I- __ ~f\
■ - - ... -.
perity of qur country ; and we think the publia I '
will receive equal happiness in' reading the sol- J
lowing]
ACADEMY OF ARTS, fcfr.
AT a meeting' of the American Academy of 1
Arts and Sciences, .May 26, 1795» j
Voted, That there fee a committee appointed in
the three fourhern counties, the three weltern coun- I '
ties, the five eastern counties, and the four middle I '
counties, to enquire into ihe state of new arts and
manufacture?, which have been introduced, the I
time of the introduction of each, and the means
which may be had for the improvement of the
fame; the above committees to make an annual 1
report to the Academy at their meeting.
In oonfequence of the above; vote, a communication I
was presented lo the Academy at thiir meeting in May v
1796, by the Rev> Perez Fobis, L. L. D. one 11
of the committee ; when it was
Voted, That the Rev. DoCtor Fobes, be re- P
quefled to prepare a copy qf his report on the (late '
of new arts, for the press, and that it be pubiffhed. _
BENJAMIN DEARBORN, Ree. Sec'ry. 1
The fallowing, jail received, is theieport referred 3
> to in the above vote.
Sir, '
DISAPPOINTED in my expectation of af
fi (lance from either of the gentlemen appointed as d
a committeefwith me, to enquire into the state of '
new arts and manufactures, which have been intro- I
duced in the fouthetn counties, 1 have prefuined a- J ,
lone to exhibit the following account as the belt, *
which time and my opportunity for enquiry would 0
allow. ''
Sitice. the American revolution, there has been
in this part «f the country, not only a vety great T
increase of fotmer manufactures, but several new f !
ones have sprung up. Within the counties of I
Plymouth and Bristol, there are now in operation, ,e
14 blaft,-and si air furnaces; 20 forges, 7 Piitjcgf '•
and rolling-mills, besides a large number of trip
hammer (hops, and an almost incredible number of
nail shops and^others, for common fmithery. These 3r
furnaces annually produce, from 15 to 1800 tons ec
,• 0 f iron ware.—The forges, on an average, manu rc
faCturemorC than 1000 tons annually, and the flit- ' S|
ting and rolling mills, at left tons. The rol- J
ling and Hitting of iron*nay well be considered as 0
one of our new manufactures. There was indeed, ln
■upwards of 40 years ago, & flitting mill erected in
Milton, and another in Middleborough, but when —
compared with those of modern improvement, they a '
were imperfeCt and unproductive *. This how- VVI
ever, did not fail to excite the jealousy of Britain, OI _
and her Parliament soon interdicted this tnanufae-, *
turein America. After this, the firft mill'of the ,
kind we hear of, was built in Taunton in 1776 ; 11
this for a confiderab'.e time stood alone in New-
E»giand ; ;nd was then the best ever built in Ame
rica" ln thenar 1780, another was ereCted in
Blidgewatei, and soon after another in Kingston. I ? e
In the year 1787, the second, and in 179 1, the la(
third was built in Taumoa. Three others were ot
ereCted near together in the year 1793, viz. one an
at Stoughton, one at Plymouth, and'the second in a "
Btidgew iter. These are all I have heatd o.f with
in the limits of and except our, :al
they are all within the limits of the two counties f. a 8
The various manufactures of these mills, have gi- I a I
yea rife to many other branches of manufactures
lpt
us. I . r
From the annual production of three flitting and m
rolling million Taunton,which is not less than 800
tonsof iron,more than one half is again manufaCtur
ed into hammered and cut nails, spades and (hovels J
within that town, /. about 50 tons are cut, 330 w "
are hammered into nails, the remainder is wrought | " at
into spades and shovels. In the town of Norton,
the annual amount of the nail manufacture, is not
less than 300 tons. In Attleborough, too; in 5
-Raynham, upwards of 60, and in less quantities I
in fetrrtal other towns in the fame county. The j
town of Bridgwater ftaiids next to Taunton in this my
manufacture, and the firft in-all others, except mill aid
saws, which affe made of fuptrior quality in East- j thi
town. Although number of rods hap
cut in these mills are annually exported, yet an e- P
qnal number at least, are imported—so that the full
amount of all the rods cut fli these mills are manu
factured into nails within the limits of the old co- I ~
lurty of Plymouth. This manufacture was not an I
objeCt of any considerable attention until about the I
year 178;, when the general court laid a duty up- j
on imported nails of every size. This gave finewi do
to the aim, and motion to the hammer, which soon free
terminated in the complete eftabliftiment of the bee
nail manufacture. From 4or 500 nails indifferent, lun
Jy made by one hand,, in o»e day, more than 1000 as v
are now well.made in the fame time. The iron ala
(hovel manufacture began at Bridgwater, in about (hal
the year 1785. The moulds were then wrought laH (
under hammers. But in 1788, they pSffed thro' of (
the roiling mill. This improved method was owing of 1
to the ingenuity and enterprise of Samuel Leonard, Nol
Efq of Taunton. He rolled firft (hovel ever I ted
done in America. Since that time, the number as c
annually made in Taunton, has not been less than dill
100 doic-en, and more than twice that nnmber in IVh
Bridgwater. This expeditious method of rolling j ling
the patterns h»s reduced the price nearly to one not
half. Wire drawing, anxl rolling (heet iron for*he I ltd
tin manufacture, has been futvefsfully praCkifed in j Gei
one of the mills in Taunton, but the latter is now leall
an objeCt of more p art icilar attention at the rolling Lure
mill in Plymouth. The art of calling canaon, th«
cannon balls, &c. in air furnaces, ought to be rank- kinj
ed amontr the new and of our diflridl ellii
The firft furnace of this kind was built in Bridg- Exc
water soon after the commencement of the war; Fra
and when we eonlider the exnence of heating a poii
blast furnace to a ftlfficient degree for melting iron, Th<
and compare it to thnt of au air furnace, the fupe- 4,6,
rior advantage of the latter will appear, especially. fi(l»
for calling miiitaiy tiuves. Gnafmitheiy, or the bey:
art of makin.; fire-arms, introduced, wat al a!
but little prailifid in Bridgwater,'until after the bey:
Ameiicon war. Since then it has been carried to elef
gieatej pcrfe£tion in that town than any other, thev
The lira "uu, as well as the firft fcythc ever ma- ptoi
— f nufaftured in New-England, was mlde in Eii lp
j water. From this place, fire-arur.s are now esport
ed to Europe. The fuperintendant,, as well as
, 0 f j some of the principal workmen, now in thi armou
ry at Springfield, were original manufacturers from
p o i_ I Bridgwater. The art of making (teel was intro
j duced in Eaftown, by Capt. Eliphalet Leonard, in
1 786 : It has, lince that time, been made there in
p j very considerable quantities, and much cheaper
I tlun imported Reel. For purposes that iequirr
j large quantities of hard fleet, as in plow (hares,
•n- k° r k fh° e8 > &c. it is equal to any imported, but
I for edged tools in general, it ns found to be rather
below it.
he , T he manufacture of cut nails began soon after 1
j the revolution. Tht machine which gave it birth,
I was the invention of Mr. Ezekiel Reed, of Ab
ual ington. Near the fame time, and by the fume in-
I genious mechanic, was wade a wool t-id maihifte—
•gn I this gave rife to that manufacture among us. But
r who was the original inventor of that ufeful inftru
me ment, by which cotton and wool cards are now
I made cheaper and better in America than in any
re- I P art Europe, 1 (hall not determine. It is,
ite I ''°wever, allowed to be an American invention.
>c t I The manufacture of linseed oil. fir (I began in
Eaftown, in 1792, and from an annual stock of
e( j about 3000 Bulhels of feed, there has been annually
I produced near 5000 gallons of oil. There is an
I oil mill fn Plymouth, and another in Bridgenater.
as- I manu^a C^ ur c of (lone ware, of hand fellows,
as I n e,t ' e buttons, iias lately been introduced in
0 f I the county of Bristol, in all which the pivfent prof
_ I peil promises future success. In the towns of
a- ['Norton and Taunton, there is.a manufacture of a
I kind of earth or ochre, found there, into a pigment
Id I o^a dark yellow colour. This originated in Nor
ton. in 1776.
en ® ut ' h avi!, g enumerated some of the piincipal
at I ™ anu f a^ures °f this part of the country, the qtref- '
w I tion will now irife, how, or in. what manner can
of I the >' ft ill improved ? This already has been at- <)
tempted, and in some instances happily succeeded 3
jby the hejp of jnai-hinery. The machine_ 6oi m .k- c
p. j ,n g brleks, invented Ey Df." Apoflos Hitlt'ley of o
Bridgwater, ha» well succeeded ; from clay crude 'Is
fe and nnwrought, 1500 hricksliave been well mould- a
ns I ln one bour. The machine construCted for ihc b
j. cotton manufacture on the boundary of thisdiftriCt, P
t. ,s » although complex, yet a molt capital invention, n
j but policy at prcfent, conceals the annual pioduCt p
as t '" s faClory, The machine for cuttjjng asd head- ri
J f ' n g na:l3 at the pr|feTit time, invented by Mr.'Caleb ai
in Leaeh,* of Plymouth, has been highly commended a
, n —But with many it Hill remains a doubt, whether °
.y a machine so complicated, and yet so strong, as e<
would seem necessary to, cut and head iron nads.at si
cr 'e operation, will not be, at firft fu expensive, and d
p. j "fret wards I*° liable to % derangement as greatly to ~
diminilh, if not wholly destroy its utility—should
. this, however, happen, it will be less regreted, as a
youth of either ftx ?an with the machinery cut and
, head at least 5000 111 one day.
n . Want of lime obliges me only to mention—a t!
( new and ufeful improvement in making' window el
e !a(hes—A discovery by which, in 'the manufacture so
cJ of axes, the edge is made thin nearly as a knife, pi
e and yet fu'fikientl.y ftreng and durable. A method in
n alio of m- Iting iron in an air "furnace with one pi
_ third less fuel than has been ufuaily required. An t!
( ealy remedy for the complaint which has be/: 1 made ct
against rolling of (hovel patterns, &c. but these with ni
. a particular account of the manufactures of fmiff, pi
3 of wooden bellows for blast furnaces and e- or,
specially of combs, the annual amount of which, tr
3 in any town in Briltol county, is moro than tli
3 one thotifand dozen ; these, with some ethers I".
which did not occur when I firft wrote, may be the hi
s I subjeCt of some future communication—l am Sit, ry
j with friendfliip and efteJm, your most humble ferv tv
t vant - PERES FOBES. te
Mr. Benj. Dearborn,
t j Secretaiy ra
5 j * Mr. Leach was the workman employed to exe- &
cute in lirafs, the Planetarium, of an Orrery, the description
' cription of which I presented to the American Acade-
H my. In a letter which accompanied that description,
' I although an honorable mentioa was made of him to
• j that fociety,yet in jullice and gratitude to him, lam lo
j happy in having this opportunity to bear a iiill more
p jbhc attestation to his ingenuity,enterprile and merit; ca
I and to acknowledge the effentiai services rendered by
that ingenious workman. ,
• I ba
I From the SALEM GAZETTE. Ati
WHEN particular and interesting occurrences ' n i
! do not employ oil attention, we mult take a more dr;
1 free rang* among writers upon subjeCts which have
been thought ufeful and inftruaive, and which aie in
summarily treated. The following state of Europe
' as vre " as of the Ecclesiastical affairs of France, by' kii
a late Noble Emigrant, may be acceptable. We
shall give the statements in the translation. "In he!
aH countries, eveo among Savages, there it l class
jof fupetio* influence, the nursery of the government c oi
of the State.' Such are, among the French, the tal
Nobles. Among the Engli(h, the Bar, as connec
ted with Parliament.; Among the Dutch, Trade, fin
as connected with riches. The Dutch indeed, and
1 Kill more the English, have a strange eypreflion, ter
IVhat is he -worth ? The answer is in pounds Ker- rac
j ling : while a man's real worth is iu his merit, and °n<
Inoi in his money. Among the Spaniard?, and in np
Italy, the Clergy., lsi Prussia, the Military. In ligl
Germany, Nobility, with a Coat of Arms of at ca '
lealt sixty-sour quarter's. In Amcrica, ing
ture. Among Savages, fnperiar flrength. Among 1
th« Ttliks, Slaves educated for the purpose of ma- for
king Statesmen. The following is a short, inter- &c
elting, and probably authentic account of the late
Excleiiaftjcat (tale of France. " The Church of afti
France is composed of 18 archbishopric*, in' the ap- wif
pointmcnt of the King, as are the 118 bishoprics. of
The parishes amount to 34,498, and there are
4,644 annexed parishes. The regular clergy con
flits of 16 chiefs of congregated orders, 1100 ab
beys and tnonafteries, comprehending 16 large roy
al abbeys. The King names to 678'0f these ab
beys which arc in coiitmcndam, a«4 confirms the i
eleCtion of the others. Of religious mendicants coi
there are 1520 convents, divided inui 87 monadic of
provinces ; tbe endowed monafterits and abbeys a wil
i... r ..A.,.. ''"* ,
.lfr- mount to 557, 'of which z~o ave in the -oyal u>»- •
>rt- mination. 'The converts of differen: religious or
as tiers, of both fixes, are about 3800. The clergy
ou- aflembles every five years ; the other meetings arc
oni extraordinary'. According to different calculations
ro which have been made, there are in the kmdgdom
in about 366.264 regular and fecalar clergy, who en
in joy a yearly revenue of about 116,216,600 hvres
x'r (about five millions ft<!rling,J
ire 136 and Bishoprics.
es, livres 4,909,000
mt 11,850 Canons, 1 8,209,900
ler 14,000 Singers of the Choirs, 4^100,000
4,000 Children of the Choirs, 800,000
:er 10,000 Chaplain Fiiais, 800,000
h, 44, cc0 Curates, Piiors Curates, 46,000,000
b- 50,000 ftfondary Vicars, 7,c00,0c0
in- 60,000 Eccleliaftics employed in the
— Seminaries, Colleges,&c. without be
nt nelices
u- 208 Order of Malta, 1,735,000
>w 55,500 Religious of Chief Orders, of
ny Abbeys and Priories. 19,55^,600
is, 46,500 Religious Mendicants, of which
24,000 endowed at 250 livres each. 3,600,000
in Bo,oojo Nuns. 16,3,00,000
of v OF WHICH
ly 16,000 Order of St. Auguttia.
an 12,500 $t. Clara.
•r. 11,000 Clftertiars.
s, 9,500 St. Ursula.
in . 9,000 St. Benedict.
if- 7,000 Visitation.
of 4,500 St. Dominie.
a 3,400 Carrilelites.
Nt 1,500 Fontevrault.
r- 3,900 living on alfhj.
2,000 cf divers inferior orders.
a] And these returns are supposed to be marked at
f. only half their value."
in We are to remember that this is upon a populati
t- on of thirty millions, of which this is but about the
d 30th part, and that 20 millions of dollars is an in.
confiperable jiarjLftf U"' iftC nK's grrit rr *'
>f on. But this mighty mass has been deflroyed and
£ laid in ruins by the Revolution, and the misery of
j. all attached by their habits to this inftitutioH has
c been rendered certain. To dismember so great a i
t, part of any community, especially an adlive part, 1
1, mull have bean attended with great convujfions,
\ not presuming evtn to imagine the anguish from 1
I- religious scruples, quite diftir.ft from tjieir poverty,
b and the public injuries they must fultain. It was
d an eftabliftfbvent of tifurpatlou, but it was a work
rot time. The present generation were by national <
s j education and laws built upon it, and violence to ■
t humanity mull have been offij'ed in their immediate <
J de(Jiu£tion. 1
0 —WSHbm—— '
J From the South Carolina State Gazette, '
a — j
1 MeflTrs. PRINTERS, , - t
WHEN the service of the citizens ceases to be a
) the principal concern of the city wardens, and they e
r chufe to frame excuses for their non-attendance, and f
; some few of 1 hem chufe rather to flay at home and "
, pay the small fines inflicted on them ; instead of j,
1 meeting each oiher in consultation concerning the *
public weal: thus in consequence of their indolence, t
i the citizens are reduced to ve?y great incoovenien- ti
: ccs.—And it is to be hoped that the citizens at the
1 next general eledion for wardens will remember the c
, present worthy defaulters, and make choice of such
- only as will attend to execute with pundluality, the
, trull repofid in them. There is one entitled to ft
1 the following remark (viz.) Johti Johnfop, Esq. e
i He is a pattern of redlitude for the example of his si
: hereafter chosen competitors—There are many ve
, ry falutajy ordinances for the regulation of the ci
-1 'y but what do they avail, if not properly execu
ted.. a
And fhameful to relate, contrary to an ordinance P
ratified in the city council, 27th Feb". 1796, con L
cerning billiard tables, retailing fpiriluous liquors, ir
&c. See. money has been received by men in office, cl
and authority given by the fame, to keep a billiard <»l
table, and retail fpiriluous liquors. These are
f;i£ts, and fails are ltubborn things, and very hard -
to be controverted.
The following interrogatories, by way of short
catechism, are submitted to the citizens.
11 ft. How do the city magiilrates keep the sab
bath, or Lord's day, holy ?
Answer—By taking a moderate airing, a recre
ation at cards,„ r some other agreeable amusement,
and sometimes looking thro' their fingers, and wink- ad
ing at ah transgressors, especially at negroes and
dram fbops. -
2i. Is not profanefwearingand blafpheray heard T
in oar flreets both night ? nd day ? ' £
, • 3. C ,iot forellalhng, extortion, and everv ed
kmd of iniquity winked at ? dij
4«h. Are not all our laws, both to God and man ft
hclc m universal contempt ?
sth, Who are we to thank for the calamitous "
conflagrations,• that have so recently and repeatedly "
taken place in this Metropolis ? "
Answer—Our good magistrates, for not fuppref- "
ling vice and immorality 1 '
6th. The courts of juftic. flopped for the bet- in '
accol " m °dation of the magi'.lratei to fee the Sta
races. At that time of revelling and diflipation ine
one of the AfTociate Judges, gracefully galloping thc
h P h^d e f T , I thC I bet,Cr 10 ""vine! ihe dc g
■'V; ,' d f P CCtatprs ' ' I,at »>e really is-what you may .
Andtwoof hi, negroes follow -
mghisex mple in defiance of the city laws '
fnr Q^Cr f~ Sh l ould not 'be negroes have a burnt*
icLTc 8 lhe ' rmafler9 in evfl 7 species of vice,
It is earnestly wished these few hints may here- J ul
"b; P r °P erl >' alte "ded to, which is the sincere -
fh of many who are friends to j u ftice, and love.s
of the.r country : Among whom is,
Messrs. Printers,
Your conflant reader,
•2L in the confer. A
WINCHESTER, July 2 g.
county !^ 5 T mi V £d 10 the P rison of Ma
of I o,' q Snyder, charged with the murder of
' lim in the bet
a knife, iQ the county g f Hsrdv. 7 i
*
.
iii*' 'HIMIIMI I JMIP.JJJIWIL - y
°, r " Philadelphia, Augujl 8.
au . Extra&ofa letter from a [rentlemen at
: on6 Port, to his friend in Philadelphia, dated At!-
lom S oft ». 1 79®-
en- " F° r 'hefe three weeks past we have been alarr..
/res et * with the appearance of a fever fomwhinfr simi
lar to that which was so fatal ro the citizens of Phi",
ladelphia, though in no one inftrfhce can we trace
300 its h^vln g communicated by infedtion from one
(OO P e,^on to another; it wa3confi:icd to a neighrour
joo hood in Water-street, and it is the generally received
>00 op llllon that it took its rife from x flench, pro-eed
too in ff frorn a quantity of the entrails of fifh, w'ni -i,
, 00 were thrown in a dock and laid until they were in
ico a te putrefaction—live persons died from one
family, and four or five others from the neighbor
ing families ; the filth has been removed, and the
fever has subsided.
oo to all appearance is equal to any ever
known in this part of the Union.
oo
From an EngUJh paper.
oo Smith, Hijjgins, Lo Mail re, the persons im
oq plicated in the pop gun plot, are discharged, the
attorney general having declined to proceed ajjainfi
them.
Old Bailey, May 11.
Lad night ths Recorder proceeded to pass fen.
tenee upon the persons who have been convi&ed this
felfion ; that of death upon Henry Wefton.
Previous to receiving sentence, Wefton addres
sed the court, to which he.did not complain of the
hardship of higconviftion, but declared he had not
committed the crime with the fmalfelt intention of
doing injury to any one, being fully confident he
fiiould have hadthepower toreinftate the money be-
fore it would be called for. He attributed the
whole of his misfortunes to the allurements of the
gamingtable ; and solicited the recorder would so
far intercede with his Majesty to grant him a little
n _ "me to make his peace with the Almighty, whom
.* he mult haw- Spglily officadsd l»y Un pr^eeditaieij
it j attempt on hi» own life.
of ' T * m *
_ The Extrafl of a letter from London, this day pub
liflied, is from a refpedlablc quarter and deserves atten
a tion. It serves to (how what dangers our national
t, cbaiaiier has escaped, by the patriotic condiiifl of the
is, American people. It contains also good news for our
m Offering merchants. Minerva.
y, Extrat7 of a letter from a refpeEtablc American iii
as - ' London, to gentleman mMs city.
■k «, tr • r - London, May 19,1799.
Every information from the United States is ex
ceedingly interesting at all times—but inparticularly so
.0 v. hen our national affairs are in so critical a posture as
Ce they were at the date of the latest accpunts from Ante
rica. I had occasion to call on Mr. this morn^
ing, and from him received intelligence of fo'latea
date iroro Philadelphia as the 17th April. Congress
were then it seems engaged in debating the resolution
laid on the table by Mr. M'Clay. It cannot be, that
thelloufe of Reprefematives would be so mad, as to
ie aciopi luch a refolution—lt is impoflible they would
y ex P°fe hs to the honors of war, when we are on the
d evc fettling all differences with Great Britain am-
icably.
" decisions of the Lords of appeal have of late
been as favourable as we could expe&, they, have rj>
e v erled several ientences of condemnation grounded oil
', the orders of the 6th November 1793, tliey have de
i- termined to reflure all property seized and condemned
e by virtue of those order's if not otherwise liable to
e condemnation.
" Dodtor Nicholl lias been named as one, and I hear
a Mr. Anftey is the other, of the commilTioners under
the treaty, on the part of this country, A better or
futsrman could not have been fele<sled than the form
• er ; and so far aj I knew, the latter may be au equally
s suitable man." -
CARLISLE, July 27.
Departed this life, on tlie sth inH. after a long
and lingering illness, which he U>re wi;h Chriltnn
f patience, in the 88th year of his age, E%cliel
Dunning, Esq. He was one of the hrlt settlers
t in this county, and always maintained a refpedla'oU'
t cbatafter as a good and ufeful citizen. Ae wa» an
j aff> flionate huiband, a good neighbor, and an ho
. nest man.
This Day is Published,
: By WILLIAM COBBETT,
North Second street, oppojlte ChriJPs Church,
The Life and Adventures of
PETER PORCUPINE;
With a full and exact account of all his authoring tranf
adlions in America. By Peter Porcupine hiimfelf.
. 8, *3t
Diftricl of : to wit :
BE it remembered, that on the jth day of August, in
the twentieth year of the independence of the Unit
ed States of Amcrica, William Cobbett, of the said
diilfuft, hath depofltcd in this office the title of a book,
the right whereof he claims as proprietor, in the words
following: to wit.
" The life and adventures of Peter Porcupine ; with a
" full and fair account of all his authoring tranfadions :
I " c iog a sure and infallible guide for all enterpriling
" young men who wish to make a f®rtune by writing
" pamphlets, by Peter Porcupine
" Now, varlcts, you shall fee how a plain
" tale will put you down." Sh.vkespeare.
in conformity to theaft of the Congress of the United
States, entitled 44 an a& for the encouragement of learn-
m St hv securing the copies of maps, charts and books to
the authors and proprietors, during the times therein
mentioned. Samuel Caldwell.
Clerk of the District of Pennsylvania.
AUg. 8 |M4W
CABLES,
Fiom 16 to 9 j inches, for sale by*
Jeremiah Warder\
July l j § No ii northThird-ftreet.
MT AN 4RTIST,
Resident at Mr. Oellers's Hotel,
miniature likenesses
A RE taken and executed in that elegant and delicate
■i- 1- ft lie, which isfo neceflary torender a Miniature Pic
ture an interesting j^wcl.
He wijl warrant a strong and indisputable refer,--
blance; and he takes the liberty to lay before the pabbc
of this plact his molt earneit intention to defcrva tluir pa
tronage by his heft endeavors to please.
N. B. Specimens are to be fccn.
May li. §