92 SHEEP IIUSI5AM)I;Y IN THE SOUTH. 



A .nill H iih acBiiilal cifSlOO.OOO wili mninil":icuiii-. say 90.000 yards of 64 cloth, which 



will l.iin;; intiiaiUri.inavnu-oolSl .00 por yaid, or •333,001 



To ^01 lhcj(- cUiihs into CHsh (I'oi- lliey an.' sold at 8 mnuths, and aro charged 

 wiih commission of 5 per crnl.. and other chargi-s <H|^iial, in all, including in- 



l«;re8i, hoxiii-r and transportation, to l",' pi;r cenf. $16,200 



Cofct of 2--'.'>,0l)iril)s. of wool at :iO cents 67.500 



;i.:iOO j-allons sp'-rin and lard oil at $1 3.300 



,. Soap, soft and hard .3.500 



. . 800.000 tcazl(-s 1 .fXK) 



.. DvfiiiL' materials of all kinds 11,.'>00 



.. Kuel.r 1.000 



.. I'aper, tape, twine, nails, lumber, cards, candies, &c '. 3.000 



.. Labor, $.").000 per quarter, or 20.000 



.. insurance 2,000 



Total $122,000 



If I were under oath. 1 do not believe I should alter any of tlie.so items — or, at lca?it, I 

 idd as often a.s I diiniiii.slied, I have no doubt. You may tliink SI 50 a low average ibr clothe, 

 bat it mu.st be a very faif cloth to bring that .sum, I as.surc you. You may also think 12 per cent 

 a high oiiargo ibr getting these cloths into nash. ikc. btit it is scarcely what we pay. And the 

 records of our wool book will show that 30 cents is the cost of such wool as we work. And oat 

 books will prove that it has taken, for many years past, 2J lbs. of wool to make a yard of broad- 

 cloth. There is 13 per cent, left for prolits liore, because I have not allowed one cent for repairs 

 or taxes, or for the agents salaries, which will swell the expenses fully up to $124,500 — within a 



fraction of swallowiiig up all over 10 per cent Well, I admit that 10 per cent, is a great 



basiness ; but you speak of 15. and that is going too far 



Very respectfully your friend and obedient servant, S. NEWTON DEXTER. 



If, will be seen ffnm the ft)iegoin!T letters : 



Isl. Tiiat where their machinery is adapted to it, manufacturers are will- 

 iuf to make and sell goods of the same amount of stock and style of 

 manuracture, with Welsh plains, out of domestic wool for 40 cents per 

 vard ; and that manufacturers of perfect pecuniary responsibility are ready 

 to contract sot<» furnisli it. This (apait from the small item of transporta- 

 tion) is twi-ntij-Jict cents per yard, or about tldrtij-ninc j'cr eent. cheaper 

 than yf)U now obtain these cloths : and an article manufactured from do- 

 mestic wool would, by reason of the far superior strength vi.\iA felting prop- 

 ertij of the slock, be much stronger and more durable than the foreign 

 goods. 



2d. It will be farther seen that a skillful and responsible manufacturer 

 would furnisli cloth, corresponding with Welsh plains, at 37 cents per yard, 

 could he procuie the same quality of wool now employed in the manufac- 

 ture of those cloths at a price proportionably low with domestic wools, 

 calling the latter 25 cents per pound. 



Blankets are manufactured at equally exorbitant profits ; and the 

 Chelmsfoids, paying less transportation and no duties, approach the same 

 standard of profit — though, judging from your samples, I consider them 

 the cheapest goods. 



I have given Mr. Dexter's undoubtedly fair and candid statements in 

 the premises — my object in these letters being, as I once before have 

 stated, to arrive at truth, and not to support a favorite hypothesis, or to 

 maintain, at all hazards, preconceived views. 



My own estimates and those of Mi-. Dexter, of the actual cost of manu 

 facturing Welsh plains, it will be seen, differ — but not so materially aa 

 would as fiist appear, when the advance of wool, soap, oil, &c., are taken 

 nito consideration. I have no doubt that, in making his estimates, he had 

 his eye more on the butter and more elaborate machinery of his own mills 

 — the more expensive and perfect performance of the various manufactur- 

 ing processes comn^on in that class of establishments, than on the cheaper 

 machinery and processes necessary in the matmfacture of coarse goods. 

 My estimates, or rather statements of cost of manufacturing sheep's tjray 

 you will recollect, were given on supposed actual knoicledgc of what a 

 manufacturer of these goods had made them at. To 'hese Mr. D. seems 

 *o take no exceptions. 



In Telation to the snrinkage of wool, Mr. Dexter undoubtedly liases liis 



