396 



MEMOIR OF DANIEL TREADWELL. 



their appointment they made an examination of the weights and measures in the 

 Treasurer's office, and found such disagreements between the several weights as to 

 render them totally unfit for standards. An equal disagreement was found among 

 the measures of capacity. The rod which has been used as the standard of the yard 

 and ell, the only standard in lineal measure in the treasury, had been broken, and 

 reunited in a manner which had evidently increased its length. It further appeared 

 to the commissioners, that all the weights and measures were objectionable in form, 

 and imperfect in workmanship. They had, moreover, all been injured by corrosion, 

 and by long and careless use. 



Having learned that Mr. F. E. Hassler had been employed by order of the 

 Secretary of the Treasury in preparing for and making standard weights and measures 

 for the supply of the different custom-houses, and had in his possession a weight, 

 being a troy found, corresponding exactly with the pound of the English Exchequer, 

 and a yard measure corresponding with the British parliamentary standard of 1758, 

 one of the commissioners proceeded to Washington and procured from Mr. Hassler 

 a troy pound certified by him to be identical in weight with that of the United 

 States Mint, and likewise a pound avoirdupois weight, certified to contain 7,000 

 grains of the troy standard. These were duplicated by competent persons in 

 Boston. They were carefully examined by the commissioners, and found by them 

 to exhibit as near an agreement with the weights made by Mr. Hassler as was 

 attainable without a refinement of instruments and of workmanship to be procured 

 only at an expense which the commissioners did not consider themselves authorized 

 to incur. They were considered as deserving of entire confidence as standards. 

 Application was made for a copy of the standard yard, but it had not been obtained 

 when the commissioners made their report. 



In the course of the investigations upon which the above report was founded, it 

 was discovered that a discrepancy of one twentieth of a grain existed between the 

 troy pound furnished by Mr. Hassler to the committee, and that furnished by him 

 to the custom-house. This produced considerable discussion between Mr. Hassler and 

 the committee, which terminated very clearly in favor of the committee. 



In 1837, Professor Treadwell was solicited to take charge of the Amoskeag Mills 

 then about being built on the Merrimac River, at Manchester. The duty of laying om 

 and building canals, erecting factory buildings, and all the work attending the begin 

 ning of extensive manufactories, would of course devolve upon him. He declined 

 although the salary offered was very liberal, as appears by the following letter : 



