Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1858-1860, 1858-02-01
From the New York Tribune
The SRxufUU yEDeESna

An almost unlimited number of inquiries
from our readers, on this topic aside from our
own personal interest in the matter. AZ a pur-
chaser, has induced us To devote considerable
time to inv' stigating not only the respective
claims OF different machines Offered to the
public, but also whether even the best of them
would be paying investment On the latter
point we have become fully convinced that
nearly all kinds of family sewing can be- done
more rapidly, and even better by machinery
than Iy hand. We consider the differ, me-. in
this respect fully equal TO that of thr, shing
grain by machine and by hand. Take a
single illustration. The other evening on
going home, we found a sheet Just "bastedv
ready to be hemmed or stitched Though we
have never learned to use thimble, (having
always been favored with KIDD mother. sist, r.
wife or friend 10 do all needed sti:ching) on
the above occasion we proposed To turn sedaa-
sfer, and stitch the sheet The result of the
trial was, we stitched the edges Of the sheet.
at the rate of yard, in three minutes, lin
Guiding stoppings" and some good Judges
present pronounced our work not to he excel
led in finencss, regularity and beauty of stitch
by the best hand sewer. This was our first
trial on actual needle-work-lye had played
sew, with pieces of cloth. "A dozen times ,fore
We have since far eXceiled our first effort
Any OF our lady readers can estimate the adj
vantages of sewing close, fine. strong stitch.
even ut only the rate of yard in three mi
nutes.
We could give many Illustrations that have
already been developed in our own family in
less than one months trial but it may suf-
fee To say that whore there is much sewing TO
he done in family-and where is there not
1t is cheaper to employ a good machine
even If it cost $500 or $500 or more Sup
pose housewife could, with machine. do up
her family sewing during year. eas'er than
by working with needle and having the as
sistance OF a seamstress five weeks. This
would save, in wages and board, say SZ5,
which would pay the interest on $500, and
leave Sll for wear and repair. We estimate
the saving us greater than this. and we are free
to say that, looking ut the subject in barely
an economical point of view, ii our nachine
could not be replaced We would not part with
IL for 500 or sod. The cost was Slz5-SIlO
for the machine itself, and SIS for having it
put in an extra cabinet, which serves the triple
purpose of table, worksland, small chest of
drawers, beside being handsome piece of
+" furniture"
With regard to the difficulty Of using the
sewing machine, which point many illqUnr-
les have been made OF us, We think it requires
Just about the same degree of skill, or " gump-
ton, as the Yankees term it, TO use a sewing
machine successfully, that il does to operates
common grain-thresher. or moving machine.
Our own was sent home with only the manu-
| facturers' printed directions. aud il has been
worked successfully. Others have found some
difficulty, though not of an inslrmouatable
character where good machine has been OBJ
| tanned.
As to the best kind of sewing machine
We are loath 10 say word and have no in-
terest in doing SO. There are three, perhaps
| four kinds now before the public, either Of
which is better than no kind. We have found
none of them sold AZ less THAI SS5 to sI0J
and upward, thai we considered worth bay
I ing. Wheeler n Wilson s, Sing RS and Grover
& Bakers fnachines, all work under Howe's
patent, and are, 80 Tar, the besi machine made.
we think. We were Interested ia witnessing
| the operation Of Robinson 4 Ropers, bur not
enough 10 give II any preference over the 9TH
eF1. For our own family nsa, We became sat
isiied that Grover 4 Bak.r's machine i the
best, aud We accordingly purchased it,
asseresa -4eglcz1ifasIst.
To ali OF which, the 7FI5sas says anen-
Thai the writer OF notice Il serving ma
chimes, thai we lately psiblishrd prefers Whee-
| Ter 4 Wilson's, DOES moi make them pr1fers-
| bic. We know that all t'se machines above
named are good, and - arr several other pat
engs; some OF them, for some purposes, are
better than others For wiich purpose which
machine Is bel, purchases must themselves
decide-
The Grover 4 Baker machine h capable al
sewing with equal facility, ali kinds Of thread
-snx, LINN, or COTTON, aud Of the sizes APP
propriAte 10 ths fabric sewed. No other ma
chins in use possesses thiz capacity.