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NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



iUcil)amc3' Pipaitmmt, Tlita, ^^^ 



IMPROVEMENT. 



In many brandies of mechanical business, great 

 improvements are making, 'iliousands of inge- 

 nious persons are constantly at work, devising, exe- 

 cuting, and bringing before the public various im- 

 provements, and every mechanic should examine 

 into every thing that is new appertaining to his 

 trade, else he will find others going ahead of him, 

 and gaining advantages from recent inventions. 



Some mechanics think that there is no material 

 change in tbeir line, and they settle down to pur- 

 sue through life the same old mode to which they 

 have long been accustomed. But many make a 

 great mistake in this way, and after awhile they 

 wake up by finding themselves in competition with 

 those who are availing themselves of modern im- 

 provements; and they find in the market cheaper, 

 and perhaps better articlesthan their own; and then 

 Ibey start anew in the race under disadvantages 

 compared with their competitors. 



In every branch of business there are not only 

 improvements, but changes for "bettter or for 

 worse" are constantly going on, and those who 

 depend for their success in accommodating their 

 customers, must learn, not only the best way of 

 preparing every article, but they must also study 

 the influence of fashion, "whose controlling will 

 none disobeys." 



THE ELEVATION OF MECHANICS. 



There is no class of our citizens, of whatever 

 grade or profession, that are really so valuable in 

 society as our enterprising and skilful mechanics. 

 As individuals and citizens, in point of intelligence, 

 virtue and usefulness, they occupy a place as hon- 

 orable and a station as dignified as the members of 

 any profession in the land; and as a body they are 

 indispensable in providing foi our wants and neces- 

 sities, and a very great portion of the comforts of 

 the whole community. 



In fact, our national greatness has been in a great 

 measure achieved through the industry, enterprise, 

 skill and iritelUgence of our mechanics. Thousands 

 of individual instances may be adduced to sustain 

 tlie position we have assumed, and hundreds more 

 of the same class have, by their influence, example 

 and talents, verified the truth of our assertion. 

 Franklin, the printer, who worked many years at 

 this honorable avocation, and, perhaps, contributed 

 more than any other individual, to advance science 

 and the arts in his early life, rose high in the scale 

 of usefulness and honor— became one of the most 

 distinguished statesman and philosophers of his age 

 and died lamented by the people of "two hemi- 

 spheres." Roger Sherman, one of the signers of 

 the Declaratioirof Independence, and who long af- 

 tnrwards was distinguished for his talents, it is well 

 known, was a shoemaker. The late Hon. Andrew- 

 Kennedy, of Ohio, at tho age of nineteen years, was 

 R labor in? blacksmith, unable to read or write. He 

 dropped the sledge hammer and took to books, read 

 law, and soon became a popular advocate. He re- 

 moved to Indiana, was soon sent to the Legislature, 



and from tlie assembly was transferred to Congress, 

 where he served three full terms. He was a men> 

 berofthe Indiana Legislature when he was cut 

 down by death comparatively at the early age of 37 

 years. The late Judge Martifi, while a lad, left 

 his paternal roof at Marseilles and arrived in North 

 Carolina friendless and nearly penniless, and to 

 avoid starvation, became apprentice to a printer. 

 At the expiration of his apprenticeship he worked 

 as a journeyman three years — bought out his em- 

 ployer — 'afterwards removed to Louisiana — became 

 a judge of the Supreme Court — and, during the 

 thirty-soven years which he was retained in office, 

 in all his important decisions, in which immense 

 interests were involved, he ever maintained a char- 

 acter above the least suspicion of reproach — was re- 

 markable as a man of the sternest integrity, and 

 died honored by all, with a fortune of $400,000. 

 Governor Briggs, of Massachusetts, it is well 

 known, was the son of a blacksmith, and apprentice 

 to a hatter, but manifesting a strong inclination for 

 learning, subsequently studied law, and is now the 

 chief executive of the commonwealth. 



We will refer simply to one more of the numer- 

 ous instances which might be mentioned of the dis- 

 tinguished mechanics of our country, viz., that of 

 Elihu Burritt, of Worcester, who, without wealth 

 or any peculiar facilities for study — while working 

 at the anvil — acquired a knowledge of nearly fifty 

 different languages; and posterity will long honor, 

 as a Christian philanthropist of distinguished use- 

 fulness, "the learned blacksmith" of Massachu- 

 setts. 



These examples are sufficient to prove the asser- 

 tion of John Randolph, the eccentric orator of Ro- 

 anoke, that "labor is necessaryto excellence. This 

 is an eternal truth, although vanity cannot be 

 brought to believe, or indolence to heed it." 



This truth is strikingly verified in a host of in- 

 stances, and sliauld impress upon every mind tlie 

 deeply responsible relation which our mechanics 

 hold in reference to the advancement of the arts, 

 the promotion of science, and the true greatness of 

 our country. 



We have been induced to make the above brief 

 remarks, from having recently had the facilities and 

 advantages offered by the Meclianics Institute of 

 this city, to inventors, artisans and others, presented 

 before us; and as introductory to some plan of oper- 

 ation for the mutual benefit of mechanics through- 

 out the country, which we will present at some fu- 

 ture opportunity. — Farmer and Mechanic. 



NEW FUR FABRIC. 



The New York Mirror says, we have examined, 

 at the store of Messrs. Seaman and Muir, some 

 specimens of a new fabric for winter garments, 

 which appears to us likely to supercede every ma- 

 terial now in use for keeping the body warm, and 

 protecting it from the piercing cold winds and chill- 

 ing damps of our variable climate. The f^ibric is 

 composed of the fur of animals, and is lighter, soft- 

 er, firmer and warmer than any other material ever 

 worn as a covering to the human body. It is the 

 perfected ideal of cloth; in beauty and comfort it is 

 far superior to the finest fabrics of camel's hair. 

 For the use of invalids, or for all whose occupa- 

 tions lead to exposure to the rigors of wintry weatli- 

 er, it must prove of the highest benefit. The soft- 

 est satin is harsh to the touch, and the finest lamb's 



