Gazette Of The United States

PROGRESS OF MANUFACTURES.

IT must afford great pleasure to every well wisher to his country, to see the rapid progress that manufactures are making among us.—While under the shackles of Great Britain every effort of that sort was cramped, and their acts of Parliament were numerous, for preventing every attempt to promote them; but no sooner was our Independence established, than the efforts of genius prevailed, and the manufacture of WOOL-Cards,* in which upwards of eight hundred persons, including men, women and children, are daily employed in the town of Boston, has arrived to such a degree of perfection, by the improvements made in the machinery, invented by the native genius of the country, as to rival the Europeans in the fabrication of that article; and the States of America are supplied at near fifty per cent. less than they used to pay for British wool cards before the revolution: That although at present the manufacturers are obliged to import the wire from Europe, yet under that disadvantage they are able to make the cards, pay a second freight to Europe, and undersell them in their own markets.

Nor is the manufacture of SAIL CLOTH, lately established in Boston, the least esteemed for its great utility and public benefit; as most of the vessels fitted out of late, from this and the neighboring ports, are either partly or wholly clothed from the Boston Factory, and the proprietors of the manufactory have the satisfaction to find that it is generally approved of, and has the preference to European Duck. The short period that has elapsed since the looms were first productive, affords but a single instance of a trial being made of the cloth, which was pronounced by the fishermen, who used it upon the banks of Newfoundland, to be "the best Canvas" they ever sailed with: and such is the encouragement given to it, that, though they can turn out upwards of twelve hundred yards a week, yet for the most part of the time, the cloth is anticipated in the looms; as the public have the flattering prospect that it will not be liable to mildew, owing to the great care and pains taken in the factory to prevent the use of any ingredient that may be productive of it, and we have assurances from the gentlemen interested in it, that if attention is paid to the cultivation of FLAX, so as to afford them an ample supply, they mean to extend the manufacture so far as to turn out one hundred pieces per week, which they are encouraged to do from the disposition of the female part of the community to contribute to so great a work; and I may too assert Messieurs Printers, that the establishment of the manufacture is much more owing to their exertions in the cause of industry than to the Male part of the inhabitants.

I cannot conclude without remarking, that the Nail Manufactory has so far succeeded as to totally preclude the necessity of the importation of that article, and instead of importing near three thousand casks annually into this Commonwealth, we are able to supply our home consumption and export considerable quantities to other markets—nor should I do justice to the manufacture of Paper Hangings, not to mention the great progress made in that art: A gentleman of respectability in the town, concerned in that business, has declared, that if he can be allowed one year to provide stock, he will engage after that to make sufficient to supply the whole United States, and as to quality, the productions will sufficiently speak for themselves.—The silence that has been observed respecting our manufactures has induced the writer of this to remark upon those four capital branches; much more might be said upon many others of less importance, which will probably be taken up in some future paper.

Herald of Freedom.

* Within the last eleven months there has been manufactured by Giles Richards & Co. 61,800 pair of Wool and Cotton Cards.
Boston, July 23, 1789.