Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1851-09-09
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Bricks.

laOG1te5 tlt very SubStaHce VI thc
lsoilitselfis formed by the ingenuity
lof man, mtg many important and
nsefaltarticles One OF the cdarsest,
and perhaps the most early ihyen-
tons Of this nature, was 10 make it
into brick. At first, by re-; son Of
The little knowledge amorg M Fililild,
and also possibly 10y the nature vi.
the climate sbrick were only dried
lin the sun II the Baby lonian re-
Hgioqsj where the invention began,
land, indeed, all around, in those
wanna countries, they form tile.f
ibficks'il that manner to tits day;
lyet the burning them is also vers
lhncient..
N We read, Gen. il. Tat when
5Hfter tie hood, the TRIES Of men
tourneyed eastward. they fouhd the
\ plains Of Shinrfr fertile ard conye-
hielltI and they said go to ilow, let
lbs build city, and d tower whose ton
may reach to heaven. They had
brick fer stone, Nhieh they bnrnt
-thoiqughly, and slime THAT is bitu-
men) had they f5r mortar This
was tile famous Tower Of Babel
And although he tribes and families
IQf Noah S sons were scattered ly
IGod for their profane attempt, yet
1.-THE spot was still preferred by some,
and it became afterwards The grand
city, Babylon. This city has indeed
long been destroyed, according to
prophecy; yet an ong the heapf Of
ruins, which are al that new roThilin
ofitB are found hrlcks Of consider HE
size, and ina state of hardno4s and
rEeseryaiion
\ The CHILDREN Of Israel, too, we're
in Egypt kept at hard labor in tlIis
same occupation; ard by the tyran-
n.y. Of Pharaoh were obliged ID make
bricks without straw.
4 In many countries, stone is scarce
and, dear, so that bricks are made
use Of, not only for common Ealita-
tions, Tut for sem grand and costly
buildings.
Bricks are composed Of earth
made into squa1i4h Jumps, AID, ty
burning, half 1itrifed and made
hard. The best earth for this pur-
pose is a clay rather red in its. color,
and soft to the to Gch; little sandy.
but not too much 50. Almost ally
earth that is free from stones VIII 60
very well; though some sorts dire far
preferable to others.
! Although bricks may be mahuflc-
4 tured from almost any kind Of earth,
.yet there is much preparation l,eees-
kayIto make them good and d4rable.
One of the first and most imYbrtant
operation is to knead, or GlEx up.
and work the clay into an Uniform
and pliaBle mass such as VIII kave
10 lamps. but IS quite smooth. This
/ llneading, too, mikes tie clay tough
and glpey. This is done ia small
4 quantities, BY rid ling a horse round
and round in it, who trca{ls i with
his feet. But Sometimes, a mill is
erected, which is turned by 4 horse,
and grindk and nd ixes the m aterIals
thoroughly.
Tie clay shoul b be dug, or cast,
before the winter sets il; and, after
enduring the frdsts, it viii in the
spring be ftfor tdmpering and max
ling up; indeed, if dug two years BE-
fore used, it is b tter still
4 Bricks are shaped in wooden
/ mould, an inch larger than the Ibriol.
I is wanted TO be, as itshrinks in baln-
ing. The man takes a lump ofclay,
ana .farcibly thrpsts it into the
mould, so as 70 make it tiIl the cor
ners. He presses it in with bis
knucllles, and then, by the straight
edge Of a board, he strikes it over
the top, and scrapes off all Tie clay
which was more than enough to fill
the mould. This done, he shakes it
out, and forms another. One is
made in less time than We have Ia
ken to tell how it is done; for a good
work man, who works early and late,
will mould five thousand in one days
work.
Boys then, on latticed burrows,
wheel parcel Of them away, to that
part of the field where they are to
dry. They are placed 50 as not to
touch each other, in long ranges,
called hacks, which ere loosely coy
cred with straw, that neither the sun
may dry them too fast, nor the rain
prevent them from drying. After a
few days drying they are placed a
fresh and turned, so that all sides
imqv bet The wind ennally.