120 



Manufacturing Establishments of Philadelphia, ^c. Vol. IX. 



Mouse's Telegraph worked by Light- 

 ning FROM THE Clouds. — During a thunder 

 storm at Baltimore, the superintendents of 

 Morse's Majrnetic Telegraph, removed the 

 galvanic batteries and suspended the opera- 

 tions of the telegraph, to avoid being injured 

 by the electrical discharges from the clouds; 

 the lightning having been attracted by the 

 wires, counteracted the effects of the dis- 

 charges from the batteries, and interrupted 

 the operation of the telegraph. On the with- 

 drawal of the batteries, the wires were ope- 

 rated upon by each successive flash of light- 

 ning, the telegraph working precisely in the 

 same way as when in operation for the trans- 

 mission of intelligence; thus proving (what 

 few doubt) that the electricity of the atmos- 

 phere, and that generated by the galvanic 

 battery are identical, or alike in their opera- 

 tion upon conducting substances.-- i?.Tc/ian^e 

 paper. 



Manufacturing Establishments of Phila- 

 delphia and its vicinity. 



The following remarks and table by C. G. Chikls, of 

 the J\rortlt Ameruaji, are taken from that paper of the 

 21st ult. The latter.very plainly exhibits tlie stron 

 interest vvliich our farmers have in the prosperity of the 

 woollen manufactories. If 84,500 lbs. of wool are needed 

 weekly, more than 4,200,000 lbs. would be annually 

 required to supply the establishments in this vicinity. 

 If further, we suppose one acre of land to produce ten 

 lbs. of wool, 420,000 acres would be re<piisite to supply 

 the yearly demand of our own immediate neighbour- 

 hood. This is equal to a district of C5G square miles. 

 —Ed. 



The extent and variety of the manufac- 

 tures carried on in Philadelphia and its vi- 

 cinity, are little understood, even by the best 

 informed of its citizens. The absence of 

 any statistical information, either local or 

 national, of an authentic character, has hith- 

 erto kept the public in ignorance in refer- 

 ence to all the leading branches of agricul- 

 ture and manufactures, which it is desirable 

 that every business man should possess, and 

 without which legislation proceeds blind- 

 folded. 



In Massachusetts information of this kind 

 is easily obtained, regular statistical reports 

 being made to the legislature at stated pe- 

 riods. From these some excellent reports 

 have been published by the State. In New- 

 York a State census taken between those 

 by the United States, furnishes a vast 

 amount of useful information. In this State, 

 notwithstanding its great importance, no 

 measure of this kind has been carried into 

 effect. 



We have for a long period felt the import- 

 ance of ascertaining and making known the 



share v.'hich Philadelphia and the surround- 

 ing districts of our State, dependent upon 

 her for a market, contribute to the aggregate 

 wcaltli and credit of the country, in the va- 

 rious departments of manufactures. 



In order properly to estimate our present 

 position, let us look back and see the great 

 increase which has taken place in our manu- 

 factures. In 1810, in the city and county 

 of Philadelphia, there were 30,666 yards of 

 woollen cloth manufactured in factories, 

 valued at 273,979 dollars. In Delaware, 

 Chester, and Montgomery counties, there 

 were no factories. In Philadelphia city and 

 county 16,168 yards of woollen cloths were ' 

 made in private families. In Delaware 

 county, none. Of carpets and coverlets, 

 there were manufactured in the city and 

 county of Philadelphia, 7,500 yards, valued 

 at $;7,500. In Chester, Delaware, and 

 Montgomery counties, none. There were 

 in the city and county of Philadelphia, 273 

 looms and 23 carding machines of all de- 

 scriptions. 



These figures become very interesting in 

 contrast with the present statistics of wool- 

 len manufactures in this neighbourhood. 

 The business has increased steadily and ra- 

 pidly, and we look confidently to a vast ex- 

 tension of it from our central position and 

 the advantages possessed in our proximity 

 to coal and iron. On the latter point consi- 

 derable stress might be laid. Not confining 

 our view to a single district, but regarding 

 I he whole country, we find that capital is 

 more generally employed in this than in any 

 other material and manufacture, if we in- 

 clude the work done in families. The cul- 

 ture of cotton is limited to a particular soil 

 and climate, but sheep are found everywhere 

 throughout our country. The superiority of 

 wool for most of the purposes of clothing, 

 for carpets and other domestic uses, causes 

 a steady demand for the article, which more 

 or less every agricultural district may pro- 

 fitably supply. The wealth of England, so 

 far as it is derived from manufactures, de- 

 pends to a great extent upon this branch. 

 IM'Culloch estimated the total annual value 

 of the woollen manufactures of Great Brit- 

 ain at about one hundred millions of dollars 

 in 1830. It must be now much greater. 

 Wo may learn from this fact how important 

 to our own growing country is the encou- 

 ragement of the same branch of art. In the 

 general progress of manufactures, Philadel- 

 phia may take the lead. 



Philadelphia is destined to become the 

 great centre of manufactures in the United 

 States. Let every citizen therefore, con- 

 tribute his quota of information in making 

 her actual condition and prosperity known. 



