No. 85.] 457 



BRICK MAKING. 



Coxsackie, JV. F. October 20th, 1844. 

 To T. B. Wakeman, Esq., 



Secretary American Institute : 



Permit me to submit to the American Institute a few facts and ob- 

 servations for the consideration of brick makers. 



I have no data by which to ascertain the quantity or value of the 

 bricks now manufactured in the United States, except the sixth census 

 taken in 1840, which is very incomplete, and in some instances total- 

 ly incorrect. This census purports to give the value of brick and 

 lime manufactured jointly, with the number of men employed. It is 

 difficult to separate them, so as to tell the proportion of the value 

 which should be set to each. But as far as my observation extends, 

 the value set upon both will fall short of the brick alone, estimating 

 them at four dollars per thousand, which I think a fair average. Ac- 

 cording to this estimate, the value of brick known to be manufactured 

 yearly on the Hudson river alone, will exceed the value of the brick 

 and lime manufactured according to the census in the whole State of 

 New-York ; and the value of brick alone manufactured in the sino-le 

 town of Coxsackie will exceed by one-fourth all the brick and lime, 

 as valued by the census, manufactured in Florida, Wisconsin and 

 Iowa Territories. But the year 1840 was one of general depression 

 in every department of business, and no department feels a depression 

 more sensibly than the manufacture of brick, money beino- wanted 

 more for other purposes than building. Estimating, then, the value 

 of brick alone, manufactured at this time, to be equal to the value of 

 brick and lime as given by the census of 1840, and valuing them at 

 four dollars per thousand, we have two billions, four hundred and 

 thirty-four millions, three hundred and forty thousand and five hun- 

 dred bricks, amounting to the sum of nine millions, seven hundred 

 and thirty-seven thousand, three hundred and sixty-two dollars- and 

 estimating that it will take on an average, one man to every seventy- 

 five thousand brick manufactured, we have employed annually in this 

 branch of business, thirty-two thousand, three hundred and ninety 

 persons. While every other branch of business, has been discussed 

 written upon and investigated in detail, this seems to have been en- 

 tirely neglected, I have not been able to find either book, pamphlet 

 or article giving any idea of the method pursued in this country of 

 manufacturing brick. And what little is found in reference to this 

 subject in England and France, is foreign to the business, as carried 

 on in the United States, and is of very little or no use to us. The 

 stock out of which bricks are manufactured, varies very materially 

 in different sections of country, and even in the same sections the 

 same banks sometimes containing different kinds of stock. In com- 

 mon parlance, all kinds of stock are called clay. Pure clay is a 

 whitish substance, without taste and grit, and is rarely, if ever found 

 in a primitive state : but if thus found is very valuable, being the 

 principle material for making fire brick, crucibles, &c.; it may be 

 manufactured by a chemical process out of alum and potash. Not- 



