National Gazette

At the head of this list, stands a Citizen of the Delaware state, Mr. Oliver Evans; this excellent mechanic, did in the time of the late war, invent and complete a machine for forming card teeth, which makes 1500 complete teeth in one minute, and with great accuracy. As Mr. Evans had not capital sufficient to set up an extensive card factory; and as he did not wish that his invention should benefit individuals only, he applied to some of the leading members in the assembly of the State of Pennsylvania, and proposed establishing, in that State, under the patronage of the Legislature, a card and wire factory, which would draw the wire, and when it was fine enough make it into teeth for the cards in less time and trouble, with his machine, than to wind the wire in the usual hanks, and lay it aside. They however did not think proper to give him any encouragement, and he sold the secret to individuals.

The principles of this machine are now in use in the United States, and the proprietors of it are enabled to excel Europe in the manufactory of cards.

When we consider the state of this country, the innumerable quantity of never failing streams with which it is supplied, it must be obvious, that by a proper attention to labour saving machines we may obviate the great objection made to manufacturing in this country, the high price of labour.

Who could have thought ten years ago, that it was possible to construct a mill, that after the wheat was emptied from the deck of a shallop, or the tail of a waggon, into a spout, it should immediately ascend to the upper floor, and from thence to pass through all the cleaning machines into the hopper for grinding, and as fast as ground to ascend again to the meal loft, and there be spread, cooled, and gathered again into the bolting hopper, and bolted, and that part which requires to be bolted to pass from one side of the house to the other, in a horizontal direction, and there ascend again, and a quantity of bran be completely mixed with it, and the whole bolted over, and all this without the assistance of manual labour? Such a mill, ten years ago, would have been ranked with the perpetual motion, or philosopher's stone, as the dreams of a visionary projector; but we have lived to see it constructed; and are at a loss which most to admire. the extent of the improvement, or the simplicity, and if I may so express myself, the harmony with which it is applied.

From a certificate published lately in the Delaware Gazette, signed by Messrs. Shallcross and Stroud, it appears that four men will do all the business of two mills, with the assistance of Mr. Evans's machinery, with as much ease as four men did the business of one mill without it, thereby saving one half the labour. Now if we suppose 2000 mills in the United States, and by this machinery 2 men are saved in each mill, there will be a saving of the labour of 4000 men, at 200 dollars a year each, will be 800,000 dollars saved. We are happy to learn that Mr. Evans is now likely to reap the fruits of his labour; upwards of 100 mills have adopted his improvements, and they are daily increasing in public estimation.