Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1845-07-04
A NEW AND WONDERFUL
tCJI\E.

There is nothing which more strongly
characterizes the power of human ingenuity
than the invention aud construction of SUI
pcrior piece Of mechanism. The inventions
of Arkwright were of this nature. BY the
substitution Of mechanical power in place of
the mind, voilton, and l,rsc"lar instinct Of
tie operative, taey have gra1daly changed
the habits and occupations of d great portion
of thn human race.
We saw Yesterday one Of these new in
vcutioas, winch appears to us destined to eff
feet similar changes in due course of time,
although Of much more limited extent. 1t is
machine for making Tuscan braid. the ma
terIal out OF which, as Our readers are well
aware, the greater portion of the hats worn
hy all classes Of our female population are
made. The world is supplied with this ma
teral at present principally from Tuscany,
where the plat or braid is made by hand
Every peasant girl may be seen with piece
of this work before her, as commonly as we
nsed to find the Dutch girls in old times with
their knitting before them. The plat is
made of a straw of peculiar fineness, which is
grown for the purpose in the fertile valIes OF
the Arno. The straw is imported here in
bundles Of some six inches in length, and
with these little pieces the machine of which
we are speaking peIiornSils work, execut-
ing with one hand TO drive and tend ii, the
work of sixteen operatives in one day.
A bundle of these straws is deposited on
the frame. The machine singles them out,
REJECTS the imperfect ones, raises them, spill
ces, plaits and cuts them at the proper mo-
ment, and carries off, without cessation a
continuous braid Of very regular and uniform
texture, and of IA deicacy Of workmanship
superior to that which has hitherto been ac.
compshed by the most skiful fingers Of Tus.
canv.
Elisha Fitzgerald, machinst, OF IS Chris
tie street, Is the inventor of this inieIlgen
piece of work, which is crcdilablc, in til,
highest degree, to his skill and patient ingen
uily, and is worthy of close attention as
superior piece Of machinery, from the east
and perfection of its movement, without re-
gard to its intrinsic value as a productive
source of wealth. Ii works with very It'll,
friction, can be moved by the hand, Of
child, costs abou, two hundred and fifty dol
lars, and has been patented IN the Unilei
''A"''S 80 Lueldii's ""' ''hN' p"''s "
Europe. The use of the inv enlon in hi
country has already been sold by the inven
Tor for what appears to him a large sum
several thousand dollars-but for a pric
which will, in reality, bear but a small pro
portion to its actual value. He is now goin
to Europe, and will doubtless be able TO dis
pose of his right on better terms in that coun
try, where the merits of the invention will b
more readily appreciated.
Mr.. Ellsworth, former Commissioner G
the Patent Office, who, from much expert
encc, could generally distinguish at once be
tween genuine and spurious inventions, spok
of this at the time of the application for tn
patent in the highest terms. And any on
. who sees it in operation as we did yesterday
cannot fail to be struck with the singular eS
celence of the invention, and TO wish success
sincerely to Mr. Fitzgerald, who is one {
our own fellow citizens.
We were indebted to Mr.. Dethridge,
~ Merchants Exchange, who is the agel
for the application of this machine, for d
opportunity of seeing it in opera,ion.--N
PaDer