,
400 tons of which probably are cut up into
nails and brads. 1 licse 3,600 tons still lor
as much as 700 000 dollars, and w-; may call
American labor and profits 3 5 of it, wiitii
foreign iron is emp oyed, and the whole ol
it, when our iron is nude use of.
It is not useless to observe, that the con
sumption ot cut m.ils lias increased in pro
portion as their manufacture has neon bru’t
to perfection. As late as ten years ago, it
was very small, and tiie in lease has ueen
much less rapid than it would have been had
«he rivalship ot foreign nails not stood in the
The English iron imported into this conn
try, either in bars or m nail plates, t , in nail
rods, or in hoops, is not good for ai.y thing,
nor are tires manufactured with it ot any u-c
(Jut of the ore they roll the iron into bars,
without hammering it, which saves them
much expence : but tlie consequence i", that
although the ore be good, and although the
iron looks well, yet it is not compact at all;
has no strength and g . .d as the razors ol
Peter Pindar, “to sell but not to use.” The
tact is tne British never employ i; in their
own country, nor can a man While iie is buy.,
ing a hoop, or a tire, or a cut nail, distm
guish whether it van made out of Eng
iish iron. To prevent this species of fraud
it is necessary that govern., enc should pro
hibit entirely the importation of English bar
iron, nail rods, &c. Aids wRi al*u Cucon
ragp the manufacture of our own iron. Aj.
particular times America has been filial
with the refuse of English nails anti brat’s,
and then the American manufacturer has
been obliged to stop his works and subject
to losses, and the consumer deceived kv tne
name of English nails has bought this refuse
greatly to HU injury. Ir is therefore highly
important to prohibit the importation of En
glish nails and brads of all kinds which enu
oe replaced immediately by America, and
tln» includes all except fine drawn nails, up
on which an extra duty of one cent per pound
tr.:ght be placed, and •f no part of *h<* «*xt»-a. **
drny were drawn back it would bv thus 1’
much encourage the exportation ot‘ Ameri
can nails. ' -4
Nor can the legislature be restrained from
prouibitiug loreign nails and brads, by a fear
that the American manufactures will be un
able to furnish the quantity wanted, for al
most immediately they could manufacture
half a» many again as they now do, and iu
six months could increase this to any quan
tity desired--nor is it to be feared that
toe prices will be advanced by monopoly, as
t ic iliiti-reiH patent rights of improved nail
machinery, are owned by a great many in
dividuals totally disconnected, and as some
pretty good machines are common to
It is also well to state in addition, that cut.
n,c,s have been exported in considerable
quantities, and gone to a good market, whilst
they v.ere not so well made, they were sold
in loreign ports without a profit-in Ha,
van* Mid in many other places they now
actually prefer 4cl cut nails of a rood Quality,
10 uie oust English nails with which they
have usually been supplied. I cannot leave
011 this subject without adding one word
more about English iron. It u.ay be the
plan of the English when selling it to us to
bi iug into discredit American cut iieiils, aucl
o'her American manufactured articles._„
Unfortunately a great proportion of these
articles, and especially cut nails has been
manulactU'ed out of that iron, and proha
h!) it ever will be, because the articles cost
less, 1<>« k. ns wt*ll, siikl tell as vvcil tothostr who
never bough: any before. I; is almost impos
sible for many people to distinguish between
good and bud cut nails, and some are led to
prefer giving a higher price for English
wrought nails, which are no better than cut
nails manufactured out of any iron but Eng
lish. 1 have already observed that the mills
in Massachusetts could manufacture 7,000
tons ot iron, while they only manufacture
o,500 tons. This arises mostly from the
rivalship with imported articles of the s inie
kind, a rivalship which the legislature may
do away at once. *
It need not be mentioned that the iron
manufactures have, on exportation, an equi
table righttu a drawback of duty on iiupc;>
ted iron. 1
1" Massachusetts originated the project
to manufacture cut nails, and there it has
first oeen brought toils present state of per
fect!.n. Lately manufactories have been
erected to a considerable extent in New
Yoik, Pennsylvania and Maryland, and un
questionably they will rapidly multiply there,
and soon be spread all over the country, if
the encouragements are given by the legis.
lature, which are suggested in this sketch?
It t’-'c legislature should determine to allow
a drawback of the duty on iron when manu
factured, i: might be -well to render the
tnmg more simple to change that duty,
which is now ad valorem, into a specific du
ty by the pound. Say, for example make it
cue cent per lb.
Whkntham, Oct. 1, lsoe.
5 TRA W B OWE. VS,
. “ This business commenced in this town
in the year 1801; at that time the English
straw bonnets had become the fashionable
outdoor head-dress of the ladies i . the larr-e v
towns, who are allowed always to take ti.e
lead in the fashions. I he prices demanded
tor them were so great as to prevent the far
mer a daughters purchasing them, a young
1;>( y, stimulated with a desire to appear not
*C98 { bh.iiRAiil^than thoac who v/ere better
a !e, or more willing to pay an extravagant
price tor a bourn t, conceived that she might
with her own ingenuity and industry, fabri
cate one for herself, equal in qualitv ami
JcsS'n exIKnr£e. lhan the English Jonnets
would cost. The Bonnet was sr>.»n console.,
ted, and was thought to lie no way inferior
to t e English. 1 he first successful effort
oi the young lady soon com man.led custom
ers, whowtie furnished with bonnets at
aoout half the price which were paid for
those imported.
I lie demands for these bonnets increas
es others were induced to try their ingenui
ty*-1 htse small attempts were geoeral
ly crowned with success. In a few months
liie nmtnyfacture ot Bonnets exceeded the
domestic demand for them The surplus
were entrusted to the c..re of a man who
f! ( queiitecl the market Ht H ; ton, with the
common productions of the country, win
made such returns as to not only encourage
the first adventurer to continue the business
j but to induce others also to bec ome adven
turers ; so that at tho end <>f one year tfio
bonnet badness had become an important ar
ticle ot traffic in this vicinity.. Since wliirli ,
the business has annuaily increased and the
demands for hats and bonnet j become Inore
and more ex.er.'-ive. The principal part
of the business is done in the town of VVrent
nam, Franklin, M dway, Medficld, B.Bing
ham, V\ alpole, Sliaron and Fnxbnrough.——
Some towns in the Counties of Bm roY and
\ » orcester have likewise entered into this
business.
» ims concise History of a manufactory
W’luc li owes its commencement to mgre at.
cidr.pt, may not he uninteresting to you ; in
wi«l(,h I liave. bcca a little particular, tosliew
I riom w hat small beginnings an important ar*
' ide of merchandize in?-.y be pp ducetl. — ■
j C ould yen have believed that the annual a
n»'”tnt in - and bonnemade in the?
'• 'yn of \V rent bam alone is « q ’in I to 100.00J
I dollar*. f I iis 1 suppose to l»e within bounds
I —for the a mount of liie other towns in the
| "°';n’y ** 'o 'li above ineotlotied, i arid
100.000 dollars more; this sum is perhaps
| m licit too small. Bristol and Worcester ma
| nufacturr to acensirierahle amount, and the
j business has comin«nced 1 have been inform
jt d, in the o«h<*r parts of the state.
“It is tr be understood that the above sum
, ’UO.OCO dollars, is e xclusive of hats and
i rennets made and worn by those who nia
nu lac tore then*. these bonnets and hat*
-re exported not oruv to New York, Phila- .
delpbi.i, Baltimore, Virginia, North Caroli
na, (charleston. South Caroline, ftavannafc
-nd New Orleans, but to ieveraj pf the
V\ cst India Islands."
OH SAI.E-A Ik* ly >.eoro Gnu,] al^,|
hi snyoMis old—enquire at this ofli-e; ‘
Msv 18
_tf
\\I ANThU i O
ii
KE-.— h good, sober nT
' ’ KTa ti'vtnan COOK.
M :*y k5. jt