Southern standard., 1853-09-24
For tile Southern Standard.
Resources of COlumbus.-No. G.

We have in our previous articles spoken of
manufactures that required concentration of
capital, labor and machinery; we will now take up
useful branch of home industry that is scattered
all over our County one that may be carried on
with small capital, and is often conducted without
any available means save the knowledge of the
mechanic. Wagon making is carried on to some
extent in almost every neighborhood or rather
the repairing is connected in some way with al
most every Blacksmith shop, but much more may
be done if our planters will try and encourage the
home maker instead Of sending off to New York
or Cincinnati for their wagons. 1t seems to be
the opinion of many, and they act on that notion,
that thing that comes from long way off, in all
the garnish of paint and putty must be stronger
and made of better material than wagons made at
home. Now let us reason this matter and see
where the difficulty is, and try to remove it.
know the views of this community well enough to
satisfy me that there is wide spread feeling exist
ing among u.s. to patronize the worthy Mechanic,
unless a strong pecuniary interest interferes to
prevent it, all that is necessary to produce favor
able change for the mechanic is to point out the
course for him to pursue, and there is no fear but
he will travel it.
In the first place it is for the interest of all to
have work made at home in their neighborhood
because they can pay for it mainly in the surplus
produce of the farm; because they can have a
faulty spoke replaced or broken iron mended if
they give way before their time, in a word they
have responsible man who did the work to keep
itup.
But says the planter, I want one of your heavy
iron axeltree wagons that will carry 10 or Is
bales of cotton over our rough roads, and l want
it well ironed and made of good timber, better
timber than we have here; and he goes off and
buys New York or Tennessee wagon from 1876
to 175 dollars, when if he will offer that sum to
some reliable neighbor workman, that he knows
to be good and faithful and tells him to make him
such a wagon, believe it can be done and more
than that, the workman will guarantee to keep it
up a reasonable time into the bargain. As for the
wood of our country do not see why it is not as
good as the wood of any other country. We know
Southern pine and Southern ship timber is in de-
mand North, and the reason of the bad reputation
here is not SO much in the wood itself as in its
preparationby proper seasoning No timber should
be used with less than years seasoning under
cover. Our wagon builders injure their trade by
using unseasoned wood in their works, and if the
advice of one not in their trade, but of one who
understands the necessity of having good materi-
al to make good article be worth anything tc
them, he would suggest that they at once procure
supply of wood for 3 years, put it under cover
not stack it up where sun and rain may act upor
it at every change of weather, then keep up the
supply year after year, as not to be compelled
to put unseasoned timber into work, and they viii
soon discover sensible difference in their work
this is the secret of the good timber of the North
But the wagon builder says his neighbor sends of
e his money to buy the New York wagon, or if be
wants it built here he must have it at much lower
price than the imported one, thus we-have no en-
couragenent to make a good article. And The
very means whereby we could lay up materials 81
as to make good job, are sent off to patroniz,
some northern workman who fattens on the ver1
means our planters should put into the hands o
: his neighbor.