New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1859-05-09
BEAUTIFUL MECHANISM.

Were that virtuouS and oldashioned maid, Justice,
to brave the danger of contempt and violation, and
revisit the earth in these degenerate days. she would
| stralghtway pitch to the winds that antique and
clumsy pair Of scales she has grasped for all time
and hurrying to 90 Camp street. there purchase one
of Fairbanks Co.'s patent balances, and then might
the modern poet sing with literal truth as Shakespeare
did fguratively-
/" Poise the in Justices equal scales"
And instead of apostrophizing thus
You weigh equally feather would turn the scale',
as the Provost critically remarked to Abhorson it
could be said that hair would turn the SCALE for
some of the more delicate varieties are SO sensitive
that they defect almost with a look, and " heavy
frown" cast upon almost any of them would make
item " kick the beam" spasmodically, beneath the
gloomy burden of its weight.
If any thinks there is jest in this let him 90 to
Fairbanks & Co.'s warehouse and he will be aston.
ished were at the immense variety of scales and
balances Of all descriptions and the exceeding deli
cacy and accuracy with which their mechanism adj
Justed. The assortment ranges from those designed
to weigh loaded railroad car Ia number of which
by the way, are about TO be adapted for use on the
New Orleans, Jackson and Great Northern Railroad
by Fairbanks Co., so efficient they use) to those
winch weigh the thousandth part of grain and com.
prses many patterns-as letter scales, prescription
scaes gold scales, drug scales paper scales cornom
eters, family scales, portable scales dormant scales
railroad track scales and scales too numerous to cata
logue The cornometer is ingenious little scale for
telling Immediately and with unfailing certainty
how much to the bushel any kind of grain will weigh
by testing small quantity. The finish and beauty
OF Workmanship OF many of the prescription and
other scales is noteworthy as their singular accu
racy-marble, glass, and the precious metals being
used in their construction One kind in particular,
which is made OF glass and silver only tempted US to
quote Benyolio when quoth he to Romeo
mt IN those crystal scales let there be weigh'd
Your Iady,s love against some other m.id
That T. will In ihow Yen sani,g At this feast
for they looked pure and delicate enough to weigh
even immateralities-a lady love-or any other of |
the ttittes light as air. or an argument, for it is
sometimes weighty." We had not the remotest idea |
that we should be worked into Shaksperian enthu-
siasm by visiting scale warehouse nor even that |
we should be astonshed, for it is hard to astonsh
professional sghtseer, and harder still to induce him
to confess that he is astonished but we are COM
PEELED to record that this humiliation befe u.s. and
that we were astonshed by that progress of the art
of which we have endeavored to give an idea above |
The works of Fairbanks 4 Co. turn out millions of |
dollars worth of these beautiful specimens of mecha
ism, to be found everywhere in the civilized world
that honest men are for their scales are inallibly
just arbiters between buyer and seller and establish
the standard weight of the nation.
From the poetic contemplation of the scales, our
friend Newcomb directed our attention to the safe
department of the warehouse and in a moment we
were dashed from the ETHEREAL elevation OF poetry
down to the sordia level of pef The massive wrought
and chilled iron impregnabities of Lilies world
wide famous patent suggested ideas of cords of money
boarded away within their invulnerable iron wallsand
behind their unpckabe locks, and laughing to scorn
the burglar cunning of the world and the fires of
Vesuvius. This make of safe was hut lately invented
but they have already achieved an immense popular
ity, as is atested by their much use and by their ex
portation to Europe. Their locks would defy Chubb
or HOBBS and the possession of the key will not aid
the entrance of the evil dsposed can be left in the
lock without fear, for none can open save him who
shut, another whom he has instructed. With doors
and locks of this workmanship, the new Canal Bank
vaults were recently fitted by Fairbanks & Co., and
n ore beautifully substantial workmanship is not to be
found on this or the other side of the Atlantic There
is no record of one of Lilies safes ever having been
broken into Whoever needs scales or safes need go
no farther than 90 Camp street, New Orleans, to get
as good an article as is in the world.