Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1873-06-28

Wnlcn norwich nhu necone celeufateu.
In a spirit Of enterprise, he determined to
make an nttemtt to Initiate the article,
even though Ignorant OF the requisite
mechanical knowledge. How distressing
TO have 10 record that the authorities Of
an English country town should have
had the despicablc meanncss to oppress
n man with so noble a spirit Of self reli-
ance and industry Meanly tyrannized
over, Fontaine was not to be baftied. 81
engaged" says he, ga weaver for my
oxperlncntal attempt, who was out Of
employment, and was apparently very
docile. made all the machinery, l put
II Hp with my own bands, and spent a
couple Of hours every day trying to in
struct him. This went on for three
months, altering the threads and machin-
cry for new trials about once fortnight,
and still not an inch of the desired fabric
WIS produced; and | was still paying the
weaver his full wages at the time"
The attempt to manufacture callmanlcn
was likely to be abortive, when by good
luck a young man with some skill IN the
AIT was lighted upon, and employed.
After no little trouble with the imperfect
mechanism, this young craftsman sue
ceeded In making several yards of stuff n
day. There yet remained II seriOns draw
back The stuff produced was like cali
manicO IN substance, but not In finish
It was rough on the surface, with great
hairs sticking out in all directions. In
the present day, a smooth surface Is given
to tissues by a process of slngelng over
fiery hot rollers. F0ntaine did not know
anything Of this process, but he comjec-
tured that singeing would effect the ~
Quircd smooihnesss. 81 rccOllected," he
says, ''lhat when | was at school, had
often zone TO warm myself In hattcr's
shop, and used TO watch the process Of
bgrning of the long haiis from the hats
with a blazing wisp OF straw, so thought
that a similar plan might be adopted for
remedying the defect in my calimnulco."
lie thus fell upon the very process which
hos now attained much perfection. How
Fontaine laughed with JOY wher by
means Of burning wisp If straw, follow
ed by proper degree of pressure. The
callmanicO come out beautiful and about
us good ns that Of Norwich He sold lots
Of 1t at Exeter Mt half crown Il yard,
realizing a hundred per cent. Of profit
after ell expenses paid. Wedo notknow
that there Is anything finer than this as
an instance OF ingenuity and perseverance,
In the history Of British manufactures.
Soon FOntaine had fifteen looms to
work on his calimanico, and to all ap-
pearance he was on the road TO fortune.
lie got discouraged, however, by attempts
to Withdraw his workmeu, and to rival
his manufacture. In fact, he was too
susceptible on this score, for the world is
wide enough for everybody, and be ought
to have held on in his course. With
characteristic upsettledness, he became
weary of the business, and contemplated
emigration to Ireand. We will let him
tell what ensued 10 his own words.
"Seeing that / had now made one thou
sand pounds IN the course Of three years,
thought would leave the the place,
and try whether could not find French
church in want of n minister. knew
that there were many French Protestant
refugees in Ireland, so / went to Dublin
to make inquiries. | was there recon-
mended to 20 TO Cork, and ] accoi dinghy
proceeded thther, and found there were
several French families settled there who
were very desirOns To have a minister -
| AS a result Of the expedition, Fontaint
removed IN 1919 with his family to Cork,
where he set up as French Protestant
preacher; but the emoluments being nil
! he continued to dabble in yarns, dye
stufTs, and manufacturing industry
Preaching, indeed, was his favorlte pnr.
suit. for no man had more earnest de-
size TO he useful in expOunding the gospel
message. His manufacture was takeu
up only as a means OF livelihood. There
is some historical interest in his proceed
ings for they afforded a glimpse Of th'
social changes arising from the inirodac.
ton Of French refugees into thes'
islands
AT Cork,M Fontaiue was at the height
Of his ambition. He was an admired
preacher aud he gained from his smal
mandatory ample support for his faml
ly. This state Of things was too good /,
last. Discussions broke out in the con
gregatlon, and coneldcringshlmself III
treated, the hitherto too corfiding pasto
resigned his Office. some m,tcaulill
sdNeniurcs were now tti"d, bat il y My
brought los aud yrX. tion. As Il Il .ish
Ing calamity, The British parliament, il
its then mistaken policy, passed an ac
forbidding the export Of woolen manntac
lures from Ireland, by which the lucllcs
FOutaine was adroiuy ruined. Wha
hand could he turn to now Fishing an,
exporting the produce TO Spain, occurre'
TO him Us grand idea. With this pro
!
family and ihe wreck of his worldly pos
sessions to Bear Haven, where he rente'
the farms for his fishery.
In his new enterprise, with all his dill
lsence, he was unsuccessful, and, to adj
tu his misfortunes, he was rillaged an
chenied 10y ntighbors in thousand iudi
rect ways. A. \ climax, his house WA
attacked by piivateers, against whom b
for a time carried on Il war Tor bare eXl'
teuce. On one occasion he did the stat
some service 10y his courageous defence
& for which he had the good fortune to b
, rewarded with pension OF live shilling
a day. There is something melanchOl
in what follows.
I Broken down in health, though not +
! IN spirit, and relying on his pensioi
{ Fontaine removed TO Dublin, rented
house in Stephens Green, aud there it
= sevefal years carried on a school {.
- teaching French, Latin and Greek.
, 1921 he lost his wife, aud the shock {
r greatly distressed him that he gave Il
< his school. At this pOlut his person
$ narrative draws to close, and all thi
s follows is an account of his sons, sever
u of whom emigratcd to Virginia, al
e founded families which rose to distin
}. tion in the colony. We cannot speak
i the work embracing an account of Il
.r family as artistic in construction but
II is valuable as showing us the struggl
e of one of those honest and ingeniOl
4 foreigners who, driven by short -sight'
d persecution from their own eountr
. contribute to the glory of England, q
: kindly home of oppressed nationalties.
Is W. e.