Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1852-12-04
SOUTHERN ENTERPRISE.
FROM THE ALEXANDRIA Sage"


In stroll beautiful city few days ago, we
called in at the splendid locomotive and establishment
OF SMITH PERKINS, and by the politeness of Mr. Smith,
shown through the premises The establishment is
of the extensive in the country The locomo-
tive and works 81 500 square feet Of ground
front IN feet the Potomac river with average depth
Of eighteen feet The works connected by turn
with the Orange and Alexandria Railroad The machine
shop threestory building $50 feet long by forty feet
in width On the first floor there tracks for setting
up locomotive engines and these tracks, at the time
our visit we saw four powerful freight engines destined
for the Pennsylvania Central Railroad Of which, the
most finished specimen Of workmanship saw
shipped that day for its destination On the same floor
is machine shop in which observed two facing lathes
OF which capable of turning eleven and the other
seven feet in diameter Besides these two there
other powerful athes and large machines one for
planning one for ottng four for drilling and boring and
one bolt cutter
The second floor is occupied in part for office and
draughting- room; but also observed, in we-ap-
pointed apartment this foor fourteen power lathes
four planning machines three drill presses and very large
bolt cutters The third story is exclusively occupied
pattern shop and is fitted up with suitable apartments
for depositing patterns, models sc.
The Foundry building covers 81 by GO feet and turns
out from 81 to tons casting per day; the blacksmith
shop 100 feet by SO, has IL fires and powerful steam
hammer for heavy work the boiler shop H. feet by 40
and the shop $50 feet by 49, containing four tracks
for setting up railroad In addition the above
this splendid establishment is supplied with circular and
saws the necessary tools for punching and shear
mortising, &c.
Smith Perkins building at this time in addition
to those mentioned before engines for the Manassas Gap
Railroad, Baltimore and Ohio Railroad and Hudson River
Railroad, together with considerable number of house
cars for the Orange and Alexandria Railroad Indeed,
we learn that all the used the Manassas Gap and
Orange and Alexandria Railroads have been built at this
establishment !Ts4 s
find the following statistical information showing the force
and expenditure of the establishment Number of hands
employed from $50 to 200 coal used per annum 800 tons
Cumberland, and $50 tons anthracite, and during the
same period from 700 to 800 pig ron and $50 tons
bar and boiler iron. Expenditures from So, 900 to
SIS, 900 per month.
The whole of this establishment is under the general
superintendent of Mr.. Thomas Denmead, gentleman
represented to have great experience and skill in every
branch of railroad machinery Mr. D. was formerly en-
poyed by the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Company as
general superintendent Of their extensive shop in Mar
tinsburgh
proprietors amazed at fact which they COM
muncated to to wit that their patronage from the
South has so far been very limited Their extensive
rangements the heavy capital invested and the durab
y and hnsh of whatever work leaves their establishment
enable them to compete successfully with any similar es
adjustment at the North indeed this fact is already so
well known that Messrs s. p have had on more than
one occasion offers made to them and inducements held
out, by influential parties, to remove to New York.
They are determined, however, the question full
y whether the South will support this and similar estab
hshments and thus encourage on their soil the
terprse capital and skill which prefers for their develop
ment location south of Mason and Dixon's line.
Why do not our Southern companies before they send
their orders to the North inquire the capacity and
means Of Messrs s. p to supply their wants? Can it
be that with all Southern fire and much vaunted pa
riotism would blndly neglect the very means which
such enterprising capitalists s. p offer of testing
our sincerity? We trust the South will ponder well these
suggestions We submit them without any consultation
with, or even the knowledge of Messrs s. & p, and
do merely because believe that more wavs than
by fighting "Who would be free themselves strike
the blow"