Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1880-06-29
DAyIs -. s1sGRR.

4
The readers Of the Journal will remember
in the issue of June 9Th, the paid advertise
ment of the Singer Co.. signed ssShurtle Car.
rier, containing an account Of 4 contest be-
tween the Davis and Singer machines Il
Moore's Mills, New Brunswick. This We
did mot at first regard Of Sufficient importance
to call for reply. and we should treat it with
the silent contempt il deserves we're the mer-
its Of the Davis a. we'll known in the sur
rounding towns ~ in Augusta, HaIlovell and
Gardiner, where they have been most through
" tested and universally appreciated. Pos
sibly the Singer Company woull have made
better impression on the public if they
could have pointed to = contest in the State
Of Maine or eren IN the United States where
the Singer had successfully competed with
| the Davis 1t seems they have found an OBJ
| scure town in New Brunswick, and secured
| two Singer sympathixers on a committee of
three, and publish the result rs . great tri-
umph. Parties who we're present character
ize the whole performance a. farce, and
state that s.Shuttle Carriers" accounts of the
trial are grossly incorrect. We give state
ments Of eye witnesses below.
Evidently the Singer Company have for
gotten trial nearer home than Moore's Mills,
New Brunswick. We refer to the Fair at
Read6eld last fall. where the Singer, New
Home and Davis competed for superiority.
The Davis received the first axard and the
Singer the third. and at subsequent Fairs in
this county no Singer agent could be prevail
ed upon to work his machine with the Davis
even though his entrance fee were paid for
him.
The following letters were published in
the St. Croix Courier.
To the Editor of the 81. Croir Couri.r:
DEAR SIR: Having read in the last issue
Of your paper Shuttle Carriers" account of
the sewing machine contest held at Moore's
Mills on the LIST inst, and proving it from
actual observation to be incorrect in many
particulars. we desire to acquaint the public
with the f0llowing'facts over our own sigma
lures:
LIST. As regards simplicity, this test proved
a mere farce, for whilst the Davis machine
was taken wholly apart the examination of
the Singer consisted alone in taking off the
face plates, Notwithstanding Mr.. Gardiner
protested against such a superficial examina-
ton.
2nd. As regards work, it was the opinion
of nine-tenths of the spectators present,
(thev numbered about forty), that the Davis
Machine excelled in each and every line of
work done, and Mr.. GARDENERS repeated
challenges 20 Mr. Ol.nstead to duplicate the
work of the Davis, upon his. the Singer ma
chine. was Invariably answered with some such
remark as ''You do your own work and we
will do ours" whilst the working of the ma
chine attachments, in which the Davis IS par
ticularly rich, was completely ignored by two
of the judges, Messrs. Crangle & Ray, not
outstanding the protest of the third judge,
Mr.. Chick.
3rd Amongst the ladies who witnessed
the contest. there was not to be found u Sing
er champion, although some of. them own
Singer machines. and even Mrs. Connick,
the hostess, TO whom the winner was to pre-
sent sewing machine, of her choice decided
publicly in favor of the defeated Davis
machine, Signed:
Matthew Hannah, b. l.. Moore,
Miss Dibblee, James Dick,
VIM. Douglas. VIM. McGibbor,
Mrs. G. w. Peakes. n. l.. Hannah,
d. B. Myshall, NJ. d., Percy Stevenson,
w. II. Maxwell, Sarah Douglas,
Mrs. Hiram Maxwell, VIM Gillespie,
Miss Moore.
Having examined the Davis Sewing
Machine. l consider it superior to any other
sewing machine in the market, and should
have taken the prize at the late contest with
the Singer at Moores Mills.
John A. Moore.
MOOreS Mills. April 10, 1851.
To the Editor of the Courier:
Dear Sir :-Your paper of the Sth contains
communication signed 'Shuttle Carrier"
and purporting to have been written at
Moore's Mills. When the Singer party re-
pairs to Midtown aud writes such an errOni
Gus communication as 'Shuttle Carriers
and tries to foist it upon the public as the
production of resident of Moore's Mills,
fear they must look elsewhere for forgive
ness; and, Mr.. Editor, to speak seriously,
Fair Play" can prore that ''Shuttle
Carriers" production was the result of
meeting of the Miiitorn Singer agents.
Now few words rs to the contest itself,
and l may add that my opinion comedies
with that of the majority of witnesses. That
it proved to be mere farce from beginning to
end was plain to the most casual observer,
or at least, so far as concerned the Singer
machine. The examination of the Davis was
complete and thorough in all its details.
while that of the Singer was shaiiow, super
fc,ai and hastily performed, but, as Messrs.
Crangle and Ray stated in Mrs. Connicks
parlor before the contest began that they had
orerhau ied both machines at their respeef're
houses. that part Of the contest was undoubt-
edly needless, and upon their own authority
we have the unusual spectacle of judge and
referee coming to contest with their minds
made up beforehand.
Judging from the opinion of the ladies
present, expressed both then and since, the
Davis machine eJceiied in ereyy rariefy Of
work many of which Mr.. Olmstead, who
operated the Singer would not
attempt to duplicate, excusing HIM
self upon the ground that she
had left his attachments at home"
| In conclusion will state that before the
contest it was mutually agreed upon by Mr..
| Gardiner and Mr.. Barrett, the winner was to
present the hostess, Mrs. Asa Connick, with
a machine of her orn unbiased choice, and
a. her choice, publicly made before all pres
ent, Immediately made after the rendering of
the Judges decision. was in favor Of the
Darts, her many friends in this vicinity are
anxiously awaiting the day when Mr.. Barrett
| is to present her with nem Vertical Feed
| Seving Machine. Yours,
| FAIR PLAY.
We understand that Mrs. Cennick raited
patiently for the promised Davis machine,
but as it was not forthcoming, suppose she
accepted the singer, fearing ii must be that
or none We publish Mrs. Connick's lei,
of acceptance Of the Singer:
MooRK's MmLs, April 10Th, 1880.