_Pittsburgh.-- Economy.-- Mr. Rapp and his Society._
I was scarcely settled here before I received a visit from two German
residents, Mr. Bonnhorst, a justice of the peace, and Mr. Volz,
a merchant. These gentlemen accompanied me to indicate the most
remarkable places and manufactures of the city.
We visited a French glass-cutter, a very skilful man, who does a good
business; passed by the court-house, which is built opposite the
market-house in a half circle, and stopped at the glass factory of Mr.
Bakewell, in which fine flint glass is blown and ground. This crystal is
as clear, and nearly as good as the English. The processes used in such
a manufactory are known; but I wondered at the celerity with which the
different articles are made. Glass-cutting, as is well known, is a
difficult work, and requires skilful artists, which are still rare in
this country, and very dear. We visited a paper manufactory belonging to
Mr. Baldwin, which is arranged in the usual manner: thence we went to an
eminence which overlooks the city, called Grant’s Hill, after an English
General Grant, who, during the seven years’ war, was slaughtered here
along with his troops, by the Indians.
The French, about the middle of the preceding century, had built a fort
on the point of land, immediately at the confluence of the two rivers,
called Duquesne. The English found this fortification annoying, and
hence arose the occurrences which subsequently produced the seven years’
war. This place has the highest interest to every European soldier.
General Grant wished to obtain possession of Fort Duquesne, and besieged
it from the height which still bears his name. He however kept a
miserable guard, was surprised, and paid with his own life, and that of
his men, for his negligence. From this hill, one may behold, at a view,
the three vallies of the Alleghany, Monongahela and Ohio.
Rapp’s society, after leaving New Harmony, chose a new situation which
they named Economy. This is eighteen miles from Pittsburgh. I intended
to visit it on the following day, but on this evening, (May 17,) I was
surprised by a visit from Mr. Frederick Rapp, adopted son of the founder
of the Society, who gave me an invitation to pay their establishment a
visit. We therefore went willingly at ten o’clock, next morning,
accompanied by Messrs. Bonnhorst and Volz, to Economy, whither Mr.
F. Rapp preceded us.
We reached the Alleghany bridge, which is built of wood, roofed, and
supported upon five stone piers. The foot-walks are separated from the
wagon-road, and are open on one side, so that foot passengers are not
incommoded by the dust from the inside of the bridge. On the opposite
side is a little village called Alleghany town, laid out upon a great
scale, but on account of the proximity of Pittsburgh, it will with
difficulty attain any importance: in former years, the Indians, which
then thickly hovered about the right bank of the Alleghany and Ohio,
were a powerful obstacle to the increase of this place. On the heights
stand elegant country houses. Farther off ran the road, which was bad
enough, near to the right bank of the Ohio, through a wonderfully lovely
landscape. The valley strongly reminds one of the Maas Valley between
Namur and Lüttich; it is beautifully cultivated; the farms lie close
together; the green hills, and groups of sugar maples and acacias have a
most beautiful appearance. The latter were beginning to blossom, and
filled the air with perfume.[II-30] In the Ohio we saw Neville’s island,
which is about seven miles long and one broad, and is well cultivated.
Over two little creeks we passed upon well kept, roofed bridges, and
reached Economy at two, P. M. This place lies on a bluff fifty feet
above the low water mark of the Ohio. Behind the village are some hills
containing springs, whence the water is conveyed in pipes to Economy.
[Footnote II-30: In the year 1826, I enjoyed _three_ springs; the
first about the end of February at New Orleans, the second at New
Harmony and Louisville, and the third in the state of Ohio, and
west Pennsylvania.]
In approaching Economy we passed two burning brick-kilns; then we came
to a newly-built house, at which stood three men with horns, who began
to blow on our arrival. At the inn, a fine large frame house, we were
received by Mr. Rapp, the principal, at the head of the community. He is
a gray-headed, and venerable old man; most of the members emigrated
twenty-one years ago from Wurtemberg, along with him. After our first
greeting, we were conducted into a simple but tastefully arranged
apartment. We conversed together for a time, and then all set down to
dinner. The table was furnished with German dishes, over which reigned a
jocund heartiness.
Having been prejudiced against Mr. Rapp and his society, by what I had
read, and more recently heard at New Harmony, I was much rejoiced at
having visited this place, to be better informed by personal
observation. Never have I witnessed a more truly patriarchal
constitution than here, and men’s actions speak best for their
regulations, and for the concord prevailing among them.
The elder Rapp is a large man of seventy years old, whose powers age
seems not to have diminished; his hair is gray, but his blue eyes
overshadowed by strong brows, are full of life and fire; his voice is
strong, and his enunciation full, and he knows how to give a peculiar
effect to his words by appropriate gesticulation. He speaks a Swabian
dialect, intermixed with a little English, to which the ear of a German
in the United States must become accustomed; generally, what he says is
clearly and plainly delivered.
Rapp’s system is nearly the same as Owen’s. Community of goods, and all
members of the society to work together for the common interest, by
which the welfare of each individual is secured. Rapp does not hold his
society together by these hopes alone, but also by the tie of religion,
which is entirely wanting in Owen’s community; and results declare that
Rapp’s system is the better. No great results can be expected from
Owen’s plan, and a sight of it is very little in its favour. What is
most striking and wonderful of all, is that so plain a man as Rapp can
so successfully bring and keep together a society of nearly seven
hundred persons, who in a manner honour him as a prophet. Equally so for
example in his power of government, which can suspend the intercourse of
the sexes. He found that the society was becoming too numerous,
wherefore the members agreed to live with their wives as sisters. All
nearer intercourse is forbidden, as well as marriage; both are
discouraged. However, some marriages constantly occur, and children are
born every year, for whom there is provided a school and teacher. The
members of the community manifest the very highest degree of veneration
for the elder Rapp, whom they address and treat as a father.
Mr. Frederick Rapp is a large good-looking personage, of forty years of
age. He possesses profound mercantile knowledge, and is the temporal, as
his father is the spiritual chief of the community. All business passes
through his hands; he represents the society, which, notwithstanding the
change in the name of their residence, is called the _Harmony_ Society,
in all their dealings with the world. They found that the farming and
cattle-raising, to which the society exclusively attended in both their
former places of residence, were not sufficiently productive for their
industry, they therefore have established factories, which in this
country are very profitable, and have at present cotton and woollen
manufactories, a brewery, distillery, and flour-mill. They generally
drink, during their good German dinners, uncommonly good wine, which was
made on the Wabash, and brought thence by them: they left the worst,
as I have remarked, at New Harmony.
After dinner we visited the village, which is very regularly arranged,
with broad rectangular streets, two parallel to the Ohio, and four
crossing them. On the 22d of May it will be but two years since the
forest was first felled upon which _Economy_ is built; the roots still
remaining in the streets are evidences of the short time that has
elapsed. It is astonishing what united and regulated human efforts has
accomplished in so short a time!
Many families still live in log-houses, but some streets consist almost
entirely of neat, well-built frame houses, at proper distances from each
other, each house has a garden attached to it. The four-story cotton and
woollen factories are of brick; Mr. Rapp’s dwelling-house, not yet
completed, and a newly-begun warehouse, are also to be of brick. The
log-houses stand in the rear of the line which the new houses are to
occupy in the street, so that when in time they wish to erect brick
buildings, it may be done without incommoding the tenants of the log
dwellings. Mr. Rapp’s residence speaks rather freely against the
equality he preaches to his people, yet without exciting jealousy or
becoming a stumbling block. It consists of a principal building two
stories high, with two lower wings standing in the same line, and is
adorned with beautiful Philadelphia paper. At the back of the house is a
piazza and balcony. There is also a garden containing several acres with
flowers and vegetables, as well as a vineyard, situated on a
terrace-shaped half circle on the hill, ending in a bower. I especially
admired the beautiful tulips of this garden, in the midst of which is a
round basin with a noble spring. Mr. Rapp intends to build a temple
here, in which he will place a statue of Harmony: the statue is now
ready. It is the work of a carver in Philadelphia, and is a colossal
wooden figure, like the figure-head of a ship. In the garden are several
cottages, one of them is roofed with sods, and is used for a pastry
house. On the top is a sort of seat, where hereafter musicians are to
sit; within there is a temporary frame hall. Near the garden is the
green-house; this house, as well as the garden, is under the inspection
of a very pretty girl, Miss Hildegard, a relative of Mr. Rapp, and
possessed of much botanical knowledge. The women of this community have
all preserved their Swabian costume, even to their straw hats, and they
look very becomingly.
In the cotton and woollen factories, all the machinery is set in motion
by a high-pressure engine of seventy horse-power, made in Pittsburgh.
The machine pumps the water from a well fifty feet deep, sunk for the
purpose. The community possesses some fine sheep, among which are many
Merino and Saxon: they purchase wool, however, from the surrounding
farmers, who have already begun to raise it to bring to Economy. As soon
as the wool is washed, it is picked by the old women of the community,
who work in the fourth story, whence it is reconveyed by a sort of
tunnel into the lower story. The wool is then separated according to its
quality into four classes, dyed together in the dye-house near the
manufactory, returned to the mill, where it is combed, coarsely spun,
and finally wrought into fine yarn by a machine similar to the spinning
jenny. As soon as spun, it is placed in the loom and wrought into cloth,
this is placed in a steam fulling-mill, so arranged that the steam from
the engine is made to answer the purpose of soap and fuller’s earth,
which is a great saving. The cloth is shorn by means of a cylinder, upon
which a strong piece of steel turns. There is a model of this
shearing-machine in the patent-office at Washington. The woollen goods
most in demand in this country, are blue middling, grey mixed,
(principally used for pantaloons,) and red and white flannel cloths. The
red flannels are in great demand.
The cotton factory is employed in spinning and weaving. The printing of
cottons has not yet been attempted, as the stamps cannot be procured
without great expense and difficulty, and the fashions of printed calico
are very changeable. The coloured cottons wove here are blue and white,
mixed; a stuff of this colour much in demand in Tennessee, is called
cassinet, the chain of which is of cotton, and the filling of wool. The
spinning machines are of the common kind, each of which have one hundred
and fifty spools at work. The first machine, which does the coarse
spinning, has been much improved, so as to save a great deal of manual
labour. There are also some power-looms here, though not many, neither
have they at present but one dressing machine. Many of the machines are
made in Pittsburgh; most of them, however, at Economy. As this
establishment has been so recently founded, it is natural enough that
but few machines should be prepared or in operation. The factories and
workshops are warmed during winter by means of pipes connected with the
steam-engine. All the workmen, and especially the females, have very
healthy complexions, and moved me deeply by the warm-hearted
friendliness with which they saluted the elder Rapp. I was also much
gratified to see vessels containing fresh, sweet-smelling flowers
standing on all the machines. The neatness which universally reigns
here, is in every respect worthy of praise.
After visiting these interesting factories, we went to Mr. Rapp’s
temporary dwelling, a good frame house, in order to take tea. I saw here
his unmarried, rather faded daughter, and his blooming grandchild,
Gertrude, the daughter of his only son, concerning whose death such
strange reports are circulated. The table was decorated with beautiful
silver plate, and Rapp appeared to be rejoiced, to indicate by its
possession, his well-merited prosperity. He commenced his business, as
he informed me, with very slender means; when he began at New Harmony,
he had to contend with the bitterest want, and more than once, had not
bread for his community. He sent Frederick Rapp to Pittsburgh, to
procure store goods, and absolutely necessary provisions, upon credit.
The latter found himself generally repulsed, and remained the whole
night awake in Pittsburgh, lamenting the cruelty of mankind. The elder
Rapp, who waited in vain for his return, went to his house, also
lamenting his situation, but not in the least doubtful of Providence,
who watched over him and his; nor was his confidence misplaced. The
heart of one Pittsburgh merchant was moved; he could not rest during the
night for having so scornfully dismissed Mr. Rapp. He sought him early
in the morning, took him to his store, and offered him whatever was
necessary upon credit. In this manner was the society rescued. This
worthy merchant some time after suffered in his business, and on this
unfortunate occasion, the grateful Harmony society assisted him in a
very generous manner.
We spent the evening likewise with Mr. Rapp. He collected the musical
members of the society, and entertained us with music. Miss Gertrude
played upon the piano, and three of the girls sang; the other
instruments were violins, a violoncello and two flutes. The music was
really not so good as we had heard in the preceding autumn at Bethlehem;
but gave us much entertainment. Mr. Bonnhorst also delighted us with his
fine performance on the violin. The music was principally directed by a
German physician, named Müller, who belongs to the community, and also
has charge of the school.
The next morning we went with both the Messrs. Rapp through the village.
We visited the distillery, in which good whiskey is made, which is in
much demand in the neighbouring places. None is made use of in the
village itself, as the members of the society have mutually agreed to
abstain from the use of distilled liquors. This distillery feeds many
swine and horned cattle, which produce the society a handsome profit.
The beer brewery from lack of barley, made beer of wheat; this brewery
was not in operation. The flour-mill, not yet completed, is to be worked
by a steam-engine, and is to be arranged like the Baltimore steam-mill.
In a short time four sets of stones will be in operation, and an oil
mill is also to be connected therewith. As careful managers, the
directors of the society, in the upper part of the mill, which is five
stories high, put away grain enough for a year, in order to be secured
against scarcity, which is even in this happy country much to be
dreaded. In the mill as well as in the factories, in each story there is
a great iron cylinder, filled with water, which is thus at hand in case
of fire. The society possesses a fire-engine of their own making, and
have organized a fire company to work it.
We examined the workshops of the black and locksmiths, which are under
the same shed, and then the joiner’s and cooper’s; we especially
observed the marks of actual and filial respect which is borne towards
the elder Rapp by his young people. The warehouse was also shown to us,
where the articles made here for sale or use are preserved; and I
admired the excellence of all. The articles for the use of the society
are kept by themselves, as the members have no private possessions, and
every thing is in common, so must they in relation to all their personal
wants be supplied from the common stock. The clothing and food they make
use of, is of the best quality. Of the latter, flour, salt meat, and all
long keeping articles are served out monthly; fresh meat on the
contrary, and whatever spoils readily, is distributed whenever it is
killed, according to the size of the family, &c. As every house has a
garden, each family raises its own vegetables, and some poultry, and
each family has also its own bakeoven. For such things as are not raised
in Economy, there is a store provided, from which members with the
knowledge of the directors, may purchase what is necessary, and the
people of the vicinity may also do the same. The warehouse and store are
for the present in wooden buildings, but in a short time the requisite
brick buildings will be erected.
Under Mr. Rapp’s new house we found a fine roomy cellar, in which he
gave us a very good glass of old Rhenish wine, and also some good wine
made on the Wabash, of which he had twenty-one casks. I tasted a very
dark and powerful wine, made from wild grapes, which grew on an island
in the Wabash. For the first three years it is said that this wine
cannot be drank on account of its sourness; this has been in casks for
eight years and is so much improved, that it now is similar to old
Hungarian wine.
As we passed along we saw a small deer park, in which the elder Rapp had
amused himself in taming some bucks and does, which would eat out of his
hand. We saw also here a noble young moose deer, which was as large as a
stout ox. He is also very tame, but during the _season_ is dangerous.
Mr. Rapp finally conducted us into the factory again, and said that the
girls had especially requested this visit, that I might hear them sing.
When their work is done they collect in one of the factory rooms, to the
number of sixty or seventy, to sing spiritual and other songs. They have
a peculiar hymn-book, containing many hymns from the Wurtemberg
psalm-book, and others written by the elder Rapp. The latter are truly
in prose, but have been arranged to old tunes by the girls.[II-31] The
elder Rapp is very fond of psalmody, and the girls must devote
themselves considerably thereto, since Gertrude is a proficient and
receives musical instruction. A chair was placed for the old patriarch,
who sat amidst the girls and they commenced a hymn in a very delightful
manner. It was naturally symphonious and exceedingly well arranged. The
girls sang four pieces, at first sacred, but afterwards by Mr. Rapp’s
desire, of gay character. With real emotion did I witness this
interesting scene.
[Footnote II-31: In this hymn-book are some pieces, which, if the
perfect child-like innocence of these maidens be not recollected,
might appear rather scandalous. For instance, there is a literal
translation of the song of Solomon, among others.]
We had an excellent dinner in Mr. Rapp’s house, and the musical members
of the society took this opportunity to play their best in front of it.
The band consisted of twelve musicians, and performed very well, among
them were two who played bugles. Both the Rapp’s, and especially the
elder, advised me strongly to settle in their neighbourhood, and
purchase at ten miles hence, the Beaver Falls on Beaver creek, for
twenty-five thousand dollars. There I might establish iron works, said
they, and make a great deal of money; they and their society would
assist me in every possible manner!
With peculiar feelings we took leave of the friendly and industrious
Economy, at three o’clock. No payment was received at the tavern, and we
set out through the same beautiful places by which we had come towards
Pittsburgh. Mr. F. Rapp, who had business there, followed us,
accompanied by Gertrude. During this ride I had another opportunity of
admiring the beautiful rocks as we passed by, and particularly the
caverns, probably made in them by water, which remind one of the little
caves near Ems, on the Lahn.
We stopped at Alleghany town to examine the new and unfinished
penitentiary, which is arranged according to the system of solitary
confinement. The whole is surrounded by a high hexagonal wall. The
principal building, which is of sandstone, is three stories high. This
is to contain the residence of the superintendent, the offices and
infirmary. On two of the other angles of the hexagon are high round
towers, from which the interior of the house can be overlooked, where
the guards are to be stationed. Behind the principal building in the
court-yard, stands a smaller building, containing, besides many cells
for the convicts, the kitchen and wash-house. In a circle which is
interrupted by the above mentioned buildings, stands a one-story
building, containing convict cells, which has one row of entrances near
the inner circular yard, and the other towards the space enclosed by the
hexagonal walls. Each cell is eight feet long by six broad. It contains
a bench, and receives its light through an opening secured by an
external iron grate; within this is a wooden door, which the prisoner
can, at his pleasure, open or shut. Before each cell is a very small
open space. The cells are floored, and provided with iron rings to which
the prisoners may be secured if necessary. These unfortunates have
neither light nor room enough to work; I was informed that each prisoner
was to be allowed to enjoy the fresh air for fifteen minutes daily. In
this way, this new system can scarcely have any other result than that
of destroying the health of the convicts. The prison contains one
hundred and ninety-six cells, and it is said, that next autumn the first
victims are to be sacrificed to a mistaken philanthropy.[II-32] The
expense of maintaining these prisoners, who are not permitted to earn
any thing, will necessarily be considerable.
[Footnote II-32: [It is to be hoped that the able and luminous
report of the commissioners appointed by the state, to make
inquiries on the subject of penitentiary discipline, will be
sufficient to correct the glaring errors of this _new system_;
which like most of the new systems of the present day, is clearly
proved thereby to be more specious than beneficial. The evidence
accumulated by the commissioners is of a character to satisfy
every candid mind, not chained to the support of a particular
theory, that solitary confinement without labour, is unequal in
operation, inadequate to the end proposed, and promises to be as
destructive to human life as it is discordant to humane
feelings.]--TRANS.]
On the 20th of May I went with Mr. F. Rapp, who still remained in
Pittsburgh with Gertrude, to visit some manufacturing establishments.
We crossed the Monongahela near its mouth, in a skiff, to a salt-work on
the left bank. With the earth-borer invented in England, and improved in
America, they found salt water at the depth of a hundred feet. As this
water was thought to be too weak, a pipe was placed in the well, and
bored in another place, until at the depth of a hundred feet a
sufficiently strong brine was obtained. The salt water collected and
rose to the top. It is now pumped out by a small steam-engine into a
boiler, where it is boiled for four hours. It is then poured into a
large vat, to the depth of eight inches. It stands in this vat four
hours; a little alum is added to precipitate earthy impurities. Hence,
by a cock situated above the level of the precipitated matters, the
fluid is drawn off into various kettles, in which the now pure brine is
again boiled for four hours. Now the white salt begins to form, and is
skimmed off with large iron ladles. This is a very simple process, saves
expense and room, and appears to me far better than our great
salt-houses. In returning to the city, we saw many iron-works, of which
there are eight in the city and vicinity. One of them is a nail factory;
the nail-cutting machine acts from above, and the workmen holds the rod
to be cut with a pair of tongs, and has to move it at every stroke;
a hammer strikes the nail which falls through in such a manner as to
form the head. We also saw a steam-engine manufactory of considerable
extent. I had seen such an establishment previously in England, but as
most of the machines are made here in parts, one cannot see a great
deal. What most interested me was a double lever, by which the holes are
punched in iron plates for the boilers, which are riveted together;
a work which requires a great degree of exactness.
We next visited the Union Rolling-mill, near the city, on the bank of
the Monongahela; here also is a nail factory. In the patent-office at
Washington I saw upwards of seventy different models of nail-making
machines. In this factory they were cut by horizontally moving shears,
and at the same time the heads were formed by a hammer. A workman can
make a hundred and fifty pounds of the smaller kind of nails daily. The
preparation of the iron plates from which cut nails are made is very
interesting. The crude pig iron is made white hot in the furnace; it is
thence taken and rolled seven times through, between two iron cylinders,
which are screwed closer together after every revolution. It is then
passed seven times more between two narrow cylinders, which are also
screwed closer after each time the plate passes. By this time the pig is
reduced to a plate less than a quarter of an inch thick. This plate is
again made red-hot, and finally passed between two cylinders, which are
just as broad as the length of the nails to be cut. The piece in the
upper cylinder passes directly in one cut to the lower, where the broad
red-hot plate is cut into as many strips as are wanted. The very
smallest of these are used for making wire. This machinery is set in
motion by a large steam-engine, which works the bellows for the
different furnaces and forges. The whole reminded me of the colossal
iron-works I saw three years ago in South Wales.
Mr. Rapp accompanied me also to a sieve-maker, who weaves iron and brass
wire, &c. which is done in a loom something like, but longer than a
cloth-loom, in order to extend the wire properly. This one was
twenty-five feet long. Our last visit was to an iron foundry, where,
during our stay, different articles, grates and smoothing irons were
cast. The smoothing irons were cast four in a mould, and while still
red-hot were knocked asunder.
In the evening we went to the United States arsenal, two miles from the
city, on the Philadelphia road; it is under the command of Major
Churchill of the artillery, who received us at his house and introduced
us to his wife, and four lovely children. This establishment contains a
place of about four acres, lying between the road and the river
Alleghany: the front consists of a large four-story main building, of
sandstone, and two smaller buildings, one of which is the residence of
the directors and the other of the sub-directors. On entering the
court-yard, one sees that the side of the quadrangle facing the front
contains three buildings not yet inhabited, which are barracks, and four
others, workshops for the repair of arms, &c. opposite to these are two
buildings in which are the smith and wheelwright shops. Except the three
fronts, all the buildings are of bricks. The arms are kept in the main
building, where there may be about twenty thousand stand; most of them
are packed in chests: those not packed up, are very tastefully arranged
in the hall, as trophies, &c. An arch of steel is formed over this hall
by eighteen hundred muskets, which has a very beautiful appearance. Both
the adjoining buildings are connected with the centre by roofed
passages, under which are kept cannon of various calibers; most of these
are English, and trophies of the late Commodore PERRY’S victory on Lake
Erie.
The 21st of May, was Sunday, and at twelve o’clock, I went with Mr.
Bonnhorst to the Episcopal church. I have generally remarked that most
of the fashionable people in the United States, either belong to the
Episcopal church, or at least prefer to attend service there on Sunday.
It is in Pittsburgh _style_ to go to this church, while it would be
unfashionable to visit the Methodist meeting, to which most of the lower
class of people belong. It is a luxury to have a pew in the Episcopal
church, and an especial politeness to invite a stranger to take a seat
in it. I sat in Mr. Bonnhorst’s pew, which was rather full, and the air
hot. In consequence of this, I was much incommoded by the frequent
kneelings, as well as by the long psalms, which were sung standing.
We had a very good discourse from a rather youthful preacher upon the
subject of the Trinity, this being Trinity Sunday. The service lasted
two hours.
Afterwards we paid a visit to Mr. Baldwin, a distinguished lawyer. This
gentleman was formerly a member of congress, and had paper and iron
factories in the vicinity; he however speculated largely, and in five
weeks became a bankrupt. However, Mr. Baldwin lost nothing in public
estimation; his practice as a lawyer produced him a very handsome
income. He walked with us to the point where the Alleghany and Ohio
unite, the former situation of Fort Duquesne, of which no trace now
remains. The English did nothing for this fort, as in the year 1759, it
was evacuated by the French, who could no longer obtain aid from Canada.
The English then demolished the fort, and built one of earth, somewhat
in rear of the old one, called Fort Pitt, whence the name of the city is
derived. Fort Pitt, of which some remains of the walls and a barracks,
now form part of an iron work, appears to have been a pentagon resting
upon both rivers. During the American revolutionary war, this fort,
which was no longer of importance, was abandoned by the English.
Next day Messrs. Craft and Volz, accompanied me to the cotton factory of
Adams, Allen & Co. Mr. Craft is one of the principal proprietors of the
firm, which does an extensive business, notwithstanding its recent
establishment. The building is of brick, four stories high, and has two
wings standing at right angles. This factory employs two hundred people
daily. All the machinery is worked by a steam-machine of seventy-five
horse-power. The machinery is similar to that in Economy, and the
fabrics made at Economy are copied from this factory, &c. I saw nothing
particularly new, except the machine which picks the cotton, and thus
saves a great deal of filthy manual labour. During winter the factory is
warmed by steam, throughout.
After examining this interesting factory, we went to the Juniata
foundry, belonging to Mr. Schöneberger. It was a holy-day, as the men
were training in the militia. The militia system is neither popular in
this country nor profitable: the militia are trained for two days in the
year, of course they can learn very little; the manufacturers lose the
work of their people, and the workmen lose their pay. Neither is the
Pittsburgh militia uniformed nor armed. The only operation we witnessed
to-day at the Juniata works, was the grinding of the cast
smoothing-irons, which was done first by stone, and then by wooden
wheels, turned by a horse-mill.
We afterwards visited Mr. Volz, and saw a domestic warehouse containing
all home manufactured articles; a really interesting museum of western
industry to strangers. All the fabrics of the city and vicinity are
brought here and offered for sale on commission. The articles are
chiefly cast and wrought iron wares, all the utensils necessary for
cotton or woollen factories, dye-houses &c., and various sorts of pure
white, white and blue mixed, or plain blue cotton stuffs, but no printed
calico. Some of the woollen cloths were very fine, and sold for seven
dollars a yard; they were made at Steubenville. A good lasting dye-stuff
for wool is still to be desired. I saw here some newly-invented locks;
fine steelware is not very abundant, and the cutlery business is still
in its infancy.
Finally, we visited Mr. Eichbaum, seventy-six years old; he is a
glass-cutter, father of the owner of a wire factory, and postmaster of
the city. By his skill and industry he has amassed a very handsome
fortune. He was formerly in Carlsruhe, and boasted much of the court of
Baden, and particularly of the wife of the Margrave.