Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1844-06-14
BRISTOL BRICK !;
a REMAR FACT.

Some OF our citizens nave no uOuDt no-
ticed boxes of brick Of precisely the same
character of the imported Bristol brick, pass
inc through town occasionally, on their way
10 Boston and the south We had the Gu
riosity the other day to trace back these
backs to the source from whence they came.
1t is said that the only place in the world in
which these bricks have been made, Except
of course those we are here speaking off,
is Bristol, in England. A small vein Of the
sand was many years ago found near Liver
pool, but it was soon worked up and ex-
hausted Somewhere about the year 1890,
an Enolishman who had been concerned Ell
ther as an owner or operative in the works
at Bristol, came over to this country, think
ing that he might discover something which
would enable him to share the monopoly of
the trade with the Bristol manufacturers
lie travelled in the United States five years,
making dlligent inquiry and investigation,
without being able to discover the object of
his search. Just as he was ready to return,
disappointed, while standing in the door
way Of a store in Boston, cart full OF sand
stopped at the door, He Immediately went
to it and putting his hand into the sand pro-
nounced unhesitatingy that it was the very
article for which he had been so long search
ing. He ascertained that it came from land
of Elihu French, Of Southampton, n H.,
and at once repaired to the spot. Here he
found a little acre Of sand, reaching to n
much greater depth than at Bristol, and the
sand being in good demand among founders,
the owner had been in the habit Of supply
ingSseveral. foundries with it. He attempt
ed 10 purchase the land, and failing in this
offered to go into partnership with the own
er of it, in the manufacture. But with true
New Hampshire pertinacity, Mr.. French
turned deaf ear to all propositions. He
was opposed to all partnerships all innova-
tions, and all magnificent speculations, and
would have nothing to do with them, but if
the Englshman would go to work and make
some bricks for him he would pay him a
good price for his labor.
Accordingly the Englishman manufacture
ed a considerable quantity and received his
pay, the Yankee looking on the work and
probably supposing he had learned the art.
But after the Englishman, having given up
all hope Of purchasing, had departed, Mr..
French found he had not learned the secret
of the manufacture; he could not make a
single brick. The work was then suspend
ed until two years afterwards, when the same
man came over from England again, in the
hope of bringing the Yankee to terms. But
he found him as obstinate as ever, and after
ascertainng that he could do nothing with
the owner of the land, very good naturally
impaired to him the secret of the manulac-
ture for bonus Of $780, This was in
1927, and from that time to the present, Mr.
French has been constantly engaged in the
manufacture, doing most of the labor him
self and hiring but very little. OF course
the quantity made has been limited, but the
demand has been steadily increasing, and he
intends to make a l0O, 900 bricks this year.
The bricks made by Mr. French are every
way equal to the imported Bristol article,
and by some are esteemed superior. They
command the same price as the imported,
and are readily taken by the dealers at $50
per thousand--they weigh three pounds
each. The sand is not quite so white as
the brick, which contains a portion of white
pipe clay to give it adhesiveness. The great
secret Of the manufacture, for which the
$500 was paid, is a process of making the
mixture rise similar to bread, and rendering
it porous. A brick weighing one pound
and one weighing four pounds, may be made
Of the same size and in the same mould.
The sand is about four feet deep and COW
ers little more than an acre Of low land
on the Powow river. 1t does not need sift-
ing, and the peculiar quality of it is its ex-
ceeding sharpness without grit. Viewed
through microscope every particle exhib-
its perfect diamond form. We believe no
geologist has ever been on the spot, and not
knowing the address of Dr. jackson or
Prof. Hitchcock, we shall send a specimen
of il to the editor of one of the Boston Ag-
ricultural papers, who after satisfying their
own curiosity, will please send it to one of
these gentlemen.
Mr.. French was a silver smith by trade,
and is now 66 years of age. Though re-
puted to be quite wealthy he makes no dis
play about his premises; but is pleased to
receive visitors, and treats them, as we can
bear witness, in respectable manner, an
swering all their inquiries in frank and af-
fable manner. On asking him what he
would take for his lot, he offered, as he had
got nearly to the end of life's journey to
take $4,000 and a mortgage on the lot for
$4,000 more. This seems to be pretty
high price for an acre Of sand, but we do
not know but it might be made good bar
gain even at this, should no more be found
in the country, as there appears to be no OBJ
stacle to manufacturing it to an unlimited
extent, and after supplying the home mar
ket, which requires a large and steadily in
creasing supply, shipping it to foreign coun-
tries, as the Bristol works now have the en-
tire monopoly throughout Europe.-Newbu-
ryport Herald.