of leather and bring back a load of Hides." ^^^ Not all imported 

 hides were good. More often than not they were worm eaten and 

 rotten, being described, quite aptly, as putrid. Often the stench 

 of hides, fleshings, and remainders was the tannery's most distin- 

 guishing characteristic. In 1819, Cardon received such a shipment 

 from Philadelphia and to his disgust found "none of the Laguira 

 Hides . . . worth Tanning" nor "the Buenosayres . . . worth 

 working." ^^" 



Cardon dealt in domestic as well as imported hides and was 

 alert to all possible sources of supply. He wrote to William Jenkins 

 in 1822: 



When coming back from Pha. . . . Mr. John Wilcox . . . mentioned that 

 he thought you would get this season 2000 Slaughter hides more than you 

 wanted, and that vou probably would have some to dispose of.'-'^ 



Despite Cardon's efforts to trade in Baltimore and New York, 

 Philadelphia remained the main source of raw hides. Samuel and 

 Frederick Faring (or Foering), George Flomerfelt, Eldridge and 

 Brick, John Vaughan, and Timothy Abbott were the principal 

 suppliers, and, with the exception of Vaughan, all were curriers 

 who at one time or another handled Cardon's leather. 



Equally as important as the acquisition of raw hides was the 

 problem of procuring tanbark. To solve it Cardon and Company 

 (as did other tanners) operated a bark mill as an integral part of 

 their business, filling their own needs for tannin as well as supplying 

 quercitron for the dye trade. From 1820 to 1822, Cardon's best 

 customer for ground bark was Robert E. Griffith, merchant of 

 Philadelphia. In March 1821, Griffith agreed for one year to 

 take "all the Quercitron or black oak Bark, that they may or 

 can manufacture ... at their mill on the Brandywine River." ^^^ 



It was Cardon's opinion that his mill could "grind the bark 

 better and quicker than any establishment of the kind we know," ^^^ 

 because "our Way of grinding the Bark" was "on a much better 

 plan" than any other. ^^^ This improved method was simply 

 grinding "under stones the same as a grist mill."^*' 



'-' Letter book, Cardon and Company to Xixon Wilson, August 7, 1819. 

 1*2 Letter book, to Samuel and Frederick Faring (Foering), July 7, 1819. 

 1*3 Letter book, January 28, 1822. 



i*-* Agreement with Robert E. Griffith for delivery of bark, ground; March 29, 1821, in Griffith 

 Correspondence (OSOR, box 127). 



'^^ Letter book, Cardon and Company, November 9, 1820. 

 1S8 Letter book, October 28, 1820. 

 i'^" Letter book, October 2, 1820. 



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