Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1838-09-20

out some new discovery in the way Of ma-
chinery. All old modes Of doing things arc
passing away, and people are continually on
the q,a rire to find out some cot, by which
they may arrive ut their ends without trouble.
II is a peculiarly more Of the New England
people than any other. They are both in
genious and cnterprising, and there Is mo
branch Of business which requires machinery,
in which they have not made great improve
ments. In the East Indies, when cotton was
extensively cultivated and exported thence
TO Europe and America, the seed was sep
arated by slow and difficult process. When
cotton became the great staple OF commerce.
of the South, On enterprising Yankee, Eli
Whitney, perceiving the difficulty OF sepa-
rating the seed, invented the Cotton Gin, and
now the operation is performed with ease
nand great rapidty.
! The models Of ships, and the science Of
navigation are so improved within fcw
years, that the time OF voyage across the
Atlantic is shortened one third at least while
the greater safety with which trip - made,
is a still more important consideration.
The spinning Jenny, us improved by the
ingenuity Of al American, upon the old fash
ioned English machine may be considered as
n new invcntioRand one of the greatest mn
portance, since by its mid the New England
double the wages for work that is paid by
the English manufacturers, are enabled TO
compete with them. THE SPeedfr, as in'-
proved by the Yankees, is equally important.
+. The silk reel aud spinner has been greatly
/ improved in this country from the Piedinon-
! 'tese Reel, and from present appearances,
! the United States will soon become great
silk growing and manufacturing country.
The application Of steam 10 boats, IS the
invention of an American, and to this, the
world is indebted for much Of the enterprise
. and anxiety for improvements which IS the
characteristic Of this age. The importsncs
Of steam was scarcely known, till by It's
/ means, vessels began to traverse the waters
against wind and tide, with speed surpas-
sing that ever attained under similar circum-
stances by the agency of the wind.
/ The Railroads are another great improve
ment of the times and the speed attained,
though not very great, is perhaps rs great as
is consistent with safety, or as Is really de-
! sirable. There is no reasonable cause for
! greater speed than thirty or forty miles an
! hour, except for express Communication, and
! these by the newly invented telegraphs may
I be made with almost the speed VI thought,
for any reasonable distance.
| Balloons are an old story, but are doubtless
| susceptible of being mude the means os very
rapid locomotion. Like the numerous at
tempts at perpetual motion, one thing - al
ways wanting; they cannot be made to go
against the wind, consequently they must
8 forever remain less useful than they might
. Otherwise be.
t Malleable iron is now cast without difficult
r ty; thing for many centuries people have
}, tired to make hut without success. This
d maleablc iron can be turned and twisted ar
y hammered into any shape without breaking,
and can consequently be used for oil the
purposes to which wrought iron is applicable.
Malleable glass remains yet TO be discov-
cred There is an account in one Of the
Greek Historians Of man who was reputed
to have made this invention. He was
brought before the monarch and asked IT he
could actually make glass malleablo? to
which he replied in the affirmative; where
upon the king ordered his head struck oil
Instantly, alleging that il such discovery
!. were known, gold and silver would be OF No
value.
Il Engravings Of bank notes, &c. show very
y great Improvement in the last twenty years.
y A plate can now be engraved principally by
. machinery, upon steel, for bank note or
v;gnette, and from 1t any number OF steel
= plates precisely similar, can be taken by a
. peculiar process. Dies are multiplied IN
similar manner SO that IT a thousand dies
for striking coin are wanted, 1t would only
be necessary TO make one 10y the tedious ant
difficult operation Of de-snking the Others
being all made. Photography, by which anl
number Of plates may be engraved wholly b,
machinery, from any pattern in basreliei, i
certsinly a beautiful! process, and Tor the re-
presentation Of coins and sculpture, IL par
iticularly appropriate.
u The multiplication OF busts was considers
"a great feat when first accomplished, but the
thing is now well understood and easily nc
.complished; and gunstocks and all irregular
figures, are now turned with ease and de
: spatch, and also many kinds Of articles W hich
e formerly could only be made by the carver
r. A new plan has lately been invented fol
e making a coach-spriDg, or other taperine
e spring by one operation, by passing II through
J. rollers graduated in particular manner.
J. The machinery now used faf manuiactur
% ing and pressing bricks is very ingenious
and the rapidity with which II Is accomplish
g ed is truly wonderful.
s A side of leather is often spln into three
parts, and each part made into boots ant
shoes before il is fairly out OF the machine.
Y Wrought nails are now made by macbiner!
ns fast as they formerly made cut nails, sn'
lcvcry species OF manufacture in iron snt
other metrls, is done almost wholly by nm
chinery. Very little hard work is done oven
in the heaviest business by men VI animals
). except in farming operations.
s Agricultural machines have not boon f"r'
!. COTTON in the spirit Of inquiry which has nn''
q mated tho ingenious and the ent.rprls'ng.--
n. Dumb boasts are now made 10 do what was
,r formerly done only by bumnn labor Ihe
70 plougl, has been so improved that Two no'ses
~ will perform as much work w was done oy
- four. The application Of horse power ana
>. water power TO the thrsshing OF gram 'ron'
the straw, is a modern improvement. Thrash
ING machines havo long been known IN En-
- gland: but they were totally inapplicsble TO
!, ordinary farmers, being very expe nsive.-
MANY OF them cost q thousand pounds ster-
Or linz and few cost less than hundred. They
s we're out of the reach Of any but the great
landed propriciors. In THIS country the,
in have been used about twenty years, and be-
'd fore that period were scarcely heard OF. Il
d Warren was the first to improve upon them
~ and IL is TO him that this country is cl,cfi,
indebted Cor the cheap and effective machinsl
which are now so universally used. NJ
ordinary mon can thrash by fail more thai
y ten bushels Of wheat IN q day-by:s mach'i