The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-05-12

ships in Washington. on the river at the
foot of Seventh Street. lie had in June
OF that year just completed a steamboat
called the Champion, which was l5lt feet
long, with 24-foot beam. and s feet in
depth of hold. Her engine was of 100
horse power, and her wheels "A feet in
diameter. Her captain was II. j. Strand
berry, Of Baltimore, The builder had also
on the stocks a steamboat I15 feet long,
with a 24-fOOt beam. and feet depth Of
hold, the timbers for which were cut
from the logs by machinery invented by
Mr.. Page. He was also then constructing
a wharf at Seventh Street 400 feet long,
from which vessels were to run to
Mount Vernon This I75-foot steamer
was named William Selden. He also
built, about the same time. a boat which
was owned largely by the WOrkmen,
named the Jenny Lind. Us feet long and
of a propOrtionate width. Then he pro-
duced q ferryboat designed 10 ply be-
tween Washington ard Alexandria, go
feet long and ~ feet broad.
The William Selden was a very fast
! boat for those times. Upon one occasion,
in September. 1851, a New York built
steamer named the George Washington
made a fast run from New York to Wash
/ ington, and Mr.. Page, in order to try the
speed Of the William Selden in compari-
son with that Of the George Washington,
went down to Piney Point and as the
I George Washington passed began a race
with her TO Washington. When the VIII
( liam Selden started from Piney Point the
George Washington was about six miles
ahead. The William Selden, however, af-
ter some time. overlook and passed the
George Washington. and came TO her
wharf at the foot Of Seventh Street in
five hours and fifty-siX minutes, the en-
tire distance being about 100 miles, and
gaining about ten miles on the George
Washington
In 1852 there were several important
: manufacturing establishments in fun OPP
Grafton I'm Washington furnishing employ
! ment to a large number Of workmen, con-
centrsting considerable capital and build
/ ing uD a home market for country and
other produce.
In November. 1856. Messrs. CoItman and
I Duncanson, who were well @xnOWn
and highly esteemed By the citizens OF
| Washington, erected what were called the
/ Metropolitan Mills, near the Twelfth
/ Street Bridge. Their building was large
| and Commodious, and their engine was a
| fine piece Of machinery, from the manu-
factory Of Messrs. Ellis. In 1850 Alexander
Rutherford started an establishment called
the Pioneer Steam Marble and Brown
Stone Works, on the south side Of Penn
sylvania Avenue, between Thirteenth and
Fourteenth Streets, which, as is implied
by its name, was the first of its kind in
! Washington.
During the civil war, little or nothing
was done in the way of establishing new
manufactures in the District of Column
bia. But in January, 1865. George Hill, IT.,
began the manufacture of paper at the
foot Of Potomac Street, Georgetown, on
an extensive scale. His building was on
Water Street, ana II contained machinery
worth about $50 600. The factory was a
three-story brick structure, forty by nine
ty-five feet In size. Mr.. Hill had previously
been engaged I'm the manufacture of
paper having had mills at the Chain
Bridge at Paper Mil Bridge, and at
Cabin John branch.
In August. 1865. William Stickney began
the manufacture Of envelopes at 315 d
Street, near Seventh Street. The ma
chine selected by Mr.. Stickney was that
patented by Mr.. Negbaum, of New York,
August 70, 1863 and then used in the larg-
est envelope factories Of the country. In
September. 1865. he was employing twelve
hands, seven females and five males II
viii thus been seen that the manufactur-
ing zeal was early displayed by the
Inhabitants Of Washington though il
must be confessed their expectations Of
success were often doomed to disappoint-
ment