New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-08-20
4 NEW AMERICAN INDUSTRY.

THE BATCIIELLER FORK MANUFACTURING COM
PANY.
Necessity is the Mother of Invention. We,
Americans improve upon this time honored adage with
u.s. not bare necessity alone, but inconvenience, slow
ness waste Of time labor imperfection in results all
become stmuants better ways and quicker processes
OF achieving what we need. In country possessing
uubounded natural resources, and with population
whose wants and desires ever in advance OF the
means OF meeting them, the great want which have
always felt is that Of adequate supply Of labor. In
the dearth OF this inevitably driven TO the EN-
poymen OF natural forces aud the effective tools 10
accomplish what in Older and more densely populated
lands IS gained by slow and patient toll Machinery
must do the work Of muscle, and wherever hand labor
comes into reaulston It must aided by the easily
used and most efficient tools. Thus we led to pro
duce the cotton gin the moving machine the reaper the
horse rake, and thus Also II happens mat IN those agr
cultural implements which we have adopted rom the
experience older nations the instruments OF American
manufacture have TO surpass all Others IN hneness
OF finish and effectiveness OF work American plows are
the finest Of their kind American shovels are sent to
every part Of the world where the implement used In
the production OF cutting tools do not yet gen
eral thing equal our English cousins, but IN almost all
other departments We lead them. Forty years ago
most OF the pchforks used by farmers were simply
forked sticks cut from the neighbong woods Country
backsnlths sometimes made few iron forks for their
ish that they were scarcely better THAI the native
growths About that time, Lyman Batcheller, "A Yer
mont blacksmith. who had achieved some local reputa
tion as skllful articer In his line having become tired
of shoeing the slow horses and mending the heavy
wagons OF his neghbOrs conceived the idea OF commenc
ing the manufacture OF ptchforks as a bust
meas, and producing a better article than
then common. With his eldest son as his
| assistant, he commenced business in a little shop,
near Arlington In Bennington County. The enterprise
succeeded His forks found ready sale, and the demand
for them increased faster than he could meet IT, After
while ne removed his business 70 the neghborng town OF
WalUngfOrd, where he could obtain the use OF water
power and employ machinery 10 accomplish much OF the
labor which hitherto had been done by hand Here the
hus,ness under the names OF Batcheer Sons" con
finued TO grow; but still the demand kept ahead OF it,
Other manufactures sprang up, here aud there, and
gradually the reputation Of tho new implement extended
beyond the limits of tho United States and spread over
Europe In 1862 OF American forks took the first
the Great Fair London and years past
Thousands OF dozens Of American machine made for
| have been annually shipped 20 England, France and
! Germany so steadily has the demand for the article
increased that company has recently been formed
10 prosecute the manufacture on larger scale than
vel been attempted anywhere IN the world Mr. Isaac
q Batcheer. the eldest son OF the original fork
and with him the pioneer in the business Is the Vice
President of the Company, aud will be the Supefinend
eut of their works Aud from this fact and also as a
| tribute OF respect 10 the founder OF the busi
! ness the new Company takes the name OF the
Bsteheller. Manufacturing Company The work,
| ., tao Company axe located al WspuglQlg,