40 Senate 



trade for twenty-five^or thirty years, and amassed a princely fortune 

 in the business. 



Very few of these goods were imported into this country prior to 

 1828, owino; chiefly to the exhorbitant price charged for the arliv'lfs. 

 Since the expiration of Mcintosh's patent, others have engaged in 

 the manufacture of these articles, and found it a very lucrative bianch 

 of trade in Europe. The gum or India rubber is mostly imported 

 from Para, South America. There is some imported from the East 

 Indies, but of a very inferior quality, owing only to their want of 

 knowledge in gathering and curing it. 



About ihe years 1828-9 the manufacture of India rubber was first 

 introduced into the United States by a man in Boston, by the name 

 of Chatfee, (a manufacturer of patent leather.) For the first year or 

 two very little was done in the way of manufacturing, the time being 

 mostly spent in experimenting and perfecting machinery for spreading 

 the rubber on the cloth. 



About the year 1833 a company was incorporated in Boston, under 

 the name of the " Roxbury India Rubber Company," with a capital 

 of $300,000, located in the town of Roxbury, Mass. During the 

 three following years the companies below were incorporated and went 

 into operation, viz : 



South Boston India Rubber Company; capital $150,000 



Boston do. do. do 100,000 



Lynn do. do. do 50,000 



Sull'olk do. do. do 25,000 



Woburn do. do. do 10,000 



Framingham do. do. do 6,000 



Add the Roxbury do. do. do 300,000 



$641,000 



Showing an aggregate capital in 1836, of six hundred and forty- 

 one thousand dollars emyloyed in this branch of manufacture, being 

 all located in the vicinty of Boston and Lynn, Mass., employing not 

 less than eight hundred operatives, mostly females. But owing to 

 the want of experienced workmen, and thorough knowledge of the 

 business, the majority of the goods manufactured were of an inferior 

 quality, and many of them worthless, (the Roxbury Company buried 

 in one grave^ goods that cost about $10,000.) The articles mostly 

 manufactured at that time were carriage cloths, shoes and clothing 

 of all descriptions, (even stockings, shirts and under-shirts, to be worn 

 next the skin,) India rubber hose for fire-engines, &c, &c. By the 

 time these companies all got fairly into operation, it was found that 

 the wants of the country did not call for many of these goods, even 

 had they been of a good quality. The consequence was a suspension 

 and failure of all the companies, with a total loss of all the capital 

 invested, with the exception of the Roxbury India Rubber Company; 

 this one continued in operation until J840, when they wounil up their 

 affairs, paying all their debts, and dividing a large amount to the 

 stockholders. During the years 1835-6-7, the aggregate amount of 



