MEMOIR OF DAXIEL TREADWELL. 377 



Hemp Manufacturing Company, which carried on the work of making cordage until 

 1858, about thirty years. 



During the whole period of the early manufacture of rope by this machinery, 

 Mr. Treadwell had met with determined opposition from the trade of rope-makers, 

 and was often insulted, and threatened with violence. After it was learned that an 

 otfer had been made to the Government to furnish machines, and that rope was 

 in process of manufacture with them by the Government, the oppo.sition took a 

 different and more organized form. The rope-makers outside of the Government 

 ■works were strenuous opponents of machinery, and had been zealous in promoting 

 the designs of some rope-makers from New York and elsewhere in getting up a 

 remonstrance to Congress against machine-spinning.* There were then eiglity 

 machines at work at the Charlestown Navy Yard. 



In 1840, the Board of Navy Commissioners appointed Commander Joel Abbott, to 

 examine the whole subject. A competitive trial was instituted. Four spinners from 

 a neighboring ropewalk made an application to be allowed to spin and make a rope 

 in their own walk for the purpose of entering into a competition of strength with 

 the machine-made rope. Every facility was given them to prosecute their designs. 

 They selected a lot of hemp from the Government ropewalk, which was divided 

 into two equal parts, one to be spun by hand and the other by the machines. 

 Two of their own number were present at the making of the rope by the machines. 

 The spinners selected were of the best, and they were disposed to do their best : 

 they expressed their most confident belief that they could spin by hand a stronger 

 rope than could be made by machine-spun yarn. They spun carefully, and com- 

 pleted a rope of the very first quality. The trial of strength was made in the 

 presence of four of their number. Tlie result was, that the machine-spun rope 

 sustained before it broke a weight of 1,469 pounds, while the hand-spun rope of 

 the same size broke with a weight of 1,278 pounds. By other and careful experi- 

 ments made at the same time, it was shown that the cost of spinning one ton 

 of hemp by hand was $29.25, and by the machine $14.13; that is, half the cost 

 of that by hand. 



* A similar opposition to steam-spitining seems to have existed in England. The "London Mail" fur Fehni- 

 ary, 18(36, has a speech of Lord C. Paget iu Parliament, in which he says : " My honorable friend, the member for 

 Eochester, fonnd fault with me for adopting steam-spinning at onr dockyards, and complained that it tended to talic 

 away the vahiable occupation of hand-spinning. I am afraid my honorable friend will find fanlt with me still more 

 this year, for we intend to extend onr steam-spinning. We propose to introdnce stoam-spinning at Devon]iort, with 

 the intention of abolishing the ropery at Portsmouth, and contenting ourselves with the two steam-spinning estab- 

 lishments at Chatham aud Devonport." 



