Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1870-05-25

started out first and we may safely say has kept
| ahead of all other establishments of the kind In
this country. suppose more than one-half of
all the printing material in this country Is man
ufactured here. The proprietors courteously
granted US permission to go through the estab-
| lishment, where we witnessed the curious and
ingenious process BY which the different articles
| in vogue among printers are manufactured, but
which we have neither time, space or capacity
TO describe. "a ~ -
After partakng of hearty dinner, We accom-
panied Mr.. Joseph Wharton, TO whom we are
indebted for many eourtesies, to the Nickle
Works, in Camden, N. j.. of which he is the
proprietor. Some years ago, Dir. Wharton,
seeing the demand in our country for nicltle,
and seeing that the ore in abundance, could be
found Mt home, opened a mine IN Lancaster
county, pennsylvania, and commenced working
IL At that time we were dependent upon Eng
land for the article, for which we paid Sl15 per
pound. Mr.. Wharton, Mt the same time, built
his Works at Camden, aud prepared to manu-
facture the ore he was digging Immediately
upon his commencement in the business, or, ut
least just after the close of the war, English
manufacturers were compelled to lower the
price until it has finally come down to 81 % per
pound: In 1853, Mr. Whartons Works were
burned down. whereupon importers of English
nickle at once marked their goods up. He, how
ever, went to work and rebuilt the concern and
the price has been kept down. But owing to the
short-sighted policy of Congress on the Tariff
question: in not giving proper protection to this
business, Mr.. Wharton is forced to close up his
establishment Consequently, we will have to
pay English manufacturers their own price for
nickle and the goods manufactured of nicl1le
Wewere interested in passing through the works
in observing the innumerable processes through
which the ore must pass, a portion of which
forms copperas, and still another portion blue
vitriul, changing its character by the use of
chemical preparations, and finally, after months
of labor, coming out the pure metal, Persons
skilled in labor and science are required in its
manufacture, and Mr.. Wharton being the pio-
neer of the business in this country, was noses
sarily compelled to bring laborers from Europe
1t is a shame that such an enterprise should fail
from want of appreciation on the part of our
own people.
Late in the evening, we visited the establish
ment of Mr.. Phillips, manufacturer of Super
Phosphate of lime Sulphuric and Muriatic
acids. Sulphur is cast into Il furnace, which is
so constructed that the gas is conveyed by pipes
into large watts, where it is brought in contact
with steam and passes through from one cham
Der to another in long succession, and finally
comes out into vessels prepared for its reception:
Its manufacture is curious in its operations and
is high achievement on the part eff scientific
men. Here hundreds and thousands OF pounds
of Super-Phosphate of lime is manufactured
and q ready market found for all The lateness
of the hour prevents a full description of this in
teresting establishment.