The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1809-05-23
Sir. yours. &c. =.
c: & p. BEVERLEY.
Maj. John Clarke, }
Superintendent Of the
.4rmoury, Richmond.
To this returned the following answer
RICHMOND, June 18th. 1906.


received, and by which am glad to find you
determined to make your bar Iron of such
good quality as to obtain for il high cha.
racter. l am sorry that the iron last sent
was SO hard and brittle, and Of such UNEQUAL
qualities that it would not answer for the
manufacture of arms. hope you will sue
coed in making it Of the best and most mall
leable quality, in such case my duty and in
clination will compelI me to- give decided
preference to the bar-iron manufactured in
our own state.
lam, very respectfully,
Your obedient servant.
JOHN CLARKE.
A7ess,s. c. e p. Beverley.
What became of this engagement on the part
OF Mr.. Beverley, as well as of other engagements
on the part OF other manufacturers in this com.
monwealth, will appear presently, by the affid,-
Wit of col. Robert Gamble, of the city of Rich.
| nond.
In the mean time, col Mathew Harvey of Fin
castle, having sent down specimen Of the iron
| made at his forge, addressed to him the follow
ing letter on this subject
VIRGINIA MANuFAcToR OF ARMS:
October Sd, 1906.
DEAR SIR,
| have received your lettertof the 22d
ult. per negro Billy. The iron sent by his
Wagon. has been delivered here, and ap-
pears obe good but we have not yet had time
to make trial of its quality. am sorry to
inform you that the sum appropriated by the
last general assembly for making arms is so
nearly exhausted, that do not expect it will
be sufficient to keep the works going until the
meeting OF the Legislature. Thus circnm-
stanced, have thought proper to have your
iron kept separate from any ether, so that
you may either have it again on application,
or wait for payment until another appropria :
ton shall be made by the Legislature. The
making OF arms requires the purest and most
malleable iron. One hundred and twenty
eight dollars and fifty cents is the highest
price we have given. Should your iron prove
to be OF such good quality. the same price
VIII be allowed for it, and / heartily hope
that the mines of our country, will be found
capable OF Producing iron equal to any in the
world andisurely they ought to be encou-
ragged in preference to any other. There
are ninety three bars of iron delivered here
by Billy, which weigh One Ton. Nine Hun
dred, One Quarter ana twenty five pounds.
SIN, Dear Sir,
I Your most obedient servant.
JOHN CLARKE.
Col. Matfhe7v Harvey.
| Fincastie.
|
place betv cen col. (now gcn) James Brecken-
ridge, OF Botetourt county, and myself relative to
Quantity OF iron furnished Fl mis- forge
! Cofy Of my letter TO Loi. James Byacken
ridge
VIRGINIA MAEUFAcrsRY OF Arms.
March S0;h, 1908.
DEAR SIR,
The Quantity of bar-iron first sent bv
your order, is generally good but in parts
Oh SOME OF the bars, it was coarse and brit
Tie owing 20 want of attention in the pro-
cess or making it ut the Forge. he orc is
/ a 'htnk) of excellent quality, but in CONVEX
ting it into bars, care should be taken 70 III.
VeSt II OF all impure or extraneous matter
winch prevents it from heins tough and IN al
icahle and proper FOR making arms. A con-
siderable portion OF this iron was drawn into
bars quite too narrow for our purpose. A
Wagon load fyo,ir iron was lately brought
TO Richmond and lodged with Mr.. Robt. Cor
don; from which we have selected all
mat wonid answer the purpose of making
arms. but the quality was not so rood as
! that OF the first sent Two boats loaded with
! your iron, arrived here Yesterday, but tie
.'ars were quite too narrow for our use, and
! 1t was CARRIED to Mr.. Dickinson's Lumber
house.
Iron for musket barrels must be pure and
highly r'alleabie, and the bars mustbe, from
three lncnes to three and abalf wide, and a
bout live eighths of an inch thick.
am, Dear Sir,
With great respect and esteem.
Your o5edjent servant.
JOHN CLARKE.
'0' 0'' noll 9rasSf'T'dse'
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