Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1866-11-29

gine. We passed some time there very
proftably indeed, as far as obstruction was
concerned; yet sad "reminiscences could not
but arise, for our last visits % this old
esiablishneat found Il 4 MiIitary Prison,
occupied by many noble men, not least
among whom was Washington Barrow, one
of the noblest martyrs to political principle
| furnished. BY the late civil war. How
strangely does civil war uproot and trans
form! The Penitentiary at Nashville from
1862 to generations how remote more can
tel, viii be -hiStOdsoa classic, even 2
sacred spot
/ But how changed to-day, from what
it was few months since, or yet again
from what it was few years since And
from our standpoint, changed much for the
better, It is non. managed upon a plan
which has been found to work very we'll in
Kentucky and other States. The whole
establishment is leased blythe Board of
Commissioners for term Of years to Messrs.
Hyatt, Briggs and Moore, who really con-
stitute a large manufacturing firm. These
gentlemen have already procured and set
to.work machinery Of various kinds, all of
the latest and most approved models, cost
ing over one hundred thousand dollars.
How this large sum has been expended and
what it aecOmplishes may be best UNDER
stood BY taking a bird's-eye view of the
spacious premises and various industries.
On the right of the entrance we have
the pillow department, in which two hundred
and fifty specimens of this much used agri
cultural implement are turned out daily.
All the materials, the iron and wood, for
this manufacture are obtained. from Ten
nessee. Here we sawa variety of machines
for planning, boring mortising, beyeling,
rounding making lemons, and so on; all
doing Their. work far more rapidly and far
more efficiently than can be effected blythe
most skilled hands. Besides plows, in this
f4ctory are made cornshellers, strawcutters,
separators, and other kindred agricultural
implements. By the first of January
variety Of wrought iron plows will be manu-
| facured here.
The east corner of the prison is occupied
by the machine shop, which next attracted
our attention. Here we observed some
eight massive and splendid machines for
working iron, and beautiful sight it to
see the tough and solid metal as easily
bored and paned and turned and cut and
grooyed as if it were soft wood. The en-
CINE which works these powerful machines
is a beautiful one CT seventy-ive horse
power, solidly bedded upon enormous
blocks of stone from the Capitol quarry.
Adjoining the machine shop, and taking
up. the greater portion Of the north side Of
the quadrangle, is a large foundry devoted
to making castings of all kinds. Here all
the brilliance and romance of working in
iron is we'll seen. Scores of busy men are
pouring the obedient metal in moulds,
from which to-day will be taken kettles,
wagon boxes, dog irons, and hundred
other useful, everyday implements belong
ing TO the large class of hollow ware.
Leaving this appropriate Tennessee in
dustry, we went over to the southeast cor
nef, where We were much interested in an
industry peculiar, we believe, to our own
State, namely, the manufacture of cedar
into buckets Eight machines here and
twelve hands turn out two hundred and
| fifty buckets each day. The whole work is
done by machinery; not a blow is given by
the hammer A bucket can be finished
complete in ten minutes This ware is in
great request at a distance -if
Cotton ties of the new fashion, iron, also
constitute leading item of manufacture.
They are made Of the best material and on
the most improved style, and can be fur
nished TO any extent desired. vsr.-r--
4 l., hsg
undertake to give Judgment as to the
comparative merits of the old and new sys-
TEN hereafter we will do this. 1t is
enough for the present to say that the two
| hundred and eleven convicts now there can
hardly be better employed than as artisans
in a great manufacturing establishment,
which supplies a large number of articles
of daily consumption at a lower rate than
they can be purchased in Louisville or in
Cincinnati, (not counting freight !; and
which does not compete, as formerly, with
mechanics carrying onsmall trades in Nash
| vile and other towns. The Penitentiary now
does a needed work, which none but large
capitalists can undertake. ,.a IfssFi
The gentlemen composing the firm are
/ all men Of high business qualifications.
Charles NJ. Briggs was educated in Nash
willie, and has been for years citizen here.
With us his name isa guarantee for the eff
cient and useful conduct of this State Fac
tory. BY him our citizens will at all times
be furnished with any desired information
respecting it. lial- ID sst-
A HEAVY SUIT.-Some time since II.
McCIay, building contractor, sued John
OEerton for SIS, 600, the amount at which
the contractor values his material des-
troyed in the Maxwell House during the
war. Itseems that Mr. Overton contract
| ed with hLcCIaH fnr the fitting nm of his