Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1853-12-30
From the London United Service Gazette
Eaetorx Col, C,nIf,s Pistols im london.


= The admirable modern invention, for the perez
ton OF which the World is indebted to Mr. Colt, OF
the United States, has received frequent eoii1e,u
ton in these columns, and our praises nave pegn
ratified by such of our correspondents on the hen
frontier as may have had opportunity or using
the revolyers So essentially has the demand ior
the pistols increased that believe we are correct
in saying that until now it has been found IMPOSE
bic to keep pace with the public want. Not"l'h-
standing the exertions of the establishment IN Amer
ica hundreds of persons had to walt unui the lhi-
pIements could be turned out in sufficient abundance
Now to meet the British, the continental, and colo
NAL acquisitions Mr. Colt has taken the bold step OF
establishing mandatory on the banks OF the
Thames He has done justice to our spirit OF I'M
partiality, and challenged patronage OF AMERICAN
wors manship in the heart of our metropolis.
It is now ten months since Colts mandatory was
established at Millbank. So quietly ard unosten-
tatiously has the whole thing been managed that
we were in fact unaware Of its being In full opera
ton until two or three weeks ago. We have now
thanks to Mr. Colts civility, had an opportunity OF
going over his arsenal, and we must say, IN all SIN
cerity, that we were never M re grained IN our
lives The magnitude of the edihce and the estap
lshment quite surpassed all that we could nave eA
pected The factory consists OF three floors ouO IL
long and in these there are no fewer than 80 TO
200 machines worked by q single steam engine oi
SO horse power. Compactness and simplicity, ofdef
and expedition are the main characteristics OF the
operations Small fqIges in which intense neat IS
rv and striking with force and precision which
must make the brawniest blacksmith sigh dies and
and perforatOrs machines Tor cutting machines loi
milling proving apparatus model and STOCK shops
men of Herculean mould, hthesome boys, dehcate
girls everything and everybody that can IN their
rc~pertive WAYS minister their great object OF com
pi:s,nt>> ,rv - he found assembled N the great
editce.
The chief features OF modern manufactures are
canking noises, strong etuVla, oppressive neat OF
~. inh0
none of these Silence, excepting lfon the genie
revolution of some hundreds OF well-olled Wheels
total absence of disagreeabe Smells excellent Veh'l
Iation and nicely distributed warmth form the at
tributes Of this noble establishment humane ulS-
cipne plesides all. There are men 10 OVERLOOK
the Iaborers and there is a silent index at the en-
trance to the proprieor's office, IN the form OF
a timepiece which checks the overseer. There Is a
reading-room fol the work people wherein 10 recreale
or hold meetings. Thee are baths and wash houses
for their physical refreshment. What must be the
result of such d system but the perfection OF tabrca'
ton, especially where there is stint OF capital and
where rigid conscientlousness governs the manu-
facture? The British Government, by their ordnance
authorities, decree certain test OF the excellence OF
their firearms. Mr. Colt submits 10 this ordeal, and
then subjects his pistols TO much severer proof
While Birmingham arms are continually rejected and
often burst, Colts revolvers fail but once an t1Ct
thousand fre hundred timeS and rare'y as often as
that We cannot wonder, then, at the amazing popu
larity they have acquired In America, nol can we
doubt that the two three thousand now manutac
tured weekly at Milbank will obtain purchasers II
this country. What is useful as protection
against indians, Mexicans, wild animals, and the
robbers of California, must prove equally efflcaclous
against the dacots of Burmah, the rutfars in Aus
traIia the people of the hills north of the Punaub
&C. The boarding exploits of the last great war vii
be as nothing compared to what may be hereatte
achieved The fiction of British sailor annihila
ting six enemies almost at will become a grea
fact and the capture OF battery defended by artil
Ierymen with revolves if their belts will be mpoS
sible But let us take care that the tables no
turned in our abstinence from the of this wonder
full DreSerVer.