Memowr of the Life of Eli Whitney. 239 
arms were ready for delivery ; at which time, the additional sum of 
five thousand dollars was to be advanced. Full payment was to be 
made on the delivery of each successive thousand, with occasional 
advances at the discretion of the Secretary. 
The expenses incurred in getting the establishment fully into ope- 
ration, must have greatly exceeded the expectation of the parties, for 
advances of ten and fifteen thousand dollars were successively made | 
by the government, above what was originally contemplated ; but 
the confidence of the government seems never to have been impair- 
ed; for the Secretary, after having examined Mr. Whitney’s works in 
person, declared to him, in the presence of witnesses, that the ad- 
vances which he had made had been laid out with great prudence 
and economy, and that the undertaker had done more, than he should 
have supposed possible with the sum advanced. 
he site which Mr. Whitney had purchased for his works, was at 
the foot of the celebrated precipice called East Rock, within two 
miles of New Haven. ‘This spot (which is now called Whitneyville) 
is justly admired for the romantic beauty of its scenery. A water- 
lof moderate extent, afforded here the necessary power for pro- 
pelling the machinery. In this pleasant retreat, Mr. Whitney com- 
menced his operations with the greatest zeal; but he soon became 
sensible of the multiplied difficulties which he had to contend with. 
A winter of uncommon severity set in early, and suspended his la- 
bors; and when the spring returned, he found himself so little ad-_ 
Yanced, that he foresaw that he should be utterly unable to deliver 
the four thousand muskets according to contract. In this predica- 
‘ment, he resolyed to throw himself on the indulgence of the enlight- 
ened Secretary of the treasury, to whom he explained at length the 
Vatious causes which had conspired to retard his operations. : 
“I find, says he, that my personal attention and oversight, are 
More Constantly and essentially necessary to every branch of the 
Work, than I apprehended. Mankind, generally, are not to be de- 
pended on, and the best workmen I can find are incapable of direct- 
"8 Indeed there is no branch of the work that can proceed well, 
Scarcely for a single hour, unless I am present.” 5 
At the end of the first year after the contract was made, instead 
of four thousand muskets, only five hundred were delivered, and it 
"as eight years, instead of two, before the whole ten thousand 
vee completed. ‘The entire business relating to the contract was 
ot closed until January, 1809, when, (so liberally had the govern- 
