Figure 23. — Laying Away the Hides. The physical remains of Garden's building 

 (still standing on the grounds of the Hagley Museum at Wilmington, Delaware) 

 suggest that at least some of the tan vats were housed and not typically exposed 

 in an open tanyard. This scene from Davis' Manufacture of Leather approxi- 

 mates the appearance of the Cardon tannery. 



unprofitable." '"^ Cardon was expressing a view similar to that 

 of most tanners. Furthermore, the size of his tannery was com- 

 parable to the larger ones in the area, with approximately eighty- 

 six vats, several outbuildings, and a bark mill.^'^ (See fig. 23.) 



Actually, Cardon and Company typifies the operations of most 

 manufacturers of the period, especially in regard to the use of 

 transportation and the procurement of raw materials. The 

 Brandywine tanners used most of the existing transportation 

 facilities. The shallop, the packet, and the steamboat, as well as 

 the Philadelphia stagecoach, wagons, and even a sleigh ^''' carried 



'"* Census Schedule, 1821, A. Cardon and Company (The National Archives). 



1"' See accounts current, A. Cardon and Company, 1815-1829 (OSOR); specifically, E. I. du Pont 

 de Nemours and Company in account with A. Cardon and Company, December 31, 1828; Decem- 

 ber 31, 1829. In addition, see bills miscellaneous, A. Cardon and Company (OSOR, Tannery, 

 box 1), undated. 



'™ Letter book, December 13, 1821. 



63 



681-431 — 64- 



