THOMAS BLANCHARD.

Birtn.-Early fondness for mechanics.-Anecdote.-At thirteen years of age in. vents a machine for paring apples.--Assists his brother in the manufacturing of tacks. Description of the process.-Invents a counting machine.-Learns the use of blacksmiths' and carpenters' tools.-Perseverance in perfecting the tack machine.-Final success.-Sells the patent right.—Makes great improvements in the manufacture of nuskets.-Anecdote.--Invents the engine for turning irregular forms.-Description-Anecdote-Is employed in the national armories in recting the engines, and making other important improvements. -Congress grants the petition for a renewal of the patent right for the engine.-Interests himself in the subject of railroads.-Invents and makes experiments with a steam-carriage.-Petitions the legislature of Massachusetts.The report of the committee.-Applies to the legislature of New York.Interview with Gov. Clinton.-Abandons the project.-Invents a steamboat on a new principle to ascend Enfield Falls.-Makes an excursion up the Connecticut. Builds a second and superior boat.-Constructs a steamboat on the Alleghany. Its first voyage.-The Indian chief Cornplanter, and the steamboat. Encroachments.-Complimentary temarks of Judge Story on the termination of a lawsuit.-Conclusion.

MOST of the following materials were obtained by solicitation from the subject of the memoir. We present them to the public with pleasure, as containing some of the leading incidents in the life of an unassuming, yet talented individual, who, by industry and perseverance in his peculiar department, claims an honorable station among the true benefactors of man.

Thomas Blanchard was born in Sutton, Worcester county, Mass., on the 24th of June, 1788. Like most New Englanders, his ancestors were among the early settlers of our country. His father, Mr. Samuel Blanchard, stood high as an agriculturist, a situation solely due to the qualities of industry and economy for which he was noted. Thomas was the fifth of six sons; his fondness for mechanical subjects may be dated back almost to the dawn of life; his first recollections are of cutting up shingles with a knife into all kinds of toys, such as windmills, water-wheels, &c., and when old enough to attend school, he would be seized with an irresistible propensity to steal away from study, and employ the time with his then favorite tools, the knife and gimlet. His advantages for viewing mechanical operations were few, his resi dence being in a portion of the town where there was not a workshop of any kind, except a country smith's, and even that t some distance. The first time he recollects visiting this place

was with his father, probably at the age of nine or ten. Being obliged to wait during the operation of shoeing their horse, his attention was fully occupied in watching the movements of the smith. What struck him with the greatest wonder and astonishment, was the process of heating and welding two nailrods, and he thought he would give all he possessed to perform such a miraculous operation.

On their road home young Blanchard's mind was full of what he had seen. His thoughts were now raised far above the knife and gimlet, and he was determined, if possible, to imitate the wonder he had just witnessed. Standing near the house was an old weaving shop, containing in the lower part a place for farming tools, and in the attic a parcel of scraps of old iron, from which our young experimenter obtained a full supply. The next, and most troublesome step, was the procuring of fuel; to effect this he determined upon watching the kitchen fire, and, when his mother's back was turned, to wet the burning coals, take them away, and secrete them in a snug corner of the cellar; but finding this a slow, as well as tedious operation, he had recourse, on baking days, to his mother's oven. In a few weeks all was ready, and his parents setting out on a visit to some relations in a neighboring town, gave the long wished-for opportunity. Previous to their departure he was enjoined to perform a certain task: this he commenced, and for a while made rapid progress, but being unable to withstand the temptation, soon abandoned it for the new and more agreeable scheme. Taking the bellows from the kitchen, and collecting the materials from a pile of brick and stone in the yard, he managed to build a very good forge in the weaving shop. An anvil was still wanting, and for a moment he was at loss how to proceed, but happening to think of one of his father's wedges, he obtained it, and driving it into a block, left the square end sufficiently high for the intended purpose; and finally, ringing out his coals from the cellar corner, he was ready to blow up the fire early the next morning. On commencing, he succeeded very well in beating the iron into the required shape; his ambition now was to join two pieces into one, but being ignorant of the "welding heat," in vain exerted his utmost skill; it then occurred to him, if he could only make another visit to the smith, he would be enabled to surmount the difficulty. While devising further plans his parents returned, and his father enter ing and viewing his son's work, at first feigned to look displeased, but could not refrain from relaxing his countenance at the ludi crous imitation, and after inquiring where the coals came from ended by ordering the youthful Vulcan to take down his forge

and return the materials to their appropriate places; thus ended his first important mechanical experiment.

At the age of thirteen having heard of a machine for paring apples, he was determined to make one, and employed all his leisure in the invention. Although he had received but a mere hint of its operation, it was soon ready for trial, but at first proved unsuccessful: no difficulty was experienced in fixing the apple so as to revolve on turning a crank, yet on applying the knife to the fruit it would run in towards its centre, instead of cutting a thin paring. Not in the least discouraged, he set his "young wits" to work to remedy the deficiency, and the first step was to watch the operation of paring by hand. He observed that the thick. ness of the shaving was gauged by the thumb of the hand hold. ing the cutter. This led him to see the necessity of fixing a gauge to the knife. Here he learned an important fact, one that may be termed his first lesson in the way of invention,-viz. to imitate nature, as in the use of the hand, where machinery is substituted for hand operations. The success of this invention was soon known throughout the neighborhood, and young Blanchard thenceforth became a favorite at all the "paring bees," where he would accomplish more with his machine than half a dozen girls by hand.

The success attending this undertaking gave him new ideas and a greater thirst for invention. Soon after he went to reside with an elder brother, who had a number of persons, mostly boys, to assist him in the business of manufacturing tacks. The opera tion was to cut them into points from a thin plate of iron, after which they were taken up, one at a time, with the thumb and finger, and held in a tool griping them by the movement of a lever. The lever was put in motion by one foot, while a blow was simultaneously given with a hammer held in the right hand, making a flat head of the large end of the point which projected above the head of the tool. This was the only method then known, and so very slow and irksome, that young Blanchard would often grow tired and disgusted. As a daily task, he was given a certain quantity to manufacture, which number was ascertained by weighing and counting: finding this too much trouble, he was induced to construct a counting machine. This was a very ingenious contrivance, consisting of a ratchet wheel moving one tooth every time the jaws of the heading tool moved in the process of mak. ing one tack, to which a bell was also attached in such a manner as to give a signal by ringing when the required number was completed.

His brother, on witnessing its operation, forbid him wasting time on such idle projects. He was not, however, of a dispositior to

be frustrated in ideas, if he could not execute plans; and even at this early day began to conceive of the design of a machine for cutting and heading tacks. Although his brother would endeavor to discourage him, by saying that it was too small and intricate a process to be performed by machinery, yet he was determined that whenever he became sufficiently skilled, and possessed the means, to prosecute the undertaking.

His father not having any fondness for mechanics, and excelling in his own calling, was resolved to bring up his son Thomas in the same pursuit; but at last, satisfied of its utter impossibility, allowed him to follow that path for which his genius had peculiarly fitted him; not, however, without expressing a truly paternal desire that he should aim at the acquisition of a thorough, practical knowledge of whatever was attempted. The first, and by far most important step, was learning the use of blacksmiths' tools; after which Blanchard became skilled in the different modes of working on wood, turning, &c., which in his subsequent career has given him a decided advantage over others possessing only a theoretical knowledge.

So ardent was he in the pursuit of new projects in the arts, that his early education was greatly neglected, yet the practical knowledge acquired in youth, in some measure supplied the want of literary acquirements; affording, perhaps, in the opinion of some, an additional illustration of the saying of a late philosopher, "that a self-taught man is more likely to produce useful and original ideas, than one who gathers his knowledge from books,”—an axiom so far true, as self-reliance is better than dependence, while a certain medium offers superior advantages.

At the age of eighteen, Blanchard commenced the invention of the tack machine, but was compelled to lay it aside for a time for the want of means. Refunding himself from his other occupations, he recommenced the project, until exhausted resources once more obliged him to abandon it. This course he pursued alternately, for a period of six years, expending all he could raise upon his darling project, carrying the models about from place to place, wherever he could find employment, and throwing the old ones aside as fast as improvements were suggested. Of dauntless perseverance, the advice and earnest entreaties of friends in dissuasion from this apparently hopeless undertaking, but added fuel to the flame. Success at last crowned his efforts, and so complete was the operation, that by placing the iron into the tube or hopper, and applying the moving power, five hundred tacks could be made per minute, with more finished heads and points than were ever made by hand. Such was its perfection, that a

half-ounce weight would balance a thousand. Securing the patent, he sold the right for five thousand dollars to a company who went extensively into the business; a slender compensation considering its importance, but small as it was, it relieved him of embarrassments, and placed him some thousands ahead.

Mr. Blanchard being a practical operator in all branches of machinery, and possessing also economical habits, together with an unwearied perseverance, was enabled to execute his plans at a comparatively small expense. The success of his tack machine inspired him with new confidence, and a greater desire for im provement in the arts.

About this time, attempts were making in the various armories under the patronage of government, to turn musket barrels with an external finish, instead of pursuing the then common and very imperfect mode of reducing them to a uniform thickness by grinding. In accordance with the advice of a friend, possessing great confidence in his skill, Blanchard was induced to invent a machine for turning the cylindrical part of the barrel. There was then remaining about three inches at the breech, requiring to be cut in a different figure, with two flat and oval sides, and, finally, finished by chipping, filing, and grinding. He undertook, with perfect success, the construction of a lathe to turn the whole of the barrel, from end to end, by the combination of one single, self-directing operation. To effect this, it was placed in the lathe, and the process commenced at the muzzle, in the ordinary way, turning the cylindrical portion first; but as the cutting instrument approached the breech, the motion was very ingeniously changed into a vibrating one, so as to cut the flats and ovals perfectly parallel with the calibre of the barrel. This was effected by a cam-wheel placed in the arbor of the lathe, and operated by a lever. A knowledge of this impor tant improvement coming to the superintendent of the United States' armory at Springfield, a contract was made with Blanchard to erect one at that establishment.* While the workmen were gathered around to witness its operation, an incident occurred which finally led to the truly wonderful invention for turning irregular forms. One of the men, addressing himself to a companion, says, "Well, John, he has spoiled your job!" "I care not for that," was the reply, "as long as I can get a better." One of the musket-stockers, with a confident shake of the head, then boastingly exclaimed, "that he (Blanchard) could not spoil his, for he could not turn a gun-stock!" This remark struck

This armory is by far the most extensive in the Union, furnishing einployment for three hundred men, who annually manufacture fourteen thousand Muskets.