122 



SILK MANUAL, AND 



inspection, we have only time to ennmerate the 

 following : 



Raiv Silk. — Samples of" the kinds imported by 

 Company from Bengal, Canton, Symrna, Naples, 

 and Calabria respectively — some of the skeins 

 measuring when opened, near thirty feet in cir- 

 cnmference — the winding of which required the 

 construction of reels especially for this purpose : 

 Samples of American Silk, reeled in Wilmington, 

 N. C, in Worcester County, Mass., at New Bed- 

 ford by J. Rotch, Esq., and in Nantucket. The 

 three latter specimens were decidedly the best, 

 and indeed of a quality superior to any others ex- 

 hibited. 



Cocoons. — Specimens of different kinds — 

 mostly produced in this state ; among which were 

 noticed some which were perfectly white, others 

 varying from a greenish yellow, to a deep orange 

 color. One lot, very splendid, and of extraordi- 

 nary size, from Rochester, Mass , attracted much 

 notice, being probably the largest and best ever 

 exhibited in the United States. 



Cloths. — Samples of silk Cloths intended for 

 handkerchiefs, woven in the gluten. These com- 

 prised specimens of the fabrics made in July last, 

 being the Company's first attempt, and of those 

 now in course of manufacture. The astonishing 

 improvetnent made in the course of a few months, 

 was obvious at a glance. White and Nankin col- 

 ored Velveteens, of silk warp, and cotton filling, 

 for Vestings, Pantaloons, &c. very stout, and dis- 

 playing all the lustre and high finish of goods 

 composed entirely of silk. Hero was also a piece 

 of handkerchief goods, sent hither from Spitalfield, 

 England, as a specimen of the fabrics woven in 

 that place by hand looms, from a certain quality 

 of stock, a lot of which was imported at the same 

 time: lying with it was a sample of the goods 

 manufjictured in this Mill by power looms, from 

 precisely the same stock. The great difference in 

 favor of the latter, excited the admiration of every 

 observer. 



Finished Goods. — These consi.sted mostly of 

 silk Aprons and Handkerchiefs — the latter of al- 

 most every conceivable pattern, and varying from 

 pure whiti', with a neat jenciled border, to hues 

 of great brilliancy — some comprising six or eight 

 gorgeous colors and dazzling figures intermingled. 

 These articles being on sale were rapidly bought 

 up, most of the visitors feeling desirous to po.ssess 

 a memento of the early lestablishment of this im- 

 portant branch of industry upon our island. We 

 noticed an eager preference for the white sort, 

 which, unluckily, constituted but a small propor- 

 tion of the whole number. Among the handker- 

 chiefs were two placed in contrast — one woven 

 in July, the other in October — showing a won- 

 derful advancement in the art. Also, a beautiful 

 handkerchief, woven by hand loom, the Silk of 



which was raised, reeled, thrown and manufac- 

 tured by Mro A. Brooks, of Scituate, Mass.; the 

 whole machinery used in the several processes, 

 we understand, having been made in the family of 

 Mr B. 



The above colored and stamped goods were all 

 printed by the Boston and Lynn Printing and Dy- 

 ing Co., and were manufactured by the Atlantic 

 Silk Co. The construction and operation of the 

 manufacturing apparatus, the product of Mr Gay's 

 inventive ingenuity, excited great interest. The 

 medal awarded by the N. Y. Mechanic's Institute, 

 was also presented for examination : it bears a 

 characteristic device, and the following inscrip- 

 tion : "Awarded to the Atlantic Silk Co. of Nan- 

 tucket, for specimens of Silk and Silk Goods — 

 Sept. 183G," r- to which compliment, we doubt 

 not, every wisher on this occasion will cheerfully 

 render a favorable response. — JVantucket Inq. 



Beet Sugar Company. — On Thursday eve- 

 ning a meeting of the Com|)any was holden atthe 

 Mansion House, for the purpose of ascertaining 

 the quantity of seed wanted for the ensuing sea- 

 son. 



Mr William Clark, Jr., Mr Hiram Ferry, and 

 Mr Christopher Wright, were appointed a Com- 

 mittee to ascertain the quantity wanted in North- 

 ampton. As it is necessary to send Mr Isnard, 

 the Agent of the Company to France, in the course 

 of the present month, for all the seod wanted the 

 next season, it is hoped that all the farmers in the 

 valley of the Connecticut, who are expecting to 

 raise the beet with the expectation of having it 

 manufactured at Northampton, will without delay, 

 send to the Post Office at NorthaiDpton the ainount 

 of seed they will want, and the requisite funds to 

 purchase it. 



The C( mpany will take upon themselves the 

 agency of purchasing the seed without < ost to the 

 farmers, to whom it is to be delivered, at the ac- 

 tual costs and charges, which are supjtosed to be 

 about twenty-Jive cents per pound. Great care 

 will be taken by Mr Isnard, who has full expe- 

 rience in the whole business, to select the best 

 kind of beet seed which can be procured in France. 



EDWARD CHURCH, Chairman. 

 S. Wells, Jr. Secretary. 



.Northampton, Dec. 12, 1836. 



Important discovery. — During the last spring 

 one of our merchants employed an English miner 

 of practical experience, to examine the banks of 

 the Upper Mississippi in pursuit of coal, and we 

 are pleased to learn that his exertions have been 

 crowned with success. After a tedious examina- 

 tion of the shores and banks on both sides of the 

 river from the Rapids down to the mouth of the 

 Missouri, an inexhaustible bank of coal was dis- 



