The miners' express. (Dubuque, Iowa) 1849-1854, 1849-12-19
Weights and Measures.


used to have. ~ Mrs. PARr1NeroS.
We had designed, time and again, to have said
something about Weights and Measures, but
have as often been prevented by press Of 9TH
er subjects from accomplishing our purpose. We
have been forcibly reminded of our intention by
observing the pithy remark of Mrs. Partington,
which we place at the head of our subject; and
though we do not vouch for the correctness of
the sweeping assertion of the shrewd dame, we
have strong redsons to fear that there is great
deal of truth and Justice in her laconic sentence.
The laws of society require that some criteri-
on of gravity and capacity should be adopted, to
which all persons who sell goods should con-
form, and by the establishment of which, all
men could be assured thata pound was really a
pound, and a bushel was exactly bushel
Without this criterion of weights and meas
ures, how is it possible to be certain that you
have the exact weight or measure that you bar
gained for? A case in point occurs to us, which
will illustrate the necessity Of conforming to the
laws on this subject One of our country friends,
"a miller) bought patent beam in one of our
stores few weeks ago; and on enquiring wheth-
er it was true, he was informed that it was like
ly to be so. Here, then, was no certainty; and
the miller, being an honest man, determin-
ed to have have his weight right; and for the
purpose of having this beam stamped with the
seal of authority, he went to the Scaler of
weights and measures; but was again disappoint-
ed. That functionary had no legal criterion by
which to compare weights, and the consequence
is, that flour and wheat must be bought and sold
by guess. This is not an isolated case. The
same consequences must be the result in every
store in Dubuque, where no standard of capaci-
| ty and gravity is adopted.
1t is not enough to have a round piece of lead,
and call it pound, nor round hollow, capa-
cious-lool1ing article for bushe. A bushel
should be capacious enough to contain certain
quantity of what it is designed to measure
neither less nor morc,-and pound weight
should be of a certain absolute gravity. The
statute law of the State prescribes this weight
and capacity, and it is really surprising that the
public-the men and women who buy and sell,
have borne this evil so long and silently
We cannot believe that they have been suffi-
GENTLY aware of the facts, else they would have
insisted on a compliance with the law on the
subject. Every one is Interested, directly in
terested and we trust that each and all will see
and feel the necessity of urging and compelling
strict compliance with the statutes of weights
and measures.
We cannot dismiss this subject without say
ing word to wood merchants. We have heard
frequent complaints made of wood measurcrs-
Every one knows, ought to know, what it
takes to make a cord of wood and when wood
is bought and paid for by the cord, the buyer
expects, and should receive, the stipulated guam
tity Of wood, with as much exactness as the
wood merchant does his stipulated price A
cord of wood is estimated by feet just dol
lar is estimated by cents; and if every cent is
exactcd by the woodman, every foot should be
demanded by the public
We shall keep these and other kindred sub
ccts before the people, till all room for COM
plant shall have disappeared. Those who give
cause for complaint, will please attend to the
warning.