ibQ* [Assembly 



from which he peels his bavk can be conveniently carried to a saw 

 mill, in the neighborhood of a profitable lumber market; at the 

 same time he must endeavor to clioose land which, when tlius 

 cleare<i, will be worth more than it cost him in the purchase. 

 The bark which he uses for tanning, and the logs which he saws 

 into lumber, must each of them pay for the trouble of doing it, 

 and clear the land, and make it ready for profitable agriculture. 

 Thus the tanner, if he is wise in location, and lives in a good 

 neighborhood, or will do what I was obliged to do, bring good 

 working men to live with him, makes himself useful by creating 

 a market, clearing the laud, growing up villages, and establishing 

 whole communities ; for every American tanner, at least, ought 

 to have foresight enough to see that all his labor produces some 

 valuable results, not only to the community where he lives, but 

 to the country which has put him under such great obligations, 

 by giving him the inheritance which has descended from the blood 

 of the Fathei-s of the Republic. 



Formerly it was thought best to locate upon a good water power 

 to carry the machinery, but experience has proved that you may 

 cany a steam engine into any location, and by the burning of tan, 

 or ground bark, after it has been used, which is called by tlie tan- 

 ners '• letched," or " spent tan," you may keep steam power with- 

 out the use of firewood, and at a nominal expeni^e. 



liet me now conduct you for a moment into a wilderness oi* 

 hemlock. The trees are leveled, tlie bark peeled oft', a building 

 is erected, and a modern system of tanning is set up. But do not 

 forget that a modern tunning establisliment is not one where our 

 fathers made soles f»)r your ancestors. 



The fact that I have chosen tanning as the su]»ject of my a<l- 

 drcss call be accounted for in a very simple way ; I liave devoted 

 inj life to this bu.siness, and if I do not understand tanning I shall 

 never understand anything. 1 have been acquainted wiUi tan- 

 ning, in all its forms, during the last fifty years ; njore than half 

 * century has gone by since I worked in my father's tannery ; I 

 have witnessed personally every improvement tliat has been made 

 IB my day, and within my memory^ tlian dming the whole time 



