The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1825-10-05


manufactures evinces the ingenuity of
our countrymen.
An instance occurred while we were
at Manchester which shows how useless
is such caution. Soon after our arrival,
an acquaintance was formed with gen.
tieman at the same hotel. who is exten-
sIveiy engaged in mandatory, in one
OF the eastern states. He has recently
introduced an Improvement in the spin
ning of cotton, and The invention is now
IN operation, by way of experiment, at
Manchester. In spite of all the difficult
ties and Jealousies he was obliged TO en-
counter, he has penetrated workshops
OF every description, and examined eve
ry operation deserving attention. To
make sure of whatever he might have
overlooked, he has carried away bodily,
the skill Of the manufacturer, in the per-
son of the foreman of one OF the princi.
pal establishments. At Manchester there
is another Yankee who has accumulated
a princely fortune, chiefly by the variety
OF patterns he has introduced in calico
printing.
But the most enterprising and perse-
vering of these adventurers, is native
of one of the western counties in the
state Of New ork, who was on the
northern frontier and fought for his coun-
| try during the late war. At lis close,
he beat his sword, not toto the pruning
hook, but into au ingenious machine for
cutting reids. The same enthusiastic
spirit, which led him 10 the lines, in
duced him to cross the ocean, and during
his residence in this country, he has
Tough, all $ his battles DER again." en-
during still greater hardships than the
tolls of The camp and the frosts of Cana
d. He related to US The whole history
OF his invention, and Of bis efforts in in-
Producing it abroad, which would make
volume. comprising the adventure OF
Roderlck Random, the suffering of Baron
Trenck, and the sentiment of Trisiram
Shandy. At certain stage in his story.
he produced a beautiful sword inscribed
to Liberty, which he had prepared al
the darkest period of his life, in readl-
ness tn embark for South America, in
case his invention did not succeed. Blu
brighter prospect now CLEANS upon
his path, and we found him 6 in the full
tide of successful experiment. on The
road TO we alth, blest with occasional Wis
ltatons of the muse, grateful to his be
netactors, and warmly attached to ihe
land of his nativity
Through the Influence of The gentle
man, into whose hands it was our good
fortune 10 fall, and as our object was
known 10 be nothing beyond the gratih-
cation of curiosity. we experienced none
of that iliberality Of which others have
so much complained. Having examined
the process of spinning aud weaving cot
ton, we next proceeded to the engra-
ver's, where the rollers for printing cal
leo are prepared Free admission was
granted TO every branch ofthe business,
and the several stages of it were polite
ly pointed out. Different figures are
made TO order, as fashions change, or
the interests individuals dictate. The
Ishop is filed with thousands Of patterns.
1t requires some fancy 10 produce new
combination at present. The figure is
first engraved upon steel stamps, and
thence transferred to rollers of copper,
about four feet in length. Some OF the
work Is extremely delicate, requiring
the use of the microscope
I From the engraVer's, we followed The
stamps to the printing establishment, and
saw the machinery in operation. The
process is simple and expeditions. Thou
sands of yards are printed in day, with
very little manual labour. The cloth
| passes through rollers, which are moved
by steam and which feed themselves,
taking the colourng matter from a
trough beneath. boy is sufficient to
attend on machine, aud keep the cloth
in order Two colours only can be i'm
pressed by rollers. The process of put.
ting on variety ofcolours is more com.
plicated and difficult, being entirely done
by hand. II requires two persons to
make the impression one to repIenish
the sieve containing the colourmg mat.
ter, and the other to use the stamp
which sometimes assumes the oldest
shapes, resembling spiders, frogs, and
o1her reptiles. In complex figures, the
cloth passes through dozen hands, be-
fore ii receives the finishing touch II
appeared to me, that there is much room
for invention and Improvement in this
department, which would certainly be
desirable, as hundreds ofperscns of both
sexes are toundin one ofthese mannfac.
tories, breathing an atmosphere at the
temperature OF 100 degrees, and inhaline
the effiuvia of theidifferent dies. Tneil
countenances wear a sallow ard sickly
appearance.
In these workshops for caIico-pr
> snne IN L.. r. L