422 Miscellanies. 



he commenced a course of instruction in chemistry, natural philoso- 

 phy, and astronomy. Among the gentlemen who attended his early 

 lectures, were the late Dr. Mitchell, President Vethake, G. C. Ver- 

 planck, Esq. and the late Dr. Bruce. 



Dr. Kemp of Columbia College, and Dr. Romeyn, were his firm 

 friends and patrons, as, indeed, were most of the prominent and sci- 

 entific men of our city at that time. In 1803, he delivered, in New 

 York, a course of lectures on natural philosophy, to a large class of 

 ladies, many of whom still remember the pleasure and profit they 

 derived from them. In 1805, when the yellow fever prevailed in 

 New York, Mr. Chilton was invited to deliver a course of lectures 

 on chemistry and natural philosophy at Newark, in which he suc- 

 ceeded to the satisfaction of his numerous hearers. 



He commenced the manufacture of the chrome yellow in 1808, 

 but had the greatest difficulty in prevailing upon the painters to make 

 trial of it. After their prejudices were overcome, the demand for 

 it rapidly increased, and had he but gone more largely into the 

 manufacture, he doubtless would have realized an independent for- 

 tune by it. He continued making it until the company at Baltimore 

 reduced the price so low that it became no longer a source of profit. 

 It is gratifying to his friends to observe, that even to this day a dollar 

 a pound is offered in New York, by several chair painters, for the ar- 

 ticle such as he used to manufacture ; the price of the chrome yel- 

 low commonly sold being but twenty eight cents. 



In 1811, he established a laboratory in New York, for the manu- 

 facture of the pigments of chrome, from the ore discovered a short 

 time before in the neighborhood of Baltimore, and also for the pre- 

 paration of the finer chemical articles. Shortly after the late war 

 with England was declared, he removed to Scotch Plains, in New 

 Jersey, to take charge of the powder mills of Decatur & Atterbury. 

 Here, however, he still continued the manufacture of chemical pro- 

 ducts, a laboratory having been provided for him by the proprietors of 

 the mills. In 1822 he returned to New York, and established him- 

 self as an operative chemist and analyst. He also manufactured and 

 imported materials and philosophical apparatus for numerous col- 

 leges and institutions of learning. Shortly after his return to New 

 York, he delivered, by invitation, a popular course of scientific lec- 

 tures to a large class, in St. Stephen's church in this city. In 1823 

 Prof. Silliman, who was prevented by ill health from attending to 

 the duties of his professorship, engaged Mr. Chilton to act as his 



