SHEEP HUSBANDRY IN THE SOUTH. 9i 



The first answer of the other manufacturer, S. Newton Dexter, Esq. of 

 Whitestown, Oneida Co., N. Y., (head of the Oriskany Manufacturing 

 Company,) it is not necessary to transcribe entire. Mr. Dexter informed 

 me that his machinery is calculated for the manufacture of fine cloth ; that 

 /he carding of coarse wool would injure his cards; that its manufacture 

 would throw him out of his regular course of business ; that he had no 

 wool of the quality used in the sample on hand ; that he should be com 

 polled to use domestic wool ; and that for these reasons and some other 

 named by him, he could not undertake to fill the contract at less than 42 

 cents per yard — which he knew would be considered a high price. 



Mr. Dexter being a gentleman equally distinguished for his correct and 

 able business character, and for that capacity and range of information 

 which give value to his opinions on all the topics connected with this in- 

 v3stigation, I addressed him a second communication, asking him what he 

 could manufacture the cloth for, giving him time to procure stock of the 

 same quality used in the sample. I also inclosed him proof-sheets of the 

 jireceding part of this letter, asking him his opinion of the correctness of 

 my statements, in relation to the general cost of manufacturing, &c. The 

 following extracts from his reply will be read with interest : 



Col. Hknby S. Randax.1. : Whitestown, April 3-}, 1847. 



Dear Sir: Yours reached me on Wednesday. There is no doubt at all but what if I felt cer- 

 tain that wool could be procured of the quality of which your sample was made, at a price pro- 

 portionably low, 1 could have atlbrded to have manufactured the cloth at 37 cents per yard, as 



well as at i'i, and use our coarse native wool, at a probable cost of 25 cents There has been 



an advance of more than 70 per cent, in the price of lard oil. The price a short time since warn 

 55 cents. The last I bought cost 95 cents in New-York. Five quarts of this oil are wanted tc 



every 80 yards of these cloths I cannot imagine where the wool was from out of which tlie 



sample was made, probably from Iceland — for I recollect some twenty years aco 'he '^riskany 

 Manufacturing Company obtained just such wool somewhere, when Am<^i<"»r wool was deemed 

 Uxj high, and manufactured it into luiserablo satinets, by which they lost a great deal of money 

 The wool was said to have been imported from Iceland. I was one of the Directors of the naili 

 tlien, but had nothing to do with " operating "it 



Yea request my opinion as to the correctness of your statements of the probable cost of Welsh 

 plains. Sec, and generally of the statements put forth by you on the subject of woollen manufac- 

 tories. I am not veri/ good authority as to the cost of manufacturing coarse woolens, never hav- 

 lug done much in that way. I am free to say. however, that your estimates may generally be 

 relied on. Certainly you have allowed liberally ibr what would have been the cost of such wool 

 by the pound last year; but I think your estimate of 17 J oz. of wool in the fleece, out of which to 

 manufacture one yard of cloth 32 inches wide, similar to the sample inclosed in your letter, too 

 low. I should think it would certainly take 20 oz., or \| pounds. The allowance of 11 cents for 

 manufacturing will, I am inclined to think, pay charges, but it will not afford any profit, nor in- 

 terest on capital, nor leave anything for keeping machinery in repair. It is a very close calcala 

 tion, when fuller's soap, lard oil. &c., are so high. 



The sheep's gray cloths that you speak of you will observe, are generally not quite | wide — 

 say 26 inches — while the sample you sent me was 32 inches. One pound of well washed fleece 

 wool vill make a yard of sheep's gray of medium quality ; but unless the goods diVe flocked, the 

 calculation is a very close one indeed. 



I am inclined to thiuk that you overestimate the profit of manufacturing woolen goods, although 

 I admit that in well-managed institutions, that have the most improved machinery, with an abun- 

 dant capital, the profits liave, at times, been very large indeed, and our friend Samuel Law- 

 rence. of whom you speak, is the most prominent example of such a manufacturer within my 



knowledge Every new manufactory erected, if built with judgment, has one advantage 



over those already in operation, and that is, they have availed themselves of all the improvementa 

 of those in operation. And as machinery is constantly being produced at clieaper rates, a factory 

 of increased capacity will probably have cost less money 



The Oriskany Manufacturing Company is the oldest company now manufacturing woolen 

 goods in the Unitcii States. They have made satinets which have .sold readily at $3 50 per yard, 

 ■nd have made cloths which have as readily sold for $12 per j-ard. Satinets full as gipod can 

 now be bought at "/o ccnt.a, and hand.somer, if not better cloths, for $3. What a change is here I 

 And yet the Oriskany Manufacturing Company was perhaps never doing better than now. Thii 

 Company availed itself of the op|K)rluuiiies otiered last year to obtain wool very low, to porchaae 

 R gapply for nearly I wo years. This year the bu.siness will be good, that is, pay a profit of 10 pet 

 :ent. on investments, even where wool is |)urchased at current rates; but I do not believe it will 

 My more. L vill furniah you witli a brief estimate : 



