Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1869-10-14
THE RUTLAND HERALD.
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 0, 1869.
Editorial Correspond noel
An Hour i'm the Mechanics Fairs
Boston, Oct. 4.

BosTON, Oct. 4.
Dear Hora1d. If my ticket of admis-
sison had restricted me to the examiua-
ton of single section Of the great exhi-
bition now being made in Fanueil and
Quincy Halls, could have brought my
mind to bear upon the objects and readily
reported upon them. But after travelling
through that labyrinth of instruments,
machines and manufactured articles, am
at loss where to begin or what TO de-
tempt any thing like an enumeration OF
the articles exhibited. All | shall attempt
will be to give general view of the ex-
hitition. First, and most abundant of
any one thing is dense throng of people
that continually crowd through the mar
row aisles between the various exhibits
The entrance is in FanueiI Hall IT'S
here the .Jtery and fancy articles are dis
played. Rugs, quilts, carpets, worsted
and needle work, wax flowers, paintings
and engravings, stuffed birds and quad
rupeds, perfumery and toilet articles
abound on the first floor of Fanueil Hall.
In the gallery of this are a great variety
of spring beds and other furniture and
manufactured articles, among which !
noticed some nicely finished children's
carriages, from the mandatory of the
Colby Brothers, Waterbury, Vt.-the best
ON exhibition. From Fanueil to Quincy
Hall there is a bridge for the passage of
visitors.
Entering Quincy Hall, the eye can
hardly reach to the farther end of the
exhibits. First came manufactured arti-
Giles of every conceivable kind and use.
Then came the departments for the exhi-
bition of machinery, all of which can be
put in motion if desired Engines are at
work of various patterns, and propelled
by air as well as steam. Compr essed air
works drill into piece Of granite un-
der the Burleigh Rock Drill, the same
kind that is now being used at the Hoo
sick tunnel. A large number of force
and suction pumps are also in operation.
The sewing machines induce us to go up
into the gallery of Quincy Hall where
we find the following machines, viz :
Empire, Elias Howe, A. B. Howe, Fol-
som, Florence, Weed, Wilcox & Gibbs,
Bartram q Fanton, New Novelty, and the
American Buttonhole and Overseaming
machine. Cards are handed us by each OPP
orator or agent, and if we stop but ''just
a moment" they will tell US why their
machine is superior to all others. The
judges had just been round, and we mis-
trust that what we got was what they
forgot to pll the judges There is a
spirited contest going on among the
sewing machine men. Who will win,
time will tell If the judges give the
preference to the machine that does the
most kind of work and does it well, they
will award the prize to the American
Buttonhole machine; for we think that
will do all the work that can be done by
any other machine, and make nicer
buttonhole or eyelet than can be made
by hand, and also sew over and ever
which things the other machines exhibited
cannot do. This machine was at the
Paris Exposition, and in our opinion,
should have received the highest award,
for it is certainly ahead of the Wheeler
& Wilson, and makes good buttonhole,
while that attachment to the latter makes
only poor one.
The sewing machines here enumerated
are exclusive Of those used wholly in the
shoemaking department with waxed
thread like the Whittemore machine and
others exhibited
In the same department with the sew
ing machines were three knitting ma
chimes of different patterns, viz Lambs,
BicRford's and Hinckley's, sold respect
lively at $50, $50, to $50 and $50 All
claim to supremacy, and all do good
work. The Lamb machine is said to knit
pair of socks in thirty minutes; the
Bickford will set up its own work and
4 knit 10000 stitches or % inches of perfect
work in a minute, and the claims of the
Hinkley are fully equal to the others, and
apparently much less complicated. After
seeing these machine- work, ii seems like
tedious job for ladies to knit stockings
by the old process.
In this exhibition the labor saving ma-
chimes used in the manufacture OF boots
and shoes are fu.y equal to those for
knitting stockings. l Will enumerlte
some of the machines exhibited for boot
and shoe making:
First comes the machine for cutting or
stripping out the sole leather into strip,
just wide enough to make the lengths OF
the soles desired, then shaving machine
that reduces the strip to uniform thick
ness, then rolling machine that per-
forms the work once done on lap-stone
with broad face shoe hammer When
thus fitted, it is placed in a cutting ma
chine, with dies of the exact shape wanted
for the sole, and capable of cutting 800
soles day. In this machine other parts
may be cut with equal speed.
Machines are also used for sewing shoes
they are passed through welt and seam
trimming and rolling machine, after
which they are put upon lasts, the sole
laid on, and in less than minute the
sole is pegged on.
Several different kinds of cutting and
pegging machines are on exhibition. OF
the latter kind, one used metal, one used
wood, and one used leather pegs. The
time required for running round row of
pegs, either metal, wood, or leather on a
common sized boot, was from fifteen to
twenty-five seconds. The heels for boots
or shoes are made separate, and then nail
ed on. McKay's heeling machine will
nail and shave from 400 to 500 pairs per
day. There were also machines for beat