This simple little device, the simplicity of the feed 

 pumps as we were then placing them under the 

 steam cylinder operated by an arm from the cross- 

 head, and the solidity of the proposed cast-iron bed 

 so pleased Dr. Patterson that he used many argu- 

 ments to induce Mr. Eckfeldt to give up his vertical 

 hobby; the argument that had the greatest weight 

 was the necessity of the greatest simplicity to avoid 

 being obliged to keep skilled workmen for repairs at 

 such out-of-the-way places as Charlotte and Dahl- 

 onega were supposed to be. Should the change be 

 made to horizontal steam engines some change in 

 the designs of the buildings might be necessary. 

 The matter required consideration and probably 

 some correspondence with the architect at Washing- 

 ton. 



The only conclusion reached at that interview was 

 that we should have the castings and work apper- 

 taining to the assay and melting department of the 

 mints, and an appointment made for Dr. Patterson, 

 Messrs. Peale and Eckfeldt to visit our shops at 

 Cardington, the objective point being to see the 

 operation of our planer, which at that time was the 

 only one in Pennsylvania, there being, if I am not 

 greatly mistaken, only two others in the United 

 States, one in Kemble's West Point Works, and the 

 other in Dr. Nott's — both imported machines. 100 

 Ours was a very rude affair as compared with the 

 perfect machines of the present time, but by allowing 

 it plenty of time it did good work. Its only automatic 

 action was in the screwdriven lied plate to give a 

 quicker return; both cross-feed and up and down 

 feed being by hand, requiring constant and careful 

 attention of the operator. The size the machine 

 would take in and plane was 8 feet in length by 4 

 feet wide and 3 feet high. Its capacity had much to 

 do with shaping and sizing the designs for furnace 



100 It is my impression that a planing machine had been built 

 in Providence, but I have not found positive documentation. 

 It is certain, however, that the cold chisel and file were still the 

 most important tools for producing plane surfaces. For ex- 

 ample, the 16-ton bed-plate castings for engines of the U.S.S. 

 Mississippi, cast in 1839 at Southwark Foundry of Merrick & 

 Towne were finished by chipping and filing (Transactions of the 

 American Society of Mechanical Engineers, 1894-18015. vol. 16, pp. 

 757—758). John Fritz, in his Autobiography (New York, 1912), 

 p. 60, refers to use of a two-handed chisel and sledge in 1849. 

 For general information on the West Point works, see Kemble 

 (cited in note 71 above), pp. 190-203. Dr. Nott's was the 

 Novelty Works, on New York's North River. An illustrated 

 article on this works is in Harper's New Monthly Magazine (1851), 

 vol. 2, pp. 72'-734- 



plates and other mint machinery. The introduction 

 of the kind of ingot molds that had been made by 

 Maudslay for the royal mint finished on his planer 

 [made possible] the increase in silver melts from 

 fifty pounds to over two hundred much sooner than 

 it would have been done if the finishing by cold 

 chisel, file, and scraper had to be depended on. 



A few days after this visit we received notice from 

 Dr. Patterson that the works for the branch mints had 

 been divided. The portion given to us was, in addi- 

 tion to the melting department on which we were then 

 engaged, for the branch mints — the steam engines 

 (horizontal), shafting, rolling mills and milling ma- 

 chines, including the erection and starting of all the 

 machinery. The coining presses and draw benches 

 were given to the Merrick works, then carried on by 

 Merrick, Agnew and Tyler. 101 



This work brought us into almost daily communica- 

 tion not only with Dr. Patterson but with both Peale 

 and Eckfeldt, and I became pretty thoroughly 

 acquainted with every step that was taken during the 

 transition period, as every advance step was very 

 thoroughly discussed, and now as I write so crowd 

 on my memory that I find it hard to cull what may be 

 of interest to the general reader. [25] 



[In 1836] there was imported, I think from France, 

 a die sinking lathe. 1 "- To use this lathe to do its 

 portion of the die sinking a template die [was made] 

 for the dollar about 6 inches in diameter. For this 

 Uncle Titian [Peale] modeled the flying eagle and Mr. 

 Thomas Sully, the female figure of Liberty. From 

 these, plaster casts were made and from them plaster 

 [molds] from which to cast bronze templates. I 

 think the bronzes were cast at Merrick's but were not 

 satisfactory; then a lamp maker's foundry was tried 

 with no better results. I told Dr. Patterson and Uncle 

 Franklin of what I had seen Henri Mogeme do to 

 mould the fine Berlin iron and his crucible castings 

 and what he had told me of the importance of mould- 

 ing by pressure and not tamping, [which] he called 

 kneading or dry facing. Uncle Franklin suggested 

 that we should try to make an iron casting from the 



101 In another account of the mint work, an excerpt from 

 which is inserted two paragraphs below-, Sellers named Merrick 

 and Towne, who operated the Southwark Foundry. However, 

 there were many interlocking partnerships, and this one was 

 not impossible. 



102 This machine, known only as a "Contamin lathe," is 

 mentioned in connection with the exhibit of the original flying- 

 eagle medallions at the U.S. National Museum. 



74 



