Fairhaven herald. [volume] (Fairhaven, Wash.) 1890-????, 1893-03-04

One Of the most important pursuits which
Mr.. Gill, the celebrated mechanist, ever en-
gagged in was his retrieving the reputation
OF English swords, which in 1888 had fallen
into such deserved i'll repute that an Eng
Iish officer would not trust his life 10 the
hazard of probable failure of his English
sword blade upon any consideration what
ever, although only a century preceding
james ii had passed an act expressly pro
hibiting, under severe penalties, the impor-
tation OF swords from Germany or any other
nation-a clear proof that at that period the
English swords were sufficiently good to be
relied on. However, in the year 1873, pc
tition was presented to the lords of the treas
ury by the London sword sellers, praying
leave 10 import sword blades from Germany
duty free
Bur. as y friend 70 the manufacturers OF
England. the Duke Of Norfolk, then Earl
Of Surrey, one of the lords Of the board,
wrote a letter 10 a gentleman of Sheffield,
Mr.. Eyre to the following purport; You
will please inform those whom il may con-
Germ that a petition has been this day (Oct.
ID presented TO the treasury, praying per
mission 10 import swords and sword blades
from Germany, duty free, on account Of the
inferior quality Of the English blades.
should be very happy that any ingenious
manufacturer Of sheffield would supply me
with such information both as 10 price and
quality, as would enable me 10 remove so
disgraceful a reflection on English inge-
naity"
The business Of swordmaking being,
howeve-. more Immediately within the
provinc, Of the birmingham mAnufsctur-
ers, Mr.. Erre sent Mr.. Gin an extract from
his lorish IS letter, who. in December Of
-. Z Il -.
lords Of the treasury stating that sword
blades could be made by him Of as good
quality as those from Germany or any 9TH
er nation and praying that the comparative
goodness Of those Of both countries might
be examined into.
II was not till the year lsS5 that Mr.. Gill
obtained the object OF his pursuit. though
be made repeaied and fruitleSs attempts
for that purpose. for. on al order Of 1000
horsemen's swords being issued by the
East India company, which was divided in
Discriminatory among English and German
manufacturer, Mr. GIL, being still anxious
for the comparative proof, presented a Pc
tition TO the committee Of shipping Of the
East India company, requesting thst al
the swords Of the different countries and
manufacturers might Be proved By test.
50 a. 70 ascertain the difference Of thsir
qualities This produced an order for thsl
purpose, and as a resolution that bone buf
such IS on inspection and proof s1ood thar
test should be received
Accordingly when the swords were sent
10 the company's ware1ol-e they under
went an examination b test o. machine
recommended by Nr. M--sbsw Buultun Of
Soho for trying the quality or temper Of
the sword blales--z1-ely. by forcing the
blade into a curved s-s1s. and which r.
duce its length % 81 .1ches % ag5t inches
only, from the point % The hit The Re
suit Of this trial proved that Mr. gin had
2,o5o swords received AID only four rejected.
that q The German swords 1.4l0 were r.
eeiTed and = rejecte5 beng 10 the proper
ton q u % q Mr.. CHS. and thai Of the
cher English swords olly AGO were re
eetTed and % were rr.ec-ed
Is Wa owing % the paszimouy Of the
Lo1d11 retailers 70 swords tia; the English
sE1-'-s f-ll ilto di--e7l-s- The fact was
TIL s-rpeT=f u--zilied uorkmsn and
ro-z-- GODS n cd i-f=-i5r quality. To
cc-r-lc-zts this f1c. j. --l1y b. ns-easss-y 70
fe--t- q e1se u lo--t- A L01do1 dealer
h2F--g zIfc--ss- q cl----issi1- f1r swords
fcr Ge-e-li Har-51r1-s r--ns-t q drs-
goo-s-- -.-- 20 rs -1sus 90 So--h Ausrica
70 take Iart b. the war q tie rsvoIurioa-
was ualied upcl - a 9snerzi q his -
turn % England and upbraii=d By hin IN
the seVerest larV-a-e - rsProsch for ksv-
ing supplied his trosrs With sEo-y5s q -
base quality that they either broke 20
pieces or became useless in the first onses
Of an engagement. By which many q his
brave soldiers were uuw0Tthiiy slaug htsrsd
and his own person exp1=ed 20 the most i'm
minent danger
In this DISTRESSED pFedieafnent the Con-
tractor applied 10 Mr. Gill. who had never
before supplied him with any sword blade.
IN consequence q another regiment want
ing some at that time, to know At what
price he could render swords Of such a
quality as to bear what be (the contractor
called a severe mode Of trial-nsmely. strik-
ing the sword with violence upon large
fiat stone. But Mr. Gill in answer told him
he thought II by no means 80 severe a. It
ought to be to determine properly the real
quality Of swords, aud that be would en-
gage TO serve him with such as would stand
amuch severer test at an advance Of only
ninepence for horsemen's and sixpence for
small swords more than was given other
makers for those Of an inferior quality.
In fact, besides sub jecting his sword blades
to the test of bending them in the manner
struck Pathways upon slab Of cast iron
and edgeways upon cylinder Of wrought
fron-frequentIy piece of gun barrel
which they often cut into two parts. Nay,
80 exceedingly tough were they, although
made of cast steel, that, after cutting gun
barrel asunder, he would frequently wind
one Of them around it in the manner OF a
riband without its breaking, and indeed
the greater part of the blade would recover
its original straightness, the part nearest
the point only remaining in a coiled state,
The result of this great success was that be
was frequently applied to for his superior
sword blades even by German officers, wht
preferred them to those of the manufacture
OF their own country. archaeological ant
Microscopic Repository.
Caustic Criticism.
"When in London" says Nat Goodwin
- -. ~. I .reaura fn 500 Irving AM