The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-10-26
OUR SUBURBAN MANUFACTURERS.

The Passaic River and It's Water Power
Beauty NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS., MACHINERY,
Flax, silk, Paper, Cotton and Jutc AIann-
Acknowledgements for the JIiIIiou--Wages
for ThousnBds.
To the tourist and the artist the Falls or the Pas
sale ut Paterson N. j., are at all times objects Of
peculiar interest," but at this the Falls and the
surrounding picturesque scenery present an APP
pearanco of singular beauty in the rich autumnal
foliage which crowns the crest OF the Falls aud
frnges the banks OF the river it goes roaring and
tumhling in mass OF loan and mist through the
narrow ravine below. The wild and picturesque
features OF landscape are here abundance and one
would little IMAGINE that but within gunshot OF the
sequestered spot where the bright blue river steals
along, wrapped in the shadows OF woods rejecting
q thousand dyes. until 1t leaps, with half dozen
bounds, over the rocks, its waters are pressed
into the service OF industry, labor aud manu-
facture-utilized into millions OF dollars re-
presenting American enterprise in various forms,
within sixteen miles Of the great metropos-n fact,
we may say, within its suburbs. Yer 80 IL is. The
beautiful Passaic keeps iess than thirty mills in
almost constant morton by lts concentrated water
power developing many kinds OF skill in the i'm
provement OF machinery, and giving bread TO many
thousand operatives.
THE HISTORY OF Tng WATER rowBG
Qatct IS D1ck Us itsl, ~ "
in It's origin. The privileges were vested nv the
Legislature OF New Jersey in corporation known
as the .socety for Establishing Usciul Manurac.
lures, Incorporated on the ed of November in the
above year. There were ten square miles OF land
granted TO them In perpetual lease and tho right 10
create water power, on condition that the company
should encourage all kinds or useful manufactures
IN the State. The company has contriyed 10 Keep
Itself together in choac form ever since the prnc'
pal interest Of late years having apscd into the hands
OF Roswell Colt. now deceased, and at present, we
believe, controlled by his son-in-law, Mr.. Fowler.
There are three several race WAYS consuming about
forty-ve square feet each the head and fan being
about twenty-five feet As general rule the low
Is uniform throughout the year, but by recent act u
the Legislature the company have obtained authority
10 greatly increase The water power. Each square foot
OF errepresents twenty horse power. The amount
paid annually by the mil owners for the water Is
about $4,000 Two large locomotive shops are 10.
Gated on the two upper race ways The remaining
mills consist OF FAX, cotton, paper silk and print
works.
LOCOMOTIVES AND NAcutNEEv.
One Of the FIRST factories which receive the use oi
the water power Ia the locomotive establishment
known a. the Rogers Locomotive Works from the
name OF its founder Thomas Rogers, who died in
1850 leaving the concern TO his partners and The
Joint stock company which succeeds them az "a me-
mortal OF wonderful industry. Three thousand
hands are employed here, and the average amount
OF work turned out is now about ten locomotives
month. During the war this factory performed the
astonishing work OF completing one locomotive 4
day, for many OF which the government paid az high
as $4,000 each Within the space Of three months
IN 1854 no less than nineteen were supplied TO the
government at this price. In 1850 the Southern Rail
road OF Chile ordered two engines from this concern
and two from an English house In order 10 test the
respective quality or the workmanship. After
careful trial OF four DAYS the American machines
were proved to I've much superior. one OF them
the freight engine--performing work In forty.
one minutes which II required the British
locomotive eiHhty-eigh minutes 10 accomplish. The
passenger engine OF American build hauled loaded
train up steep grade seventeen miles In thirty -foui
and half minutes, while the English machine took
fortynine minutes. This trial established the vast
superiority OF the American machines all the more
because the English manufacturers had made theii
cylinders considerably larger than the stipulated al
mansions In order 10 obtain the valuable South
American trade bat the skill OF Paterson defeated
them. The buay scene OF all this productive labor
not easily described. The glare OF the furnaces, tho
busy movements OF the thousands Of stalwart men
tho endless resonance OF the heavy machinery, tel
that human labor Is forging iron into gold and build
ing up a worldwide reputation for American manu-
iaptures The work or thus establishment IL not con
nncd TO locomotives Machinery for The use Of wool
len and cotton mills forms large part of IT. business
which requires for lts accommodation twp large
shops repectvoly zoo feet long BY ~ feet wd .nc
1902 rect ~ 40 besides boiler shop an erecting shol
and numerous fher buildings OF large dimensions
This factory was established in 1881 and delivered IL