532 TRANSACTIONS OF THE 



tem of tanning, night and day, the year round, hy machinery, which as a 

 whole should be called his own. 



Edwards was not long in enlisting followers among the mountains that 

 overlook the Hudson, and personally introducing his improvements to the 

 large manufacturers of leather in the interior of our State. I well remem- 

 ber his visit to my father, the late Andrew P. Tillman, who manufactured 

 at Geneva, and had for his market all western New York. The personal 

 appearance of Edwards was striking to me, then a boy of ten ; he seemed 

 a giant ! this was not surprising, for I have since learned that his actual 

 height was six feet four inches. I was struck with his enthusiasm in 

 describing the practical success of his improvements ; his proofs were con 

 vincing in this case, for Mr. Tillman immediately constructed, under hia 

 advice, two other large tanneries at Seneca Falls and Port Byron, which 

 were operated by water power, and accomplished all that had been pre- 

 dicted. Soon after, Mr. Graves, at Rochester, and Mr. Palmer, at Buffalo, 

 erected extensive establishments upon the Edwards' system, and at this 

 day similar factories may be numbered by the thousand. 



Improvements have been made since Edwards' day in the chemical pre- 

 parations and manipulations required for skins and lighter kinds of hides. 

 The French for a time seemed to take the lead in this branch of the art, 

 but I am informed that the quick process of George W. Hatch, as well as 

 of several others, produces equally good results. The use of these systems 

 will probably lead to the cultivation of the vegetable japonica in this coun- 

 try as a substitute for the bark of trees, which, as agricultural operations 

 are extended, must eventually disappear. 



The most important machine used by curriers in the finishing of leather 

 after it has left the tannery, is the splitting machine. By the old method 

 leather was reduced to the proper thinness by the use of knives having 

 turned edges, which performed the operation of shaving the leather. This 

 task was always severe, and the shavings of the leather were worthless. 

 The principal part of this work is now done rapidly by machinery. The 

 side is reduced to proper thickness by taking off one large shaving, which 

 is afterwards finished in the same manner as the calfskin, and is used in 

 those parts of the boot or shoe where inferior leather may be substituted. 



William Bent, of Boston, patented in 1808 a machine which was used 

 to some extent. Phineas Dow, of the same city, patented in 1810 his 

 splitting mill. I am unable to state who was the inventor of the admirable 

 machine now in general use. 



Having rapidly traced the progress of improvement in the art of tanning, 

 an appropriate inquiry at this point is, what has been the increase of trade 

 resulting therefrom ? The tables of the United States census for 1850 

 are too far removed, in point of time, to furnish us with an approximate 

 estimate of the trade of 1859 ; we must wait until the completion of the 

 census of 1860 for such ofiicial data as would be required in a general 

 summary. A few statistics, however, will enable us to form an estimate 

 of its general progress. At the commencement of the present century not 



