PLATE 21.
PLATE 22.
Vol. 11.
PLATE 23.
Vol   11.
ROCKAWAY   WITH   HIGH   DOORS  AND   WINDOWS.—4 in. scale.
Designed expressly for  the New  York Cmich-maker's Magazine.
Explained on page 88.
PLATE 24.
Vo]. 11.
•
NO-PERCH    BUGGY. — | in. scale.
Designed expressly for the New  York  Coach-maker's 3/acaz-ne.
Explained on page 88.
TWO-SEATED    OPEN    WAGON. — \  in.   scale
Designed expressly   for the New  York Coach-maker'1 s Magazine
Explained on page 8P.
DEVOTED   TO   THE   LITERARY,   SOCIAL,   AND  MECHANICAL  INTERESTS  OF  THE  CRAFT.
Vol.   XI.
NEW   YORK,   NOVEMBER,   1869.
INTo. 6.
IJUrJjaitical
BLOCKING PANELS.
There is no subject more worthy the attention of the
craft, than an effectual method for preventing the working
of panels in the groove of a paneled job. Having had
considerable experience in this class of work, I propose
in this article to give the modus operandi, not claiming it
as original with myself, but having ascertained the utility
of the mode by mere accident.
In the winter of 1853 I was called upon to put in two
new side sills, and re-panel a twelve-passenger stage-
coach, of Concord, New Hampshire. In tearing out the
old sills I found them completely rotten where they had lain
upon the thorough-braces, but still the panels kept their
places in the groove, showing neither paint cracks nor loos-
ening of the panel on the line of the molding at the sill
or pillars. Searching for the cause of this, I found that
at intervals of one inch there were small corner blocks of
pine glued to the inside of the panels, sills, and pillars.
Since then I have adopted the plan, and I have never been
mortified by seeing my panels work in the groove. I
also use the blocks on my quarter .panels, after clamping
on, wherever practicable, running my canvas or scrim up
over the blocks, on to the sills, pillars, and arm-rails.
Fellow-bodymakers, you who have not given it a trial,
do so, and you will find your bodies more durable.
j. b. p.
TREATISE ON THE WOODWORK OF CAR-
RIAGES.
{Continued from page 71.)
CHAPTER.   FIRST.----PART FIRST.
Representation of Bodies.—XXXVIII. Two dif-
ferent systems are employed in order to represent the
bodies: which are the perspective and the geometrical
drawing.
The object of the first system is to represent the ob-
jects on a surface, in a manner as they would appear in
reality, if looked at through a transparent substance.
The result of that definition is, that if straight lines are
Vol. xi.—11
drawn from all the surrounding points and visible edges
of the object in view, toward the eye of the spectator,
the spot where all those lines would pierce the trans-
parent sheet would produce a drawing on it that would
present the same form as the object itself.
Perspective drawing expresses the form of objects,
but generally it does not furnish the dimensions nor the
size of angles formed by the various component parts re-
spectively. In many cases, therefore, it would not suffice
for the reproduction of an object exactly like the one it
represents. Therefore we shall merely make use of this
system of representation to demonstrate the positions of
lines and surfaces on which the problems, already men-
tioned in the preliminary remarks, are brought to bear.
XXXIX. The object of geometrical drawing is to
represent objects in such a manner that all their parts
are shown in their proper size, or reduced according to
the same scale. This system is not so well adapted as the
perspective drawing, when it is required to impart a
general idea of the form of objects, that is, the form
is not so clearly manifested to the eye; but persons fa-
miliar with this method can easily deduct the different
figures of the plan, the elevation, and the section.
The object to be drawn can exist in reality or not; in
the first case, in order to represent it, all the dimensions
of the various component parts must be taken, either in
their natural size or according to an adopted scale. If
the object does not really exist, it is a plan to be con-
ceived, and in this case it is necessary to have a complete
idea of it, to foresee the dimensions, the form of all its
parts, and the angles formed respectively by the com-
ponent parts, as if it existed in reality. In either case
the aim to be attained is the same; that is, the execution
of a geometrical drawing representing the object.
XL. Bodies are distinguished by their apparent faces
or surfaces; * the faces are bounded by lines, and the
lines are limited by points.    Consequently in  the body
* The different, sides representing the bodies are designated by the term faces,
for instance the bottom face, the top face, the side face, the back face, and the
front face. Without particular reference in respect to those faces, the word sur-
face is generally used when allusion is made to the covering of any particular part
under consideration. For instance, in indicating any particular part of the shell of
the] phaeton (Fig. 28), we should first indicate the position of that part, and then
the form it assumes. We should, therefore, say that face L of the side is a plane
surface bounded by the lines A B, B C, C D, D A. Some parts of the shell, how-
ever, cannot be distinguished by their face, such, for instance, as the rounding of a
phaeton, the sides of which are not separated from the back. In such cases the
term surface is employed, and hence the reason for using the two terms, face and
surface,
82
THE    NEW   YORK   COACH-MAKER'S   MAGAZINE.
November,
If, 28
of the phaeton represented in perspective (Fi°- 28) we
find the face L on the side, the face M underneath' the
face N on the back; these different faces are separated
respectively by the lines A B, B E, B C, which are their
line of intersection or edges, two and two. The top face
is not seen on the drawing; but the lines C D, C F,
which form the intersection with the faces L and N suf-
ficiently define its position. The lines A B, B E, B C,
C F, G D, are limited at their points of meeting b'y the
points B and C, which are their points of intersection.
The conjunction of several faces or surfaces in one
and the same point, forms an angle, that is styled the
solid angle. Therefore the point B, the intersection of
the lines A B, B C, B E (Fig. 28), is the solid angle of
the faces L, M, N. At least three faces or surfaces are
necessary to form a solid angle.
From the foregoing, it will be seen that the represen-
tation of bodies consists simply in reproducing, on a sheet
of paper: 1st, the points situated at the solid angles;
2d, the lines of intersection of surfaces the extremities of
which are determined by the solid angles.
XLI. A body can be limited by surfaces of two
kinds, planes or curves. The intersection of two surfaces
takes place by a straight line (Art. 31). Therefore the
faces L, M, N of the phaeton being plane surfaces, their
lines of intersection A B, B E, B C, are straight lines.
The intersection of a plane surface and a curved surface,
or of two curved surfaces, is a curved line, unless the
curved surfaces are of that kind upon which a square can
be brought to bear in one sense. The intersection would
be a straight line if the two surfaces met in such a man-
ner that a square could be applied to each one. For in-
stance, the rounding O of a phaeton (Fig. 28) is bound
by a curved surface on which a square can be set, in
respect to its height, and the intersection a b of that
rounding with the plane Q, which we take to be placed
vertically on the axis of the body, is a straight line.
XLII. The drawings can be executed either on a sheet
of paper, stretched on a plank, on a table, or on a wall.
Whatever surface is selected, care must be taken that it
is level, in order to secure the greatest precision. This is
evidently the reason why the word plan is used to ex-
press drawings made in respect to the execution of the
objects they represent.
XL1II. The contracted practice of measuring length
and  breadth by directions parallel to the horizon, and
height by the direction of
a plumb line, has naturally
caused the horizontal and
vertical positions to be se-
lected for those of the planes
of a geometrical drawing.
Besides the horizontal and
vertical directions, the
planes can occupy certain
other positions in relation
to the object in view. For
instance, the vertical plane
can be placed in front, in
the middle, or behind the
object. It is necessary,
~Y however,always to select the
most favorable position in
order to simplify the opera-
tions as much as possible. In
carriage woodwork, when the body of a carriage is in-
tended to be represented, it is supposed to be executed
and placed on the horizontal plane, and the vertical plane
is supposed to pass the axis of the body in its length, so
that it divides it in two equal parts.* The body of the
phaeton (Fig. 28), the half of which is only apparent, is
placed in this hypothesis in relation to the two planes P
and Q. The under part of the bottom, being a plane
horizontal surface, is wholly included in the horizontal
plane P, and all the points appertaining to the axis are
situated in the vertical plane Q. All the other points of
the body situated beyond the planes P and Q, are con-
sidered in space; and are brought to bear on the planes
by means of projections.
METHOD   OF   CONDUCTING   PROJECTIONS.
XLIV. The method of conducting projections is com-
posed of planes of projections, projectants, and projections.
The object of this method, which forms the basis of de-
scriptive geometry, is:
1st. To represent, on a sheet of drawing paper that
has only two dimensions, bodies that have three, and
which can be rigorously defined.
2d. To impart the precise form of bodies, and to en-
able the reduction, by means of graphic operations,! of
the dimensions and the proportion of all the respective
parts. All the elements recognized in geometry—such
as straight lines, curved lines, plane surfaces, curved sur-
faces—are perfectly determined by their projections on
two planes of projection, one of which is generally hori-
zontal, and the other vertical; but in carriage woodwork
we have curved lines and curved surfaces, the points of
which are not subject to a mathematical rule. In order
to give an exact idea of the form of lines and surfaces of
that kind, and to fix the position of all their points, a
single vertical plane is not sufficient: therefore we have
recourse to a second vertical plane.
The appellation plane is particularly applied to the
horizontal plane; that of plane of elevation, or simply
elevation, to the first vertical plane; and that of auxiliary
plane to a second vertical plane perpendicular to the first
? The two sides of the bodies being symetrlcally alike, by thus placing the
vertical plane the half size of all the cross pieces are directly obtained.
t Two kinds of operations are distinguished in mathematics, for the purp
solving problems : the numerical, by which means the dimensions are expr
unpon any surface             hlb      W             ^                                       ^
 ose of
 ns are expressed
1869.
THE   NEW   YORK   COACH-MAKER'S   MAGAZINE.
83
two.      The  planes of projection   and  the  geometrical
planes are the same.
We shall first expose the method of conducting pro-
jections from one point in relation to two planes of pro-
jection, then to three planes; and in this manner we shall
continue in the projection of a straight line, a curve, and
plane surface, in order to accustom our readers to con-
sider three planes of projection from the commencement.
XLV. Projection of a point. The term of the pro-
jection of a point on a plane is styled the foot of the
perpendicular   drawn   from   the   point   on   the   plane.
Suppose P and Q
(Fig. 29) to be
two planes of pro-
jection, the first hor-
izontal and the sec-
ond vertical, A is a
point in space: if,
from the point A,
the perpendicular Aa
and Aa' are drawn,
the first on to the
plane P, and the sec-
ond on to the plane
Q—the lower ends
of the lines, a and a',
where the lines meet the planes, are the projections of
point A; the perpendiculars Aa and Aa' are the pro-
jectants of the point; the planes P and Q are the planes
of projection. We shall always take the line XY, the
line of intersection of the two planes, for the ground line.
When this is laid down, if the two projections a and a'
are drawn from point A in space, upon two planes of
projection P and Q, the position of this point is perfectly
determined, because it is on the intersection A of the per-
pendiculars drawn by the projections a and a' to each
plane of projection P and Q.
When but two planes of projection are employed,
the two projectants of a point in space are not apparent;
they are replaced on each plane of projection by other
lines, that are equal and parallel to them as we shall
prove.
XLVI.     The two   projectants Aa, Aa;,   being   per-
pendicular to the planes P and Q, determine a third plane
Aa a'  a', which is perpendicular to the first two, and
_^.                          to   their   common
-I^Qf   30,              line of intersection
(Art.37). The lines
aa '', a a " of the
third plane with the
two others are re-
spectively equal
and parallel to the
projectants Aa',
Aa, as forming
the four sides of a
rectangle. More-
over it can be sup-
posed that the two
projectants are
transplaced paral-
lel to their prim-
itive position, each
one following the
direction  of  the
other, so as to bear on the plane of projection to which
they are parallel. It then follows that the projectant Aa
will bear upon the vertical plane at a'a", and the project-
ant Aa' on the horizontal plane at a a ". According to
this hypothesis, the construction will present itself as in
Fig. 30, where the projectants are replaced by straight
lines, to which they are equal and parallel in each plane.
In order to reconstruct., taking the point A in space
with the parts given in Fig. 30, it must be supposed that
the projectants are removed from their primitive position
as in Fig. 29.
XLVII. The two perpendiculars a aJ\ a/a" lowered
from two projections a and a' from a point in space (Fig.
29) on to the ground line, meet that line in a single
point a'\ because these two perpendiculars are but the
outlines of a third plane on the first two, which is de-
termined by the two projectants (Art. 46).
XLVIII. The projection of a point B, taken on one
of the two planes of projection, becomes confused with
that point in the plane, and projects on the other in a
point b' on the ground line.
XLIX. The projection a of a point A in s]>ace on to
an auxiliary plane
R (Fig. 31), is
like the other pro-
jections, the base
a, of a perpendi-
cular Aa, drawn
from the point A
on to the plane R.
The demonstra-
tions that we have
made above on the
two first planes P
and Q are appli-
cable to the first
plane P, and to
the third plane R.
Having the two
projections a, a\
from a point in
space on twoplanes
P and Q, the projection a, on a third plane R, is de-
termined. Accordingly the elevation of the point A
above the horizontal plane is determined by its pro-
jection a'on the first vertical plane Q. Therefore, if a
parallel a1 a" is drawn through that point to the line of
intersection XY, and through the point a"1, another m-
definite line a"1 a, to the line of intersection XY, the line
a'" a will form the required projection on the plane R.
For the construction, draw a perpendicular a a!rl through
the horizontal projection a, in the plane P, at the inter-
section XY of the two planes P and R, and another aff a
through the point a to the same intersection in the plane
R ; the intersection in a, of the two straight lines a//f an
af/ a, is the required intersection.
The plane R being perpendicular to the two other
planes P and Q, the lines a alh a,, a, are parallel, the first
to XY and the second to YY.
(To be continued.)
An Old Sleigh.—A gentleman in Albany, New York,
has a sleigh built in that city in 1816, by James Goold.
A friend of the owner used it last January in making his
New Year's calls.    It is said to be still in good order.
84
THE   NEW    YORK    COACH-MAKER'S   MAGAZINE.
November,
GRECIAN CHARIOT FROM THE FAf;ADE OF THE PARTHENON, ATHENS.
OUR GRECIAN CARRIAGE MUSEUM.—III.
Our next illustration is copied from the facade of the
. Parthenon, or temple of Minerva, at Athens, showing the
crowning of a victor in the chariot races at the celebra-
tion of the Olympian games, held once in four years. The
remains of Grecian art, as displayed in the originals and
on the public monuments, are very meagre. Stuart,
among his "Antiquities of Athens," published by John
Nichols, London, 1787-1816, has but three plates (Nos.
18, 19, 20) allotted to the chariots from the Parthenon.
On the first appears two chariots, in the next another
showing preparation for the race, and in a compartment
of the third, of which a copy is here given, the crovvnincr
of the successful youth. This chariot is
roughly designed and coarsely executed
in bas-relief, yet is undoubtedly a very
fair representation of the fashions in that
day. It is worthy of notice that Grecian
chariots may generally be distinguished
from all others by a projecting circular rave
forming the hinder portion of the body.
To become a victor in the chariot
races, among the Grecians, was to obtain
a position of distinguished honor. The
rewards were of several kinds, either
wild olive, pine, parsley, or laurel, ac-
cording to the different places where the
games were celebrated. These made
into crowns were set upon the victor's
head, and palms placed in the right
hand amid the acclamations of the spec-
tators. Plutarch says the custom of pre-
senting palms on such occasions arose
from the nature of the palm-tree, which
displays new vigor the more endeavors
are used to crush or bend it, and is a
symbol of the champion's courage and
resistance in the attainment of the prize.
As he might be victor more than once in
the same games, and sometimes on the
same day, he might also receive several
crowns and palms, as the reward.
When the victor had been crowned,
a herald, preceded by a trumpeter, con-
ducted him through the stadium, and
proclaimed aloud the name and country
of the successful champion, who passed
in that kind of review before the people,
while they redoubled their acclamations
and applauses at the sight of him. When
the victor  returned  to his  own country
i the people came out in a body to meet
him, conducting him into the city, adorned
\ with all the marks of his victory, and
riding in a chariot drawn by four horses.
j His entrance was not in the common way
through the gates, but through a breach
purposely made  in  the  walls.    Lighted
^torches  wrere borne   before  him, and a
v. lumerous train followed to do him honor.
The triumphal entrance into the city
concluded by a feast for the victor, his
relations and friends, at either the ex-
pense of the public or some particular per-
sons. Sometimes the spectators were included among
the invited guests. Alcibiades who had won a victory in
these races after a sacrifice to the Olympian Jupiter,
treated the entire assembly, Leophron did the same, as
well as Empedocles. This last individual caused an ox
to be made of paste composed of myrrh, incense, and all
sorts of spices, and gave a piece to every one present.
One of the first steps taken by the magistrates after
the games were over was to inscribe the name and country
of the victor in the public register. The chariot race had
the preference over all other games. Thucydides, Diony-
sius, Diodorus, and Pausanias date occurrences by Olym-
piads, generally expressing the Olympiad by the name
and country of the victors in the chariot race.
1869.
THE   NEW   YORK    COACH-MAKER'S   MAGAZINE.
85
SWEEPS FOR SCALE DRAFTING.—VII.
With this monthly issue, we present our readers with
another pattern for sweeps, the seventh in the series.    Like
SWEEP  FOR  SCALE  DRAFTING.
the others, this too may be traced on a thin rosewood ve-
neer, and cut out with a penknife to the proper shape. In-
structions for finishing will be found on page 5 of this vol-
ume.
THE  MUSIC  OF THE  LEAVES.
BY   A.   A.   HOPKINS.
When April, smiling o'er the hills,
Is touching with her fairy fingers
The frozen ripples of the rills
Where Winter lingers,
There conies afar the rustling low
Of May's green garments—shy new comer—
And soon we hear the gentle flow
Of songs of Summer !
They breathe in every tree-top, then ;
In every shrub and bush they whisper;
And each young leaf becomes to men
A tender lisper.
It tells some tale to every ear,
Though few, perchance, will heed the telling;
Its song through all its short life here
Is sweetly swelling.
In sunlight, when the fluttering things
So brightly flash and gleam and quiver,
A song as gayly glad it sings
As greets the Giver;
When clouds across the blue sky sweep,
And darkly, damply lower o'er us,
The leaves a miserere weep
In sad'ning chorus!
Beside my casement long I sit,
When in the light they gleam and glisten,
And as the Summer moments flit
Entranced I listen.
Their murmurous music on the air
A strangely subtle spell is weaving,
And all the earth is good and fair
To my believing!
But when they weep their pearly tears,
And sigh a mournful miserere,
No shining sun my being cheers,
And all is dreary.
My heart takes up their mournful song,
And heart and leaves sigh on together,
But look, through all the showers long,
For sunny weather !
There comes a sadder season still,
When crisp and dry, and slowly falling,
Their rustling chant so sad and shrill
Is to me calling.
A sadder season; yet I know
The song will change its cadence sober,
There hides a June beneath the snow
Beyond October!
BY COACH TO BRIGHTON.
Ye lovers of the Picturesque, approach !
To Brighton you can now go down by coach;
Ye hippie men, who love the whip-thong's crack,
A four-in-hand now takes you there and back.
Not in a railway carriage, but outside^
A coach, by leave of weather, let me ride,
For riding's sake, with time at my command,
To gaze about upon a lovely land
That was, and so still, here and there remains,
Where smoky progress may have spared the plains.
Waft me the breath of flowers, ye gentle gales,
And not such whiffs as firebox, stoked, exhales;
Delightful change, woods, fields, and meadows fair,
From hideous porter in your face that flare,
86
THE   NEW    YORK    COACH-MAKER'S    MAGAZINE.
November,
Free of those horrors when the vision roves:
Nor yet that puffing commerce killed the groves.
Returns, in thought, the old Saturnian reign,
And George the Fourth his wig assumes again.
Then the weird music of the vanished past
Blends with the coach-horn's old remembered blast,
And spirits, while the horses changing are,
Appear, as fellows light the mild cigar.                     Punch.
WINTER RAMBLINGS IN KENTUCKY.
BY  PORTE  PENCIL.
{Continued from page 73.)
Mud deep and soft; trees fallen and lying latitudinal-
ly; streams swollen and turbid, within high banks, and
without bridges ; roads leading through "swamps, and
wildernesses filled with uneven causeways, and bristling
with incorrigible stumps; dwellings far "between ; sleet,
snow, darkness, and wild animals, rather familiar; busi-
ness imperative, and the journey long; such were the
characteristics of my rambles from Mason's Ferry to
Russelville. The catalogue could not be more complex
were it the voyage from the Cape of Good Hope to the
Isthmus of Suez. The patience requisite to the comple-
tion of the journey would tax the patience of Job ; the
long-suffering finds a parallel in the adventures of Admi-
ral Byron ; the perseverance used was not unworthy a
Columbus. Under such circumstances commend me to
" horseback," and let the creature have a sure foot, a
strong leg, and a good mind. I find that the safest, easiest,
and cheapest way of traveling. But deliver me from
mules and oxen. Moreover, let wayfarers be fortified
with common sense, practical philosophy, and good humor.
They will then only be fit to go a journeying, especially
such a journeying as I underwent.
Bowling Green is the county town of Barren County,
and is quite a respectable place. There are several
churches, a bank, a hotel, but another is needed badly.
To-day offers superior inducements to the farmers to visit
the city, in that it isv county court day; and furnishes rare
chances for settling " little bills," and meeting brother
farmers and talking over farm and crop prospects. Horse-
flesh is by no means a rarity on such occasions, and with
the large amount generally offered for sale, another avenue
of trade is opened for the honest yeomanry. All day \ox\o
the streets present something of the appearance of those
in a busy metropolis, and many may be seen rushing
hither and thither in their eager endeavors to obtain bar-
gains, while others are seemingly reflecting over their
losses or chuckling over their gains. The inhabitants are
principally engaged in the tobacco and hemp trade; but
if these were exhausted, Bowling Green would hardly
sustain itself. As for the other towns through which I
passed, I found it difficult to ascertain their locus in quo.
For instance, I inquired of a damsel one day, while yet I
supposed I was far off in the wilderness, the distance to
Hartford. " Why, la !" she replied," they tell me this is
Hartford." I find the following in my note-book: Mem.
—No church—wonder if people ever attend church in
these parts ? Hotel eight by ten—man fiddling—children
dancing—pigs squealing—dogs howling, and all the neigh-
bors looking on ! Whenever you see pigpens built in
front of the dwelling-houses, you may rely upon it you
are in the State of Kentucky, unless you know that you
are in some other State. You may easily distinguish
along the road the habitations of the European emigrant.
There is an air of neatness, order, and cottage comfort
about them seldom observed in those of the natives.
This difference is caused in part by the plantations being
formerly under the control of an overseer and cultivated
by negroes, causing the owners to become careless of their
own interest as far as adornment is concerned. I do not
say that this is a general thing by any means, for there
are many well-kept farms and plantations in this State.
Some I have noticed may be considered a perfect Para-
dise. Their dwellings, however humble, are tidy and
warm ; vines are planted at the door and under the
window, and a neat little door yard is inclosed in front by
a picket fence. The outhouses and fences are in good con-
dition, and no more soil seems to be under cultivation
than can be managed well. Labor and improvements at-
tach the proprietor to the place, and all about him appear
settled, contented, and happy. It is different with the
American emigrant. His mind is unsettled—he provides
for the present, but he is always on the qui vive for fresh
adventures and speculations. Everything seems unsettled.
His mind is distracted with innumerable projects for grati-
fying an overruling passion to make money. He seldom
forms a permanent attachment for a " local habitation,"
but is always ready for a new start at a moment's
warning.
Rockfield is a very good-looking place, built mostly
of brick, around a spacious open square, and is rapidly in-
creasing in population and importance. I reached Rock-
field in a notable snow and hail storm—it was a cold and
violent northeaster. Pursuing my course the next day
along the ridge road, I was joined by a " corncracker,"* who
proposed to be my companion. " How fur do you allow
to rush ahead in a day?" he inquired. I replied, "About
forty miles. Can you go that?" "I reckon," he re-
joined. I was struck with the apparent fertility of the
soil and luxuriance of vegetation in the vicinity of Shaker-
town. " That man has a heap of corn, I reckon," ob-
served my companion as we surveyed a field of stubble.
"Remarkably high stalks—ten to fifteen feet!" I ex-
claimed. "It's no great shakes after all. Down South
I've seen farmers blade their corn and lop the ears, and
then turn their cattle in. The ears would be too high for
their reach." " Then I suppose they have to employ lad-
ders in order to gather it ?"    " I reckon."
Shakertown is one of those magical places of the won-
derful West. It has grown up within a few years to be
an important town. Its population are all young, active,
intelligent, and enterprising, and are very rapidly increas-
ing in wealth and numbers. The plan of the town is very
judiciously designed, and is calculated to render it one of
the most beautiful places in the State. It would seem
like an act of supererogation to describe their manners
and mode of living, as it has been done before.
^ Rambling up to a log tavern at Rockport, at seven
o clock in the morning, our curiosity was somewhat ex-
cited by a crowd at the door. I had no sooner entered
the threshold than my companion had disappeared. I
followed an irresistible current that carried me upward,
and discovered the secret of all this business. On the
second floor a dancing party had collected the day before,
* A native of Kentucky is called a " Corncracker;" of Ohio, a " Buckeve ¦" of
Indtana, a " Hoosier ;» of Michigan, a " Wolverine ;" and of Missouri!, " Pewk."
1869.
THE   NEW    YORK    COACH -MAKER'S   MAGAZINE.
87
at two o'clock P. M., and had continued the sport all
night. My companion was already on the floor, leading
down a double-shuffle, with his coat off, his cravat thrown
aside, and his shirt collar unbuttoned. I observed the
minuet, the pirouette, the gallopade, the reel, the contra
dance, cotillion, cheat, hipsey saw, shuffle, and a variety of
other indescribable steps, all in full exercise at the same
time and to the same tune! The sport was too good for
my companion to care about resisting it. Nothing could
entice him from it—he " went it with a looseness " con
amove, and I was obliged to "rush ahead" without him.
The road between Shakertown and Russelville in the
cold season of the year is of the most execrable character.
I witnessed the wreck of two stage coaches within a few
miles distance. A roue bachelor was jolted over the hind
axle until his nose bled, and he seemed rejoiced when the
coach upset at an opportunity to escape. I saw him
crawling out of the upper part of the door; and the last
glimpse I had of him he was struggling on all fours, and
up to his elbows in mud. The native ladies of this sec-
tion never go out without high boots. When called upon
to relieve the team by walking, therefore, they draw up
their petticoats, leap into the mud, and travel on with im-
punity.
I stopped for a few moments to observe the dwelling
of a thrifty farmer. It was situated in the edge of a
forest, in a quiet, sunny spot, built of square timbers,
nicely jointed, and all the crevices filled with plaster.
Everything wore an air of convenience, comfort, and con-
tent. The inclosures were well regulated, the outhouses
snug and well built, and the fences strong and in good
condition. All the fields under cultivation were fenced in.
In the center of a large field of one hundred acres and up-
ward I perceived several immense circular stacks of wheat,
in the midst of which three or four men and two horses
were at work threshing by the aid of a patent threshing
machine. They were getting out wheat at the rate of
about one hundred and twenty-five bushels in a day.
These machines are of vast importance to the producers
of grain, and an immense saving of labor.
This farmer, so different from many others in this
State, was reaping the grateful rewards of industry, tem-
perance, and undivided attention to the one business he
professed to pursue. Let others profit by the example,
and Kentucky will be a bed of roses.
W------is a justice of the peace, and was compelled to
leave us to-day, in order to attend the session of the
county court. I took his dog and gun to see what sport
his fields afforded, and after a walk of some hours, feeling
inclined to rest, I seated myself on the body of a fallen
tree, and had been there but a few minutes when my at-
tention was attracted by the following conversation car-
ried on behind a dead hedge, by which I was screened from
the view of the parties engaged in it:
" I say, Tom, is you been do what you say ?"
"I done fo'git what 'twas."
"Dah, now ! didn't I tell you futto ax Ned futto len'
me his possum clog to-night?"
"Well, sho'nough!"
" Well now, what I gwine do fo' dog ?"
" You do' waiv no dog to-night."
"What fur.I don't?"
" Caze you gwine to cawn shuckin."
" No indeed ; I gwine to catch possum for Jenny."
" What business you keep runnin' a'ter Jenny ?    She
eat all yo' whole crap of'taters, an' wat'millons, an' mush-
millons, all yo' possum, an' all yo' moonac (raccoon), let
alone the calikers an' necklace, an' things yo' buy fo' her;
an' den she ain' gwine have you a'ter all."
"How yo'know dat?"
"Caze can't I see? An' didn't my wife hear Wash-
ington ax the gal, an' she say yes?"
" Well now ain't dat loo bad ! 'Tain' no mo' 'an last
Sunday, when I sole my har skins, I give her a yaller
haukcher!"
" Ah, boy ! I tell you what, Jenny's a knowin'gal;
she wan't born 'istiddy, so you moustle let her 'lone."
Having satisfied myself that no condition of life was
too humble for the spirit of coquetry to flourish in, I here
interrupted the conversation by desiring to be shown the
way to the nearest spring.
" Yes, master, I show you," was the prompt reply of
one of them, lifting his hat at the same time. " The
quarters is roun' de pint of them woods thar." And in
three minutes the " quarters " presented themselves in the
shape of some six or eight log buildings situated in a row,
and about twenty or thirty feet from each other, all front-
ing one way. In the rear of each was a little garden, in-
closed by upright stakes interwoven with cedar boughs.
Outside of each door a small shelf was fixed to the wall,
supporting a pail of water and a gourd used for a drink-
ing-cup. The character of the ground was such that we
could not be seen, neither could we see, until the moment
of our arrival, at which time there were twenty or thirty
little woolly heads amusing themselves. Some were run-
ning about, some swinging upon the gigantic grape-vines
with which the trees were covered, some rolling about on
the ground, while others, were engaged in doing nothing.
In an instant six curiously shaped curs rushed out from
door and bush. Some wanted ears, others tails. The
latter had been either cut off or driven in, so that there
was hardly an inch protruded. But none wanted voice.
They all had it, and to spare, and spare it they did very
freely.
(To be continued.)
fttt Illustrations of % Drafts.
C-SPRING   CALECH6.
Illustrated on Plate XXL
This caleche, as will be observed, has some new points
of interest in the mode of hanging-off, rendering it not only
more safe than when constructed on the old plan, but like-
wise much easier riding. The width of the body between
the arm-rails should be 50 inches; width of the boot, 30
inches. Wheels, 3 ft. -\ inch and 4 ft. 2 inches high ; hubs,
41 by 7 inches; spokes, 1£ inches ; rims, 1£ inches deep ;
tires "steel, § by 1 inch. Springs, front 3 feet long, and
about 10 inches apart; width of steel, If inches, No. 3
head leaf, and No. 4 remaining three plates; C and plat-
form springs, say 40 inches long, 2\ inches wide, No. 2
steel. Painting, carriage-part straw color, striped with
broad line of blue, edged with two fine lines of lighter
blue, and centered with fine line of gold ; body very dark
blue, striped with a lighter shade of blue in fine line,
88
THE   NEW   YORK    COACH-MAKER'S   MAGAZINE.
November.
and another in gold.    Price of carriage from $1,200 to
$1,300.
Charges fob Repairs.—New tires and bolts, $34; re-
setting tires, $8 ; tire bolts, 12 cents; drafting wheels, $1;
new hub, $5; spokes, 75 cents ; set rims, $20 ; carriage
bolts, 30 cents; new pole and leathering, $6; new pole
yoke complete, $6; back panel, painted and trimmed, $40;
new axle nut, $2.
GO-CART.
Illustrated on Plate XXII.
Very little need be said in explanation of this design,
the drawing itself being its own interpreter. The side
panels and back may be made out of three-quarter inch
cherry, and molded, the sinking being likewise cut out of
three-quarter inch ash. The lines shown on the sunken-
bottom should be painted. A plate will be required to
strengthen the insides of the rockers. Paint the body
panels brown and the rockers black, the wheels and under-
carriage being also black. Wheels, 3 feet 8 inches.
Price about $200.
Charges for Repairs.—New tires and bolts, $14; re-
setting tires, $4; tire bolts, 10 cents each ; drafting wheels,
50 cents; new hub, $5 ; new spokes (each), 75 cents; rims
for two wheels, $9; resetting axle, $4; new shaft, $5 ;
new shaft-bar $3.50 ; shaft-tips, $2 per pair; retrimming
shafts, $6; repainting, $35.
ROCKAWAV   WITH   HIGH   DOOR   AND   WINDOWS.
Illustrated on Plate XXIII.
This original design for a high-door Rockaway is ac-
commodated to both summer and winter use. The nov-
elty consists chiefly in the combination of the coupe with
the wagon front. The side panel is molded as shown in
the drawing. Wheels, 3 feet 8 inches and 4 feet 2 inches
high; hubs, 4^ by 7 inches; spokes, \\ inches; fel-
loes, \\ inches; tires, 1£ by T5ff. Painting, patent-black;
striping, three narrow stripes, two red, the center being
straw color.    Trimming, blue cloth.    Price of Rockaway,
Charges for Repairs.—New tires and bolts, $26;
resetting old tires, $7; tire bolts, 10 cents; drafting
wheels, 75 cents; new hub, $5; spoke, 75 cents ; rims,
$16 ; new axle-bed, $3.50 ; new perch, $4.50 ; new sp'ring-
bar, $2; new shaft-bar, $1.75; new shaft, $4; retrimming
shafts, $4.25; pair shaft-tips, $2; new pole, $6; head-
block, $3; new set of wheels complete, $75 ; new leather
washers, $1.25; resetting axles, $6; recovering glass
frames, $3.50 ; burning off old paint and repainting, $100;
coloring and varnishing body and carriage-part, striping,
&c, $75.
NO-PERCH   BUGGT.
Illustrated on Plate XXIV.
This buggy—paneled of course—has a molding run-
ning horizontally across the side, as seen in the drawing.
The body, having a deep cut-under, will need a very stout
plate on the inside sill, to fit it for standing the strain it will
be subjected to in the absence of a perch. Indeed, a body built
after this design must be well made in every respect, and
even after this is accomplished it will still be a compara-
tively weak affair. If a customer must have a buggy of
this kind, the best way when taking the order is to can-
didly apprise him of its defects, and thereby fortify your
own reputation against future complaints should it give
out. Wheels, 3 feet 5 inches and 4 feet high ; hubs, 4 by
7 inches; spokes, 1 inch; rims, 1^ inches; tires, steel
f by 1 inch. Paint all patent black, and stripe three fine
lines ; center line straw color, two outside lines crimson.
This buggy being often used for business purposes, when
so used should invariably have dark-colored linings. Price
of buggy, $475.
Charges for Repairing.—New set of wheels com-
plete, $80; new hub, $5; spokes, 75 cents; rims, $16;
drafting wheels, 75 cents; resetting tires, $6; new set
iron tires and bolts, $20 ; tire bolts (each), 10 cents ; car-
riage bolts, 25 cents ; new shaft, $4 ; leathering do., $4.25 ;
new shaft-bar, $2; new bed to front springs, $5; new
bolster, $5.50 ; new cross-bar (curved) to hind springs, $6 ;
new spring, $10 ; new fifth-wheel, $5 ; new top complete,
$1.25 ; new cloth body linings, $25 ; new bow in top, $6 ;
repainting complete, $50 ; touching up body and varnish-
ing all, $35; cleaning top and oiling, $2.25; new whip
socket, including fastenings, $3.
TWO-SEATED   OPEN   WAGON.
Illustrated on Plate XXIV.
This shifting-seated wagon will be found very useful in-
going to market or to the railroad depot, being alike
adapted to either business or pleasure by a new arrange-
ment of the springs—the one elliptic, the others half-
springs. Two leather cushions, with the falls attached, so
as to be removed from the vehicle at pleasure, and an oil-
cloth for the bottom, including dash and whip-socket, com-
prise about all the trimmings required in this job. Wheels,
3 feet 9 inches and 4 feet; hubs, 3£ by 6£ inches; spokes,
1 inch ; rims, \\ inches; tire, steel, T\ by 1 inch. Price,
$475 to $500.
Charges for repairs to under-carriage about the same
as for the " No-perch Buggy," preceding.
Note.—We have added a new feature to this depart-
ment by giving some of the charges for repairing the dif-
ferent carriages, in New York. We hope they may prove
useful to some of our country friends, and not without
interest to city readers.
1869.
THE   NEW    YORK    COACH-MAKER'S   MAGAZINE
89
iprls from \\}t
TRACK OF CARRIAGES.
A firm in Harrisfourg, Pa., writes: " The question of
the proper width of track for carriages has been raised
with parties for whom we are doing some work. You
we consider authority on this subject, and would be
obliged if you would satisfy us in regard to this matter.
We want Pennsylvania and New Jersey track."
We published a table in September, 18G2 (see vol. iv.,
p. 182), giving the width of track in different States, the
result of inquiries made through The New York Coach-
maker's Magazine. The track for New Jersey was five
feet, and we have always understood that for Pennsylvania
to be the same. If we have been misinformed, perhaps some
of our friends in the Keystone State will set us right on
that point.
Some correspondents have expressed a desire for a
uniform track throughout the United States. Such cer-
tainly ought to be the case, but we fear that State laws
and local customs are so strong against us, that such a
consummation—however desirable—is far off in the dis-
tance. A uniform track would save the craft thousands
of dollars annually, in the costs of alterations conformable
with different locations, to suit certain customers.
STIFFENING BEDS, WHIFFLE-TREES, &c.
A carriage manufacturer—J. B. Brewster, of Twenty-
fifth street, N. Y.—has invented a new mode of stiffening
the beds and whiffle-trees of light carriages, so as to pre-
vent warping. His plan is to plow a groove about one-
quarter of an inch wide and one-half inch deep the entire
length of the bed, so as to be hidden when the axle-tree
is attached. In this groove he inserts edgewise a strip of
homogeneous or other steel, which being of a springy as
well as rigid nature, is supposed to serve as an agent in
keeping the wood in its proper position as long as the
carriage will wear. The same process is applied to
whiffle-trees from the under side, over which a strip of
wood is inserted to keep the steel in its place or through
the whiffle-tree horizontally. Mr. Brewster claims that
his combination gives twice the usual strength, obviating
the springing of "the axle, and rendering bars, pole-yokes,
&c, secure beyond the contingency of breakage. We
understand that the invention has been patented.
Glue which will Unite Steel.—The following is a
Turkish receipt for a cement used to fasten diamonds and
other precious stones to metallic surfaces, and which is said
to be capable of strongly uniting surfaces of polished
steel, even when exposed to moistm-e. It is as follows :
Dissolve five or six bits of gum mastic, each the size of a
large pear, in as much spirit of wine as will suffice to ren-
der it liquid. In another vessel dissolve in brandy as
much isinglass, previously softened in water, as will make
a two-ounce phial of strong glue, adding two small bits of
gum ammoniac, which must be rubbed until dissolved.
Keep the article in a closely-corked phial. When it is to
be used, set the phial in boiling water.
Vol. xi.—12
MAKING RIVETS HOLD.
The Ohio Farmer says : " Farmers and mechanics are
very often bothered by the breaking or slipping of rivets
in machinery and other places, and do not know a remedy.
The trouble usually arises from the,rivet-hole being too
sharp upon the edge, and from the rivet-head being too
flat upon the under side. The most of the heading tools
used by blacksmiths in rivet-making are rounded on the
surface, so that the heads are left concave. This brings
the outer edge of the head upon the sui'face to which it is
to be drawn, and the rivet has a chance, when brought to
a heavy strain, to extend, which prevents breaking.
" The rivet is usually made of softer iron than that
upon which it is to be clutched; consequently, if the edge
of the rivet-hole is left sharp, when a strain of tension
comes the soft iron is cut away by the harder edge, and
the work loosened.
" Counter-sinking the hole upon the surface is the only
remedy to be used in the last case spoken of, and but lit-
tle of that need be done; a common counter-sink, which
may be bought at any hardware store for ten cents, and
used in a bit-stock, is all that is required by way of tools.
Rivets subject to a shearing or side-way strain, do not re-
quire this caution, as they only need heading enough to
keep the work in place.:
" The force necessary to tear a piece of iron is very
near that of cutting or shearing the same, so that the
strength of rivets may be very easily estimated when
used in different parts of machinery.
" The pressed or ' sale rivets' are not as good as those
made at the anvil; at least, we have never been able to
find any equal to the home-made, and would, therefore,
advise that where iron work is to be put together, or wood
upon iron is to be secured in safety, that the workman go
to some good blacksmith, and have your rivets made of
tough, soft iron, such as nail-rod or Swedes iron; and see,
too, that they are made as they should be."
IRON MANUFACTURES IN NEW YORK CITY-
PAST AND PRESENT.
Twelve years ago there were, in the city of New
York, the following great iron-works : Allaire Works, em-
ploying 700 hands ; Etna Works, employing 600 hands ;
Morgan Works, employing 700 hands ; Neptune Works,
employing 500 hands; Novelty Works, employing 800
hands ; Delamater Works, employing 800 hands. These
six great works employed 3,800 hands.
To-day, the following is the melancholy exhibit: The
Allaire Works is a car stable; Etna belongs to Mr. Roach,
and is closed; Neptune, sold to Mr. Roach, " shut up ; "
Novelty makes house castings, but no engines; Delama-
ter makes Cuban gunboats, and employs, at present, 500
men; the Morgan Works employ 450 men.    Total, 950.
Thus the 3,800 workingmen who made the river banks
glad with their noisy work have dwindled down to 950 ;
and if the gunboat business ceases, not 600 will be em-
ployed in manufacturing engines or machinery. The 3,800
men who were employed in these works before the mo-
nopoly earned about $2,000,000 gold annually, or an aver-
age of $10 a week. The 950 that are at work earn now,
on an average, $15 a week, and their yearly earnings to-
gether amount only to $741,000 currency.
Twelve years ago the Neptune Iron Works, which are
now shut up, were employed chiefly in building mai-ine
90
THE    NEW    YORK    COACH-MAKER'S    MAGAZINE.
November.
engines, which were exported to China. The boats were
built there, but as the. Chinese preferred the so-called
beam-engines for their steamboats, and as Americans are
adepts in building these marine engines, they were exclu-
sively made here. Now not only are the Neptune Works
shut up, but not one marine engine is made here for export.
The orders for this kind of work, as well as for sugar-
mills or any other skilled labor machinery, go entirely
either to Scotland or Belgium, or even to France.—N. Y.
World.
THE MANUFACTURE OF STEEL.
The Paris Presse says: " An experiment of a most
interesting character, and having the highest interest for
the iron industry, has taken place at the Marquise Stock
Works, in presence of two eminent persons of the Ecole
Centrale. The object of this experiment was to make
steel by one operation, a problem which has engaged all
metallurgists, and if solved, would cause an industrial rev-
olution. M. Aristide Berard, an engineer whose name is
familiar to all who have occupied themselves with this
question, proposed to change second-class metal in course
of refining into steel of at least ordinary quality, by means
of a process alternately oxidizing and reductive. His ef-
forts have been crowned with success. The product ob-
tained by his process, in presence of two competent judges,
proved to be steel of good quality, suitable for all pur-
poses, and made with the facility necessary to its applica-
tion to practical industry. The operation was effected in
a reverbatory furnace, lasted about an hour and a half, and
was accomplished with as much facility as puddling. In
this process, instead of acting on 480 pounds of metal to
obtain iron of number one quality, from 6,600 to 11,000
pounds of metal are made by only one operation into steel
ingots ready for the workshop, and with an unexpected
economy. We will be much deceived if this invention
has not in it the germ of a complete revolution in metal-
lurgy."
faint
CRAWLING OF VARNISH.
The crawling of varnish is a subject on which much
has been published in the New York Coach-maker's
Magazine during the past ten years, and now we find it
agitated in some cotemporary journals. It is evident that
a discussion of this subject has been of incalculable ben-
efit to the public, but notwithstanding this, much still re-
mains to be said before the work is complete. Circum-
stances under which the work of varnishing is done, and
the different opinions workmen entertain as to the true
cause why varnish crawls, place difficulties in the way
of a definite solution of the question which render it al-
most hopeless. Anxious to do all we possibly can toward
aiding the public and overcoming this much-dreaded oper-
ation, we have selected for publication a portion of an
article lately given in The Hub:
"'Crawling' is caused by the gloss of the coat be-
neath it, which does not form proper footing, as is shown
by the fact, that just so soon as this gloss is removed,
there is no further trouble found.    ' Crawling' is therefore
not a serious trouble, for it may be easily prevented by
washing the under coat with water and wiping with wash-
leather, as this will destroy the brilliance of the gloss, and,
in many cases, the mere dusting with a stiff duster will be
found sufficient. When a previous coat' crawls,' I have
found that the following coat is generally more apt to do
so, and in cold weather there is more liability of this
trouble than in summer, for then the gloss of the under
coat seems to come up to a ' harder sharp.' But kill the
gloss of the under coat, and you kill' crawling? "
IMPROVEMENT IN WHITE-LEAD.
White-lead has been, until quite recently, and is to
this day, manufactured in most establishments where the
"English process" is followed in the manner we here de-
scribe :
" Oxyd of lead, or litharge, obtained by the calcination
of lead in a reverberatory furnace, is moistened with a so-
lution containing one per cent, of sugar-of-lead. This prod-
uct is placed in closed troughs, which communicate with
each other, through which a current of carbonic acid gas,
developed by the combustion of coke, is made to circu-
late. This gas, after passing through pipes immersed in
cold water, is forced through the litharge by the action of
rotary fans, while the mixture is being constantly stirred
by means of rakes put into motion by steam power.
" The white-lead obtained by this process is deficient
in softness and in covering qualities, containing, as has
been recently shown by Prof. Artus, too large a propor-
tion of hydrated oxyd of lead.
" By moistening 100 parts of the litharge with a solu-
tion containing 2^ per cent, of neutral acetate of lead, and
adding a small proportion of acetic acid, these defects can
be radically corrected, and a very superior article ob-
tained, remarkable alike for its tenderness, whiteness, and
adhering qualities."
CHARACTERISTICS OF GOOD VARNISH.
Most liquids give more or less of a varnish effect—that
is, they give a shining appearance to the surface upon
which they are placed. Thus, when water is poured upon
a deal table, it brings out the grain of the wood, and
brightens the place it occupies ; but water dries, and the
brilliancy is only momentary, consequently water is not
a varnish, so called. A solution of strong glue gives all
the desired solidity, but having no brilliancy, it cannot be
called a varnish.
There are many points to which the varnish manufac-
turers must direct careful attention, and which the cus-
tomer must understand, in order to judge of the merits of
an article. Varnish should be a clear, limpid fluid, before
application, and after being applied should become solid,
and have a brilliancy which reflects and refracts the rays
of light like a fragment of crystal. It is as a fluid what
glass is as a solid. It heightens the tone of colors and pre-
serves them, it brings out the delicacy of outlines and of
shading, and time should neither color nor dim it. It is
necessary that it should so adhere to glass, wood, or stone,
that it may not be removed by anything short of an iron
instrum ent, or by the action of fire. It must also be strong
drying, and when dry and hard should become firm and
unalterable in character, so that it shall neither crack, nor
18G9.
THE    NEW    YORK    COACH-MAKER'S    MAGAZINE.
91
turn white, nor be affected by light or ordinary heat, nor
removed by any ordinary solvent.
In other words, the qualities to be considered, in test-
ing a varnish, are as follows:
1st. Its Paleness—an important feature for some
classes of work, and the one which is generally first looked
to.
2d. Its Fluency. Upon this depends the working
quality. It also has much to do with determining the real
value of the article, as it governs the amount of surface
which a gallon will cover.
3d. Time of Drying. This is essential, because it af-
fords a speedy protection from atmospheric changes, in-
sects, etc., and dispenses with the inconveniences of hous-
ing newly-varnished work for a long time.
4th. Time of Hardening. This feature is entirely
independent of the foregoing. A varnish is dry when its
surface is sufficiently tough to resist dust, insects, and cur-
rents of air, and after hardening it is solid.
5th. Fullness. This is often expressed by painters
as "staying where put." If a varnish continues to look
bright and to stand out prominently after drying and hard-
ening, we say it has fullness. Otherwise it will look thin
and "saddened."
6th. Brilliancy. Next to durability, this is the most
important qualification of a varnish.
7th. Durability. This is the principal consideration,
and in examining the merits of a varnish, the consumer
should direct careful attention to this point. It includes
the quality of elasticity, which will prevent cracking and
scaling, and the quality of resisting the corrosive action of
the atmosphere and of moisture. It is the most difficult
feature to decide upon, for it is simply a question of time,
whereas the six conditions which precede may be fully
tested by a few trials.
Having defined the seven qualifications which are re-
quisite to the perfect coach varnish, we will add in the
wuy of caution, that while testing a varnish, the purpose
for which it is required must be held constantly in mind,
and especial heed should be given to those features which
will best qualify it for the class of work in question.—
The Hub.
PAINT SKINS.
Color of Vermilion.—It is well known among art-
ists, that the splendid bright color of vermilion has a
tendency, when mixed with white-lead, to assume a black-
ish-brown color in a very short time after being spread.
This tendency, it is said, may be checked if previous to
mixing it with oil it is thoroughly permeated with about
one-eighth of flowers of sulphur.
To remove Old Putty.—Dip a small brush in nitric
or muriatic acid, and with it saturate the dry putty that
adheres to the broken glass and frames of carriage win-
dows ; after an interval, the putty will have become so
soft as to be easily removed.
Improving Vermilion.—It is said that a little ultra-
marine blue added to vermilion will deepen and improve
the color of the latter.
Japan Gold Size—is very extensively used among
our first-class painters, mixed in with both rough-stuffs
and colors, and is much superior to the old-fashioned
japan.
Another Jewish Trick.—A few days ago we called
upon an old friend in Connecticut, who was loud in his
complaints against a varnish manufacturer in this city
whose agent he had engaged to fill an order. He ordered
five gallons only; but was "stuck" with ten. This is
not the only instance where wre have heard of the same
practice, from the same firm. If you will buy of these
" sheep " merchants, give your orders in writing, and re-
fuse to pay for all amounts sent exceeding the order.
ORIGINAL MONOGRAMS.
A gentleman of this city has furnished us with the
following original designs for monograms. We hope they
may prove useful to some of our readers.
The first, comprises the letters L. K. H.
The second, the letters C. P. H.
The third and last, the letters
G. F. C.
We could go on aud tell the
workmen how these ought to
be shaded to look well; but we
long ago were convinced that
the painter who was skillful
enough to paint the figures,
ought to have taste and inge-
nuity sufficient to color the
monograms. It is well known
among workmen that the shades
which some admire would be displeasing in the minds of
others, so that upon the whole the task of instructing
others in shading monograms is but a thankless one at
best.
dimming jtloom.
GOSLING'S COMBINED STEP-COVER AND
WHEEL-FENDER.
This invention of a practical carriage-maker is de-
signed for preventing the accumulation of mud and dust
on the steps of carriages, and also for guarding the dresses
of the ladies from coming in contact with the muddy
wheel on entering and leaving the carriage. This inven-
tion commends itself to the attention of purchasers of
pleasure vehicles, and its real utility ought to be seen at
a glance. No gentleman desirous of cultivating " peaee
in the domestic circle," can afford to be without this im-
92
THE    NEW   YORK    COACH-MAKER'S    MAGAZINE.
November*
portant appendage to his " turnout."   Read the advertise-
ment in its proper place.
INDIA RUBBER PROP-BLOCKS.
Here is something really useful.. We remember the
time when, as the youngest apprentice, we were allotted
the special business of fitting on the prop a block of wood
both clumsy and fragile. This was afterward trimmed ;
but, between the wood-workman and trimmer, the thing
was often rendered unfit for the purpose intended. In
" Barnett's Patent Rubber Block," now offered to the pub-
lic, we have elastici-
ty, durability, and
neatness all com-
bined. The young
man who invented
it, out in Ohio, a few
years ago, has since
died; but we are
happy to find that a party in this city has now taken hold
of the matter with spirit, and intend to provide a full
supply for filling all orders which may be given for it.
We are much mistaken if this block does not soon super-
sede all others. Our readers are invited to give it a trial.
Six pairs in a box, at 75 cents a pair.
tftttor's
FOREIGN LABOR.
One of the questions discussed at the " Labor Con-
gress " in Chicago, was the necessity of having an agent
in Europe to persuade or dissuade skilled workmen from
coming to the United States to compete with the work-
men now here. The Congress directed the appointment
of such an agent, with power to make arrangements, " by
treaty or otherwise," with the workmen of Europe, not to
come hither when employment should be offered them.
This policy is precisely that insisted upon by "Tall Bull"
and the "Man-that-walks-under-the-ground," and other
chiefs of the Indian tribes on the Plains. They insist that
the country west of the Missouri is not more than enough
for the Indians who have to make their living therefrom,
and they wish, " by treaty or otherwise," to make an ami-
cable adjustment, by which no more whites shall come
that way. It would have been well for the " Labor Con-
gress" to have requested the Cheyennes and the Arapa-
hoes to send one of their number along with the delegate
from the Congress, to remonstrate with the mechanics and
laborers of Europe against sending any more people to
this already excessively crowded country. The plea of the
Indian would certainly be accepted as more reasonable
than that of his white associate.
There is not an industrial occupation in this country
the ranks of which are not filled with men of every na-
tionality. In point of fact, our entire population must
trace their ancestry back to foreigners who have come
here to benefit their condition. There is not a "Union"
in the country where the broad English, Scotch, and
Welsh dialect may not be heard with the Irish brogue
and the German accent. And yet these men, and others
whose Americanism is but a generation old, propose to
remonstrate with the people of Europe against their com-
ing hither to gain a livelihood. In the debate it was
stated that the. English operatives have a fund, upon which
they draw to relieve their distressed brethren by giving
them the means to come to America and find work.
Against this most humane proceeding this Congress pro-
tested. A skilled laborer is never a pauper. The man
who is a mechanic is a capitalist. If he cannot find work
in one place he can find it in another. His skill, his in-
dustry, and his knowledge are valuable acquisitions to any
community to which he may take them. Our Congress
does not think so. If the iron, cotton, and woolen mills
of Europe be stopped; if the mines be closed, and labor
thrown out of employment, they insist that the workmen
shall stay there and perish. All honor to the workmen
of Europe who give of their means to aid a fellow-work-
man to reach America, where, by his industry and his
skill, he can feed and clothe his family and educate his
children.
Let no man go to Europe, professing to represent the
American people, who will venture to remonstrate against
sending hither the suffering and the poor who are able and
anxious to earn their bread by honest toil. We are re-
ceiving from Europe an average daily arrival of one thou-
sand emigrants. These embrace mechanics of all kinds
formers, and unskilled workmen, with their wives and
children. These people come hither, as our fathers and
grandfathers came, not as paupers, but as men seeking
remunerative fields of labor, where they may have the
blessings of civil and religious freedom, and where their
children may grow up citizens of a free, happy, and pros-
perous country. As well may the " Labor Congress" ex-
pect to stem this tide as to restrain, " by treaty or other-
wise," the waters of Niagara.
The Congress at Philadelphia, at its late session, seems
to have recognized this fact, as the following declarations
in their platform develop : " To prevent this calamity,
the public lands adapted to agriculture should be given,
in reasonable quantities, to none but American citizens,
and such as have declared their intentions to become citi-
zens." Their wrath now seems to be concentrated upon
Coolie immigration, as the following resolution introduced
will show, " Resolved, That while we appreciate the bene-
fit to be derived from voluntary immigration, we are op-
posed in toto to the importation of a servile race, bound
to fulfill contracts entered into on a foreign soil."
The second sober thought of the " Congress" has also
resulted in sending their delegate to the International Con-
vention of Switzerland, instead of to England, " to per-
1869.
THE   NEW    YORK    COACH-MAKER'S    MAGAZINE.
93
suade or dissuade skilled workmen from coming to this
country." As long as there are millions of acres of land
lying idle, and waiting, free of cost, the hand of labor to
make them productive; while centuries are to elapse be-
fore the country will be provided with the hands and the
means to develop its resources, labor will seek our shores
to find that remuneration it can find nowhere else.
The proposition to close the doors to human industry,
and shut out from free America the workingmen and
laborers of the human family, that those now here may
•have the monopoly, is such an arrogant and uncharitable
assumption, that it should be branded with reprobation
by every man in the land.
The National Labor Congress likewise adopted a reso-
lution opposing the employment of convict labor in peni-
tentiaries. The Congress have it in their power to do an
important work for their constituents, and for the commu-
nity at large. Whatever elevate^ them, by lawful means,
is an advantage to all. We hope they will pursue an en-
lightened policy, put themselves in better relations with
their enemy (?) "capital," by obtaining plenty of it, and
generally improve their condition.
But the crusade against convict labor is wholly unwise.
The State of New York has, say, one thousand convicts
in the Penitentiary. It costs, say, $250 each, to maintain
them one year, or $250,000 in the aggregate. This money
must be raised in one or two ways:—either by direct
taxation, levied upon the " workingmen " as well as others,
or by making the convicts earn their own living. Which
is best for the entire community, the workingmen in-
cluded ? Suppose half of the people of the State were
confined in jails and penitentiaries, hospitals and asylums,
or isolated in any other manner, would it be better for the
outside half to support them in idleness than to have them
support themselves? Is an industrious man enriched by
having an idle man dependent upon him for support? The
proposition of the N. L. C. would make the penitentiary,
for many persons, the most desirable place of abode in
this State. Plenty to eat and nothing to do is the sum-
mum bonum of a large class in every country. The fal-
lacy of the N. L. C. consists in supposing that the work
which one man does is an injury to every other man.
They do not object to penitentiary labor so much because
it is performed at all. Their theory is, that if A. and B.
work side by side, A.'s labor diminishes B.'s wages. To
carry out their philosophy it is only necessary to stop A.'s
work altogether, and require B. to furnish him bread and
meat, in order to put the latter on the high road to pros-
perity. But, it may be said, that if the convicts received
wages, there would be no objections to their working.
They do receive wages in the form of their support and
maintenance. It is true they do not receive "Union"
prices, but they get all that they earn, as is proved by the
fact that the penitentiary statistics have shown a loss of a
considerable sum of money. Is it desirable to pay them
more than they earn ? If so, the honest workingmen must
contribute their share of the extra wages, to enable crim-
inals to get better pay than themselves.
The " Labor Congress," while in session, through some
ninety gentlemen, endeavored to legislate for the twenty-
five millions of people of the country who live by their
labor, and, among other things, adopted something definite
upon the subject of" eight hours." This " Congress" has
resolved that " The National Labor Congress earnestly
recommends the adoption of such measures among all
classes of workmen, in all sections of the country, as will
secure the adoption of the ' Eight-Hour System,' and calls
upon the respective State Legislatures to follow the ex-
ample of the National Congress in recognizing eight hours
as a legal day's work." All this means something or
nothing. What will be an efficient Eight-Hour Law in
the estimation of these men ? In the absence of law, no
man can be compelled to work any longer per day than
he of his own free will consents to labor. Can any law
be framed that will give the laborer any greater freedom
than he now enjoys ? In the absence of any law on the
subject, every workman is at liberty to work when he
pleases, as long as he pleases, for whom he pleases, and at
wages prescribed by himself, or not work at all. The em-
ployer has an equal liberty. He can employ whom he
pleases, can have them work for as many hours as he
pleases, pay them such wages as he pleases, or he need
employ none. Can there be a larger liberty than this ?
Can there be a law devised which can improve on this
condition of things ? Do these men propose that there
shall be a law which shall punish by fine or imprisonment
any man who works more than eight hours a day, or who
pays men for working more than eight hours a day, or
who permits his workmen to work longer than eight hours
a day? Is that the idea of "an efficient Eight Hour
Law" ? Any law which leaves the workmen and the em-
ployer free to agree upon the wages and the hours of labor,
is nothing more nor less than the law as it now stands.
(Some two years ago, certain members of the different
legislatures were flattering themselves upon having pro-
cured the passage of an eight-hour law, and there was
quite a contest as to which of them was entitled to the
honor of being its " author." At the convention in Chi-
cago, the " Labor Congress" voted that that law was "a
fraud upon the laboring classes," and just such a fraud as
might have been expected by such men ! The law had
not been in force quite four months, and already its au-
thors were branded by the workingmen with having com-
mitted a fraud upon them.) Now, do they propose to
take that freedom away, and to prohibit labor beyond
eight hours, and thereby prohibit men from earning what
they can by laboring when they can, and for .the best
wages they can get?    It is not easy to imagine a severer
94
THE   NEW   YORK   COACH-MAKER'S   MAGAZINE.
November,
despotism than that which shall limit the freedom of labor,
either in respect to the prices or the amount of *vages.
Yet the "Labor Congress"—a body professing to legis-
late for the special interest of workingmen—insists that
there shall be such laws upon the National and State stat-
ute books. It is needless to say that a Congress that is
guilty of this absurdity, either does not understand the
true interests of any class, or is playing the part of the
demagogue by the use of incomprehensible jargon.
COACH-MAKERS' TARGET EXCURSI0N8
On the ninth of October the employees of two of the
largest carriage-manufacturing firms in this city gave their
employees a holiday, which the men improved by going
on a target excursion to localities in the suburbs.
The first we shall notice was that of the hands of the
Messrs. Brewster & Co., of Broome street, to which we
were specially invited, and did expect to attend, but cir-
cumstances prevented. We however made such arrange-
ments with a friend, that through him we are enabled to
give a very fair report of the day's proceedings. Premis-
ing that the firm had closed both their manufactory and
repository for the day, the men formed a company early
in the morning, and then, preceded by a full band of
musicians, inarched up-town through the most public
thoroughfares, with their friends and invited guests, to
Kapfl s Lion Park, at the corner of 110th street and the
Eighth avenue. There during the day the employees en-
gaged in target practice, for the most expert of which rich
prizes had been prepared. Those not thus employed
amused themselves by conversation and otherwise on the
spacious and airy piazza.
In the evening, at the call of the drum, the assemblage
sat down to a luxurious dinner specially prepared for this
occasion by the host, the employees being decorated with
blue sashes, and the members of the firm with carmine.
On the whole, the assemblage was a fine one. Indeed, as
one of the speakers remarked, " they represented as fine
a body of men as ever marched up Broadway." Dinner
being over, the chairman called the meeting to order, the
first toast proposed being, " The long life and prosperity
of the Messrs. Brewster & Co."
To this toast J. N. Britton, Esq., a member of the
firm, in substance responded : That this occasion, for the
firm and himself, was one of much pleasure and satisfac-
tion. He was thankful to find that the workingmen, who
had aided them on the road to success, had likewise, on
this day, brought along with them feelings of good will
toward their employers. He did not intend to enter into
any lengthy remarks, but would simply add, that having
done all in his power to make this affair a success, he
would now read to them a document addressed to the em-
ployees of Brewster & Co., of which the following is the
substance:
" Fully recognizing the value of harmonious action
between employer and employee, and being always willing
to promote and encourage true principles of co-operation
—harmony—we have concluded to let our workmen, in
future, share in a proportionate amount of our net profits,
provided the wages of each hand shall amount to $100;
this offer to take effect from the 29th of September last.
And we will not only include the profits of our factory in
Broome street, but likewise those of our salesrooms on
the Fifth avenue." (Cheers from the crowd followed this
announcement).
" Under this arrangement every person in our employ
will be entitled to a dividend according to the amount of
wages paid him during the year; in addition to which we
propose to make such arrangements that our employees
shall have the attendance of a physician when needed,
provided they do not live at too great a distance, whose
bills for this service shall,be paid from our profits. The
amounts which in this way will yearly be distributed
among our men we estimate will be about 88,000. Of
course this amount may be lessened by the effects of dull
times and increased cost of material; but we are confident
that it will rather be above than below this estimate, and
to make a practical beginning we have set aside a fund of
$1,000."
After submitting a plan by which committees from the
shops are to make arrangement and settlement of accounts
between the workmen and the firm at the close of each
fiscal year, Mr. Britton declared that, " neither disaster,
disappointment, nor misfortune in business had induced
the firm to make this voluntary offer to their employees,
for the firm of Brewster & Co. is now doing the largest
business of the kind in the United States, and had been
more successful the past year than ever before. (Pro-
longed cheers.) And they were now disposed to make it
more so in the future for the mutual benefit of all, and
thus secure the interests of labor and capital, in good will,
by co-operation."
Loud and prolonged cheering followed this address;
and after silence had been restored, replies were made by
others commending the action of the Messrs. Brewster &
Co., and declaring that this was a move in the right direc-
tion, and well calculated to fill the gap which unfortunate-
ly existed between capital and labor, and which, unless
checked, threatened ultimately the downfall of our Repub-
lican institutions. There never was a better established
fact than that the interests of labor and capital lay in re-
ciprocity. Altogether this was one of the finest excur-
sions of the season. Much credit is due to the committee
of arrangements for the able manner in which they dis-
charged their duties, and to the Messrs. Brewster & Co.,
whose liberality contributed in making this occasion lotif
to be remembered by all present.
On the same day the employees of Messrs. Corbett &
18G9.
THE   NEW    YORK    COACH-MAKER'S    MAGAZINE..
95
Scharch, of West Twenty-fifth street, went on a target
excursion to Menshausen's Grove Hill Park, atMorrisania,
Westchester County, N. Y. On the march the company
displayed a truck gayly decorated, on which was borne a
fine specimen of " Our wagon," for the building of which
this firm has become somewhat noted, and which attracted
much attention. As customary on such occasions, the
members of the firm and friends had provided an ample
supply of prizes, as rewards to the best marksmen. After
a day of much enjoyment, the company, at a late hour in
the evening, returned to their homes, well satisfied with
the manner in which they had spent the day.
On the 16th of October the employees of Mr. J. B.
Brewster, of Twenty-fifth street, likewise went on their
first annual excursion and target practice, to Lion Park,
before mentioned. The company, with about ninety mem-
bers, under the direction of Capt. Thos. H. Wood, formed
at the factory at 8£ o'clock, A. M., when Mr. J. B. Brew-
ster, in a short address, to which Capt. Wood responded
on behalf of the company presented it with an elegant
banner, costing $150, appropriately lettered in monogram
and otherwise.
Soon after the company reached the Park, and the
members had taken a hasty lunch, shooting commenced,
with the following result: Moran (blacksmith's helper),
won the first prize, an elegant gold watch ; C. Powell the
second prize, a check for $50 ; Fagan and three others
the third prizes, each a check for $20. There were some
thirty-four prizes in all, distributed to the members of
the company, details of which we have not space to give.
Shooting over, the company, with about forty lady friends
and invited guests, set down to an excellent dinner, pre-
pared by " mine host" of the Lion Park Hotel, to which
full justice was done; afcer which the party engaged in
conversation and other amusements in the adjoining rooms
until a late hour in the evening.
CHARGES FOR REPAIRS IN NEW YORK AND
BOSTON.
We intimated in a former article in noticing the
tariff of carriage repairs, published in The Rub, as
charged in New York, that although we considered some
items rather high, yet upon the whole it might be taken
as a fair statement. Since that article was penned this
same journal has published a tariff for Boston. We are
thus enabled to give the prices for New York and Boston,
side by side, with some variations furnished us by a re-
liable manufacturer of this city. These we have included
in the list in brackets. Whilst some of these charges are
strikingly alike, some items are equally variant. For in-
stance, there is nearly fifty per cent, difference between
the two cities, in the items of tires and repairing car-
riages, which  cannot  be   accounted  for  on  reasonable
grounds. One is almost led to conclude that there must
be some mistake with the printer. At least comparisons
in this instance arc absolutely odious.    Here they are:
New York.  Boston.
New Steel Tires and Bolts on Light Buggy Wheels. ..|20 00 $18 00
New Iron Tires and Bolts on Light Buggy Wheels . .  18 00    14 00
New Iron Tires and Bolts on Four Passenger Wheels 26 00    16 00
New Iron Tires and Bolts on Coach Wheels........40 00    23 00
New Iron Tires and Bolts on Light Brett Wheels ...  34 00    16 00
Resetting Tires on Light Wheels.................    G 00      6 00
Resetting Tires on Heavy Wheels................    8 00      6 00
New Tire Bolts in Old Wheels, each.........[10c]        12£       12
Carriage Bolts, each.......................[30c]       25        25
Drafting Wheels, per set..................[$1 00]       75      1 00
New Rims on Light Wheels, per set..........[£16.] 18 00    16 00
New Rims on Heavy Wheels, per set.............. 20 00    20 00
New Light Spokes (unpainted), each.........[63c]       75         75
New Heavy Spokes (unpainted), each........[75c]    1 00      1 00
New Hub in Old Wheel...................[$4 25]    6 00      5 00
New Axle Bed (not. painted).................[S3]    4 00     4 00
New Single Perch (woodwork only)...............    5 00     5 00
Pair Double Perches (woodwoi-k only)............    6 00     6 00
New Spring Bar................................    2 00     3 00
New Shaft Bar...........................[$2 00]    175      3 00
Set of Light Wheels, boxed, tired, and painted. [$75] 85 00    65 00
Set of Heavy Wheels, boxed, tired, and painted. [$90] 100 00  100 00
One New Shaft (unpainted)......................    4 00     5 00
Head Block (unpainted).........................    2 50     3 00
Resetting Light Axles, per set...............[$6]    5 00     4 00
Resetting Heavy Axles, per set..............[$8] 10 00      5 00
Washering and Oiling Light Axles, per set.........    1 00      1 50
Washering and Oiling Heavy Axles, per set........    1 50     2 00
Retrimming Shafts, per pair.....................    4 50     4 00
Recovering Dash of Box Wagon (double)..........    9 00    10 00
Recovering Dash of Open Front Box Wagon (double) 10 00    12 00
Pair of Perch Straps for Buggy..................    2 50      1 50
Pair of Safety Straps for Shaft...................     1 50      1 00
Recovering Glass Frames of Ordinary Size, each ...    3 50     2 50
New Pole Yoke with Plated Tips, Leathered.......    6 50      6 00
New Pole and Yoke.............................40 00    50 00
Silver Plated Shaft Tips, per pair.................    2 00      1 50
Capping set of Top Nuts with Silver.............    3 00     2 00
Full Plating set of Axle Nuts, small...............    6 00      1 50
Cleaning, Japanning, and Burnishing Lamps, per pair 6 00    10 00
New Black Lower Panel in Coach; taking out and
replacing the Back Lining, and painting Panel    40 00
Burning off Old Paint (or Cutting Down), Repainting
Body and Carriage-parts of Coach, thoroughly. .185 00  100 00
Ditto, Six Seat Rockaway, Paneled................1C0 00    90 00
Ditto, Four Seat Rockaway, Paneled..............135 00    75 00
Ditto, Light Express............................             4!> °°
Ditto, Four Seat Beach or Box Wagon............              40 00
Ditto, Buggy.............................[$45.] 55 00    40 00
Coloring and Varnishing Body, Painting and Striping
Rims, and Varnishing Carriage-parts of Coach. . 115 00    75 00
Ditto, Six Seat Rockaway.......................  90 00    40 00
Ditto, Four Seat Rockaway.......................  75 00    35 00
Ditto, Light Express............................              18 00
Ditto Four Seat Beach or Box Wagon.............              30 00
Ditto, Buggy.................................  3500    30 00
Touching up and Varnishing Body and Carriage-parts   «,
of Buggy..................................  2^0°   150°
9G
.THE    NEW   YORK    COACH-MAKER'S   MAGAZINE.
November,
APPLICATION OF CANVAS TO WOOD.
The following note comes to us through the mail:
Mr. Editor: Will  you please explain in the columns
of the Magazine the best mode of applying canvas to
the round corners of bodies and seats ; also what heft of
canvas is best for outside canvassing.       Yours, etc.
D. J. S.
The article generally employed on inside work nowa-
days is known as scrims, and will be found in our Price
Current. This is a thin linen fabric, prepared with special
reference to holding glue. It should be saturated in glue,
well cooked, neither too thick nor too thin, and after
pressing out the redundant glue, by drawing through
the fingers, should be applied as hot as possible, and well
rubbed on ; the harder it is rubbed the better. Outside
canvassing is difficult to paint over, and should be stu-
diously avoided, if possible, particularly on new work.
We see no necessity for using it, except in an imaginary
case where a fissure or crack may appear in a panel after
the job has been turned out. In such cases we have seen a
strip of fine tape, neatly let into the panel, glued over the
crack, and painted, with tolerable success. If D. J. S.
will follow the directions on page 98, volume X., for
framing the round corners, we think he will find no need
of canvassing the outside of corners at any time.
LITERARY NOTICES.
The publisher sends us a copy of The Painter, Gilder,
and Varnishcrs' Companion. Containing Rules and Reg-
ulations in everything relating to the Arts of Painting,
Gilding, Varnishing, Glass Staining, Graining, Marbling,
Sign Writing, Gilding on Glass, Coach-Painting and
Varnishing, Tests for the Detection of Adulterations in
Oil Colors, &c, and a Statement of the Diseases to
which Painters are peculiarly liable, with the Simplest
and Best Remedies. Thirteenth Edition. Revised. With
an Appendix, comprising Descriptions of a great variety
of Additional Pigments, their Qualities and Uses, to
which are added Dryers, and Modes and Operations of
Painting, &c, together with Chevreul's Principles of
Harmony and Contrast of Colors. Philadelphia : Henry
Carey Baird, 406 Walnut street. Price, by mail, free of
postage, $1.50.
This work has already passed through several editions,
the latest of which has been very much improved by ad-
ditional instructions in coach-painting and varnishing, ma-
terial for which was supplied by the editor of this maga-
zine. We have above given the title-page entire, from
which the painter will readily perceive that this is a valu-
able and useful work for the paint-shop, and which he
cannot well afford to be without.
The Painter's Magazine, published in Cincinnati by
J. Sonnedecker & Co., is " a Monthly Journal of New
Styles, Improvements, and General Information in the
various branches of the business." Price, $1.25 a year.
Painters generally will find much useful information in
the pages of this clever monthly.
The Atlantic Monthly for October is a very interest-
ing numbed. " The City of Bi'ass," gives some hard hits
at a certain class of modern reformers.     "The Brick
Moon," "The Egotist in Life," and "The Increase of
Human Life," are the titles of other articles. " A Dredg-
ing Excursion in the Gulf Stream," from the pen of the
gifted Mrs. Agassiz, will be read with the deepest interest
and profit, by all real lovers of the works of nature.
EDITORIAL CHIPS AND SHAVINGS.
Adventures of Three Jours.—Unavoidable circum-
stances compel us to omit publishing the article under
this head this month.    We shall resume it in December.
A Peacemaker.—An ingenious invention has been in-
troduced in Paris for settling disputes between cab-hirers
and cab-drivers. It records the exact distance traversed,
and indicates the sum of money due the driver, and is
beyond the control of either hirer or driver.
Propelling Street Cars by Compressed Air.—Mr.
Waylies, of New Orleans, has recently invented a car
which has proved a complete success. In the car-station
there is an ordinary steam-engine of about sixty-six horse-
power for compressing air into reservoirs. The reservoirs
are made of a paper composition, and two of them are
placed on top of the cars. On each car there is a small
engine operated by air supplied from the reservoir in the
same manner as steam, giving the exact amount of power
that was required to compress the air. The engine is not
difficult to run, and the cars can be stopped much more
readily than where horses are used. Each car will have
300 pounds of compressed air to start with, which will be
sufficient to run it nine or ten miles. The exhausted an-
as it escapes from the engine may be used for ventilation.
The New Orleans Picayune says: " When this system is
adopted in our city, it will cause at least 5,000 mules to
be sent into the country, thereby being of much benefit
to the farmers." In New York there are some 40,000
animals employed on the various railway-lines. The re-
lease of this immense number of horses would do much
toward reducing their value. The cost of running cars
by this method would be much less than at present, and
the speed more uniform. It is claimed that cars can be
stopped quicker with the compressed air than by horses.
Hack and Hackmen in Sweden.—An American
gentleman traveling in Europe sends home the following
relation of his experience:
" Neither is there any easy communication between
the two capitals—Christiania and Stockholm—as we
found to our suffering when compelled, a few days ago, to
ride in a rickety wagon from eleven o'clock one morning
to two the next, and all this time at the mercy of a driver
who was not sober one minute out of the fifteen hours.
He carried a bottle of brandy in his pocket, drank it
empty before he had finished two-thirds of the journey,
had it filled again, took a comfortable nap at several sta-
tions by the way, and seemed to think he was doing us a
favor every time he commenced the drive afresh toward
Carlstadt, where we were to take the steamer for Chris-
tinehamm, and thence by rail to Stockholm."
Self-moving Cabs, Velocipedes, and other Vehicles.
—An Englishman writes to the Builder that he has in-
vented a machine, and tells the editor : " You may think
that like a young horse it will not stand still except I hold
it. I feel quite convinced that this motive power will revo-
lutionize all kinds of conveyances." This is not the first
time that horse-flesh has been placed in jeopardy—nor do
we expect it will be the last.