in this country, without the aid of any one patron in particular; what the result was is pretty well known. You are aware that before the introduction of the Arkwright process of manufacturing cotton, there had been attempts made by Mr. Brown to prepare yarns from cotton, on certain machines, to which he alludes in his letters of that period, for the purpose of filling upon linen warps. That these machines (for spinning only, for the carding was done in families, by hand) did not answer the purpose, appears from Moses Brown's own letter, as also that there were no persons who had seen the operation of the Arkwright machinery, and that all the machines which an attempt had unsuccessfully been made to operate previous to the year 1790, at Pawtucket, or elsewhere in the United States, could not have been profitably carried on with the greatest degree of skill, and must therefore have been abandoned, must be obvious to those who are acquainted with their utter worthlessness compared with the Arkwright machinery. I am very much gratified at the aspect of testimony in relation to the moral influence of manufacturing establishments, and think that the facts of the case cannot fail to weigh favourably upon the public mind."

Mr. Slater's connection with the Wilkinson family, as mentioned by Moses Brown and Tristram Burgess, was certainly a circumstance which led greatly to the promotion of business in Pawtucket. David Wilkinson became a machinist of great skill, and carried on the business in an extensive manner. He is a man of great enterprise and judgment, and his failure in 1829 was very much regretted. The capitalists of Rhode Island ought not to have allowed David Wilkinson to leave the state. But he is now planted at Caboose Falls, and that place has already felt the benefit of his business talents, and his ardent zeal in internal improvement.

Perhaps nothing will show more clearly the part which Moses Brown took in early life, than the following letter:

To Moses Brown, Esq.

PROVIDENCE, July 7th, 1791.

Sir, I take the liberty to send you the enclosed, being the copy of a letter which I received a day or two since, from the secretary of the treasury, and to request you to give me, as soon as convenient, in writing, such information as you may possess, (and which the secretary is solicitous to obtain,) on the subjects stated in his letter. You will readily conceive that a transmission of the information requested, to the secretary, may involve consequences favourable to the manufacturing interest in this state. I address myself to you on this subject with the more confidence from a full conviction, that as no one in the state has more at heart the encouragement of our

infant manufactures-has been more indefatigable and liberal in the establishment, improvement and use of them than yourself, so no one can possibly possess a more competent knowledge of their commencement, progress, and present state. I am, sir, your obedient servant,

JNO. S. DEXTER.

In connecting the name of Slater, with the first successful introduction of manufacturing machinery into this country, it will not be amiss to draw on the eloquence of a distinguished statesman of Rhode Island. Mr. Burgess remarks:—

"A circumstance worthy of the attention of the whole nation, and worthy also, of a fair page in her history, is the art and mystery of making cloth with machinery moved by water power. This was introduced into Rhode Island, and commenced in Pawtucket, four miles from Providence, about the same time that the American system was established, by the impost law of July 4th, 1789. Samuel Slater, an English mechanic of the first order of mental ability, brought this invention to Pawtucket. He could not bring out from England, models, draughts, or specifications. The whole art was treasured in his own mind; that alone, which could not be rummaged and pillaged by any custom-house regulation. He, on his arrival, addressed himself to Oziel Wilkinson and sons. They were blacksmiths, whose hands were as skilful as their minds were intelligent and persevering. I have often thought Divine Providence directed Slater, and brought him to lay his project before the Wilkinsons; because he had not fitted any other men in this country, with minds and abilities, either to see, and at once comprehend the immense benefit of it; or to understand and perform, what must be understood and performed, to bring this scheme into full and perfect operation. I will not detain the house to enumerate or even mention any benefits resulting to those who have, from that time to this, engaged in the cotton trade. What was the condition then, and what is now the condition, of the consumption of cotton cloths in your country? A yard of cloth, then, made by the wheel and loom, cost fifty, and never less than forty cents. It may now be had for nine or ten cents. A trade so productive of public benefit will be duty appreciated by all patriots. The law of July 4, 1789, was enacted by the almost unanimous voice of the whole nation. By this law the great scheme was commenced. The law of protection, enacted in 1816, was equally national; men from the east, the north, the south, and the west, equally supported the measure. The bill was laid before the house by the lamented Lowndes, of South Carolina. It was advo

cated, in every stage of its progress, by another distinguished individual of the same state. When it passed this house, Hall and Lumpkin of Georgia, Cannon and Powell of Tennessee, Basset and Barbour of Virginia, voted in favour of its passage. So far as the bill related to the cotton trade, it was enacted with the sole view to the protection of that great and increasing interest. It was then known and acknowledged, though it seems now to be forgotten, that this law for the protection of the cotton trade, was founded on a most able, luminous, and statesman-like report, made to that congress, by the chairman of the committee on commerce, another distinguished gentleman from Virginia, Mr. Newton."

In repeating the evidence, in relation to the foregoing facts, it appears that previous to 1790, the year in which Samuel Slater arrived in this country, there had been introduced into the United States, at Providence, New York, Beverly, Worcester, &c. "jennies," and "billies," with cards, for the spinning of cotton filling, to be wove into velverets, jeans, fustians, &c., with linen warps, chiefly by Scotish and Irish spinners and weavers; and the history of these times declares the imperfection of the above machinery to be such as to preclude the manufacture of cotton cloth, or cotton yarn for warps, and that there was a desire to import cotton yarn from India: that it was even inadequate and its operations deficient and expensive in its immediate application; and further, that under such difficulties and perplexities, it was entirely beyond the power of American manufacturers to compete with foreign goods introduced by British agents and American merchants, even when they received legislative aid, as they did at Beverly.

The citizens of Massachusetts-perplexed and involved in their incipient and imperfect attempts at the manufacturing of cotton goods, and fully aware of the importance of introducing a better system of machinery, which they knew to be in successful operation in England-exerted themselves to obtain a model of the Arkwright patent. But finding no person able to construct that series of machines, and unable to obtain one from England, in consequence of the heavy and severe penalties imposed by the British government on the exportation of mechanism, they entirely failed in their first attempts. In this downcast period of American manufactures, Samuel Slater, then in the employ of Strutt & Arkwright, having seen a premium offered by the Pennsylvania Society, for a certain machine to spin cotton, was induced to leave his native country and come to America. On his arrival, being informed that Moses Brown had made attempts in water spinning

at Providence, he immediately repaired thither. On viewing Moses Brown's machinery, he pronounced it worthless, and induced him to lay it aside. At this period, without the aid of a single individual skilled in making machinery, Samuel Slater constructed the whole series of machines on the Arkwright plan, and put it in operation so perfectly, as to supply all the establishments with cotton warps, superior to linen-and in fourteen months, Moses Brown informed the secretary of the treasury that machinery and mills could be erected within one year to supply the whole United States with yarn, and render its importation unnecessary. Such is the amount of evidence of the introduction of the Arkwright machinery into this country. If the manufacturing establishments are in reality a benefit and blessing to the Union, as Mr. Clay observes, the name of Slater must ever be held in grateful remembrance by the American people.

Mr. Slater began his machinery under every disadvantage; for though he had full confidence in his own remembrance of every part and pattern, and in his ability to perfect the work, according to his agreement, he found it difficult to get mechanics who could make any thing like his models.

His greatest perplexity was in making the cards; for which purpose he employed Phinney Earl, of Leicester, who had never before made any machine cards of that description. This circumstance gave rise to the published anecdote of his dream, by which it was said he had been extricated from his embarrassment. There is no wish to deny the possibility of such an occurrence, if such had been the fact; but I enquired of Mr. Slater, two years previous to his decease, and he assured me such was not the case. He related to me the reality of his obstructions:-after his frames were ready for operation, he prepared the cotton, and started his cards; the cotton rolled up, on the top cards, instead of passing through the small cylinder. This was a great perplexity to him, and he was for several days in great agitation. The family in whose house he boarded have since described his trial to me. When leaning his head over the fireplace, they heard him utter deep sighs, and frequently saw the tears roll from his eyes. The family had become interested in his favour. He said but little of his fears and apprehensions; but Mrs. Wilkinson perceived his distress, when she said to him, "art thou sick, Samuel ?" When he explained to the family the nature of his trial, he showed the point on which he was most tender :-" If I am frustrated in my carding machine, they will think me an impostor." He was apprehensive that no suitable cards could be obtained, short

of England--and from thence none were allowed to be exported.

After advising with Mr. Earl, and pointing out to him the defect, he perceived that the teeth of the cards were not crooked enough, as they had no good card leather, and were pricked by hand, the puncture was too large, which caused the teeth to fall back from their proper place. They beat the teeth with a piece of grindstone, which gave them a proper crook, and the machinery moved in order, to his great relief-and to the joy of his friends. Moses Brown told me, that the machinery was so much longer in preparation than he expected, that he was discouraged. Mr. Slater, knowing this anxiety, and that he was liable to lose the confidence of his partners by the complete failure on his first trial of the cards, and knowing that he could appeal to no one, who could judge of the correctness of the machinery, it was no wonder that he was distressed, or that it occupied his thoughts day and night-his sleeping and waking hours. This circumstance gave rise to the report of the dream.

Another rumour which has spread far and wide, calls for contradiction and explanation. It has been positively asserted, that the British government employed a person to assassinate Mr. Slater, by means of an infernal machine; similar, it is said, in its operation, to the one employed to attempt the life of Napoleon. I never believed this story worthy of any attention, till Mr. and Mrs. Slater made us a visit in Canterbury in 1827. His coachman told it as an undoubted truth among the inhabitants of the village; it received implicit credit, on account of the supposed knowledge of his driver, and it was spread as a Canterbury tale. I therefore applied to my friend for a correct exposition of the circumstance :-he assured me there was no ground whatever for such a representation. It arose from the circumstance of a box of clothes being sent him from England, and it was stopped in the custom-house in New York, which the following letter to Moses Brown, Providence, and endorsed by him will show.

PAWTUCKET, July 1st, 1790.

Sir-I have received letters from England that there is a box at New York with some clothes, which the officers have stopt, the impost not being paid. The clothes are new, but made for my use, and I supposed they would be free of duty. Should be glad if you would use such means as you think best, to get them with little or no duty, and oblige yours, &c.

SAMUEL SLATER.

N.B. I suppose there is more than a hundred dollars of clothes in the box.