New-York daily tribune., 1843-02-10
Silk in our state 3srtsous.

Silk in our state 35risous.
supplemental Report Of The AEenz OF fhe
staic Prison az Auburn, concerning the
Manufacture of Silk In tiaat Peniten-
1iary.
To the IEspec tors of the State Prison at AUBURN:
The effort to introduce the manufacture Of Silk
was commenced by the Agent on the Goth of May,
1s4l, at the suggestion of the Governor. A single
throwing mill was purchased, and small quantity
of cocoons were purchased in the vicinity of Au-
burn. Two conyicts were ASST gned to the business
one of whom was employed In turning the wheel,
and the other in preparing and serving the
After six months, four other throwing mills, built in
the prison, were set in operation in the same man
ner, with an addition of eight convicts. In April
last water power was provided and soon afterwards
five other throwing mills were putin operation, one
of which was purchased, and the others built here
Two machines were subsequently, added, and in
August last, steam engine was substituted on the
failure of the water power The effort had attract
ed some attention abroad, and full and regular
supply Of cocoons was received, at prices ranging
from three to four dollars per bushel. The ma
chinerv and apparatus now consists of the steam
engine, II throwing mills furnished with Sd spin
dies, IL bobbng wheels, 10 stationary wire swfts,
8 pair OF horizontal swifts, ! drying rack, gull
ling mills and apparatus, get of reeling pins, 10
seventy-two inch reels, - forty-our inch reels,
and-maker, dye-house, with kettles, implements
and fixtures, and other utensils and implements.
The value of the machinery, utensils and imple-
ments is S2ll5, which may be assumed as the cost,
and of course includes the labor Of the convcts in
constructing the same. The force employed in the
manufacture of silk has been increased from two
"A ,ba oh of no
whole, since the commencement, is 1862 days.
The table hereto annexed exhibits the result of the
operation The aggregate value of the avails of
the silk manufactured, in sewing silks, twist and
fabric, together with the materials and products on
hand, at low rate, market price, is -.Sl27 1853 26
The whole expense of the manufacture,
exclusive of the labor employed, is-- 9,766 81
Leaving the sum of of.............---.$2, $2,996 Is
fer the avails sf the labor and interest the cap-
tai: equal to "a cents and 6 mills per day for the
labor of each convict. A reference to the Agents
Annual Reper. will show that this average is equal
to that of the products of the labor of convists an
der the contracts in mechanical departments
The Sewing silk produced is superior to the inn
ported article in strength and softness of texture
and equal in smoothness and in color and is prefer
red wherever both have been fairly compared.
1
menL; neither the agent nor the operatives had any
practical acquaintance with the manufacture. The
chief part of the machinery has been not only
constructed but invented here, consequently there
have been hindrances, delays, expenses and losses
which could not occur in business conducted
with the advantage of skill and experience.
The cest of the material has been far greater
than it would have been had there been any general
Gil c,ltp in
ducts encountered prejudices in the market, and
the market value of such products has been depre-
eiating willie the cost of the material has not di-
mnished. When these facts are considered, IN
connection with the machinery provided, the ma
terial and products on hand, and the condition OF
the business and the fiscal condition of the prison,
the Agent has no hesitation in declaring that the
business may be conveniently enlarged during the
present year, 80 to increase the force employed
to an hundred men with an increase OF profits ex-
ceedng fifty per cent, and that 1t may be so ex-
tended as ultimately to employ all the convict
labor which can be assigned to it consistently with
u proper conduct and management of the prison.
The Agent therefore feels himself authorized to
congratulate the inspectors on the successful intro
duc,ion of new, most interesting and most useful
department of industry, which can be rendered at
least as profitable as other modes of employing the
convicts, while it is exempt from objections on
every side. The financial advantages thus secured
could scarcely be exaggerated, since the results
fortunately appear at time when more than
hundred of the conscts are left unemployed by
the operation of the law of 1912, designed to pro-
tect the mechanical labor of oar tellow-citizens
against competition in the peatentarles. But
these advantages inconsiderable compared
with the general and lasting benefits which must
II l,,tr tl,a aa,II-
culture and manufacture in the United States,
department of industry that has enriched and
aggrandized every country by which it has been
adopted. The manufactory here will give the ne
cessary impulse 10 the silk culture, while it will
present a model and furnish instruction to our
fellow citizens who may desire to engage in the
manufacture, and by its successful results encour-
age the employment of capital in the production
of fabrics which though more generally used by
the epulent, are still regarded as among the most
indispensable articles consumed ii every civilized
country. The agent is bound to acknowledge, in
an emphatic manner his obligations TO the insPec-
tors for their liberal and enlightened encourage
ment TO MI. Aretas a. Sabin, whose inventive
mechanical genius and devotion to the enterprise
has largely contributed to its success. To Robert
Cook, Esq. the keeper, and Abraham Gridley, Esq.
the clerk of the prison, for their effective coopera-
tion To Mr.. John Morrison for his useful servi-
ces as superintendent, and to Mr.. Robert Gordon
for the Important scientific information which he
has communicated.
HENRY POLHEMUS Agent
State Prison, Auburn, January lst 13tS.
Statement exhibiting the amount of materials pur-
chased, in Reeled Silk, Cocoons, Dye Ssuts, &c.
and amount paid for Dying and Superintending
the Manufacture of Silk in the State Prison at
Auburn, from the 20,h of May, 184l, to the lst
ac ESL-r.=.. oI2 .aao4har 4L.a a.aann.