RHODE ISLAND TEXTILE INDUSTRY

This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 8/31/2004

A tremendous archive of approximately manuscript 2,100 letters from an important early textile state. The letters, 1843-1862, represent incoming correspondence from companies and individuals to P. Whitin & Sons, a Massachusetts textile machinery manufacturer. The numerous Rhode Island locales include (with estimated number of letters): Providence (800); Woonsocket (350); Pawtucket (250); Valley Falls (115); and Lonsdale (65). Among the other locales: Bristol, Newport, Albion, Warren, Rockville, Shamrock Mills and Coventry. The dozens of correspondents and companies include: Edward Walcott [Walcott Mf’g Co.]; James T. Rhodes [Clinton Mf’g Co.]; Henry Marchant [Valley Falls Co.]; Jacob Babbitt [Bristol Steam Mill]; Willis Cook [Woonsocket Furnace]; A. N. Beckwith [Dyerville Co.]; Edward Manton [Manton Mf’g Co.]; George Kilburn [Lonsdale Co.] and Samuel Bailey [Perry Mill.] This large archive primarily pertains to textile manufacturers and contains brief to lengthy letters dealing with machinery orders, innovations and industry related matters. Also present is material (letters and receipts) from a few Rhode Island machinery makers. Among the highlights are (19) letters related to the textile concerns of Rowland G. Hazard (1801-1888). They mainly deal with Hazard’s Carolina Mills, however one of the (10) ALSs by Hazard contains excellent philosophical content on the impending Civil War. [See below]. Another noted name appearing in the archive is James Salisbury Brown (1802-1879), a Pawtucket manufacturer and inventor who produced guns and related items during the Civil War. The (45) letters and receipts (non-gun related) from his company include 1857 letters pertaining to the sale of a steam engine. A printed 1856 billhead notes that Brown is a “Builder of All Kinds of Cotton Machinery and Iron Castings to Order.” Other highlights include letters and billheads (17 items) pertaining to pump and hydrant sales from Fales & Jenks; (43) letters plus three small drawings, Dexter Ballou & Co. (all appear to be ALSs of Dexter Ballou); (26) items, Edward Harris, noted Woonsocket pioneer; (30) ALSs, Jonathan Chace (and Jr.), Manville Mills; plus over three dozen letters containing hand drawn machinery related sketches. A small portion reads: J.M. Fisher, Steam Cotton Mf’g Co., Providence, Oct. 21, 1846 - “In my last letter I alluded to the looms of Mr. Nelson Slater. I have heard that the picker motion on them is very hard & dead & causes much trouble in breakage of levers etc. If you have made any improvement in it please give us the advantage of it. [Note: Contains small sketch of bobbins and creel rails.]; W. A. Howard, Providence, June 8, 1858 - “Our operaters at Arkwright have been out on a ‘Strike’ for the past three weeks and have again gone to work with the exception of our weavers. Your agents were at our place last week hiring that class of help & I think made agreements with several of our families. The objections to hiring our weavers at such a time must be very obvious to you & I leave the matter to your consideration hoping you will take such steps as you may deem just.” “R[owland] G. Hazard”, Peace Dale, 1p. ALS, quarto, Feb 16 [18]61 - “I am glad to learn that it will not be inconvenient to you to omit sending the machinery to Carolina Mills. We have reduced our present operations there within our present means of production…I hope we will get thro’ our political troubles without bloodshed. I do not think this can be averted by a humiliating submission at the North involving a dereliction of principle & my firm conviction is that we have not right to purchase our peace & care[?] by inflicting or permitting the infliction of a blighting curse upon the states yet to be formed from the territories. A firm adherence to principle without violence I think will be most likely to avail.”; Lyman A. Cook, Woonsocket, Dec 12, 1856 - “I recd yours of Dec 3d and would say in reply that as regards the use of my motion on your own looms…considering that your company have done much to introduce them I have not the slightest objection without cost to your firm…However if you think it for my interest to call the Patent 50c per loom for all you may have occasion to build for others say for weaving cotton goods you may do so. I would like to have you collect the Patent on all that go South…”; Lauriston Hall, Anthony Village, June 19, 1850 - “I have long deferred communicating with you on the subject of the slubbing and fly frames, hoping to be able to visit your place with Mr. Whitman that we might come to a settlement of his contract with me to set the frames up in a faithful and workmanlike manner. He has taken offence at me for repeating the substance of your complaint as to the doing of this work and refuses to go with me. My friend Genl Anthony has kindly volunteered to go with him, with the hope of preventing any further controversy between us.”; Edwd. D. Boit, Boston, Nov. 19, 1860 - “Your firm are making for our new mill [Oriental Mill] in North Providence certain machinery I believe, Lappers, Dressers & Warpers. I wish to suggest what we suppose will prove to be an improvement in the wood work of these machines… - viz - not to have the wood work pine painted & varnished but to substitute some natural wood which can be oiled & so not grow shabby so soon as paint does.”; Hy [Henry] Marchant, Valley Falls Co., Providence, March 5, 1846 - “I have at length concluded to allow you to complete the order for 112 looms…The 36 looms already engaged I presume are in a state of forwardness so as to be out by 1st September…”; “I do not know what Mr Walker is going to do with us or how his proposed reduction of the Tariff will affect us but if, as I suppose, we shall have to competition with John Bull - I shall want a good loom to do it successfully.”; E. H. Sprague, Globe Mills, Woonsocket, March 4, 1846 - “Your bill and note was rec’d with the Picker last night…I regret very much to say that the machine capsized near Blackstone Village, and broke, some parts of it pretty badly. I do not attach any blame to the teamer. I had some fears of its coming safe upon runners in the present unsafe state of the roads.”; S C Bailey [Perry Mill Co], Newport, Dec 11, 1862 - “I have in our picking room 3 of your lappers & one willow by Bacon. All of these machines are without blowers and of consequence the room is very dirty…On the other side I will give you a sort of sketch of the machines as they stand in the room. I prefer to blow it out on the North Side of the Mill. [Note: A 5” x 8” hand drawn sketch shows placement of machinery in picking room.]; Elisha Harris, Coventry, Dec 27, 1855 - “The prices of weaving are agitated in our quarter, and we should like to know what you are paying for one style of your goods, which, if we recollect right, are much the same as one of ours.”; “We are paying 34 ½ ct. per cut, which averages about 35 ½ yds. Our hooks for measuring the cloth from the looms are placed 37 in apart. We should like to have a description of your goods, & the price that you are paying.”; Holmes Mayhew, Fales & Jenks, Central Falls, Feb 10, 1849 - “The bearer called on us today and stated that the hose which you are using will not stand the force of the water thrown by your Force Pump. You will regulate the safety valve to the strength of your hose. Hose made of good leather ought to bear the weight...[Note: A Jan. 11, 1860 letter from this company contains a rough pencil sketch of gears wanted for a lapper.]; Jas A Rhodes, Lymanville Mf’g Co., Dec 1, 1858 - “I enclose a check on National Bank for $720, and now you can send the frames at your leisure. Your course could not well be more insulting, though your letter is courteously written, but I presume I ought only to blame the ‘prominent house’ you refer to…I can hardly think them guilty of so vile a slander…nor do I know of any except they bore the name of Chapin.”; O. A. Ballou, Clinton Mf’g Co., Woonsocket, March 8, 1851 - “Some six or eight weeks since in conversation with you in the cars I mentioned my desire of going to Europe this spring if I could induce you to accompany me, for the purpose of investigating the progress made in the manufacture of flax as prepared for cotton machinery by Mons. Claussen. As the prospect for the cotton business is by not means flattering and the experiments seem to be attended with success I think that a very fair opening is here presented… Claussen has a method of preparing the flax so as to make it into a short staple like cotton.” In addition to the letters, incl. are few dozen receipts (some quarto) and billheads. Some scattered flaws. Overall clean and VG+ condition. Postal covers not present.

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