THE INDUSTRY OF ALL NATIONS.

that bold freedom in style and arrangement of tools and common utensils whichis so characteristic of our nation, not more from original mechanical talent, thanfrom the perpetual novelty of conditions which surround American workers.There are many foreign tools and implements on exhibition in the Crystal Palacewhich an American would feel disgraced to use, on account of their manifest clum-siness and maladaptation. The axes, shovels, picks, ploughs, carpenter’s tools, &c.of this country have a neatness and elegant adaptation which we vainly seek else-where. The French standards for common use but illustrate the general traits ofFrench utensils. When, too, we contrast the truly elegant workmanship of Gam-bey’s standards and his best instruments, with that of these rude wooden mea-sures, the thought involuntarily arises, that this contrast is a type and perhaps aneffect of the wide difference of culture and development between the highest so-cial grade and the poor plebeian masses, in that enigmatical nation which knowshow to unite the profoundest mathematical research with the lightest social frivo-lities. Here, where advancement is possible for all, where to improve is bothnature and habit for every well constituted mind; the scythe, the wheelbarrow,the rat-trap must become the best and cheapest possible, or their critical users willlearn to supersede them by some better Yankee notion. Rudeness of tools is proofthat their users are not mentally quickened in their labors, and there is a fearfulwitnessing to masses of ignorance and unreason in those strength-wasting and un-gainly implements which European laborers are content or constrained to use.

The history of weights and measures in the United States follows closely theusual type; for it embraces a time when weights and measures were essentiallylocal, referred to no authoritative standard, and only compared in such a rude man-ner as to leave a broad margin of indetermination. So manifest were the incon-veniencies of heterogeneous denominations of coin or currency, that in 1786 ourexcellent federal system of decimal money was declared, and exclusively legalizedby Congress. As early as 1790, the same year in which the National Assemblyordered the great reorganization of French metrology, Mr. Jefferson broachedto the House of Representatives the idea of a decimal system of weights andmeasures. In 1795, the President communicated the new French system to Con-gress in a special message, and a committee on this and on Mr. Jefferson’s report,in 1796 reported in favor of retaining the foot and avoirdupois pound then in use,and of referring them to the pendulum. No important legislation followed, andthe subject was left to shape itself without any provision for uniform standards.The inconveniencies of this condition were doubtless in great part obviated by thefact of our using the English units, which our extensive commerce with GreatBritain must have kept tolerably accurate. In 1819, a Committee of the Houseof Representatives proposed to adopt absolute standards, derived from theweights and measures in common use, to obtain, through a commission, copiesof the yard, pound, wine gallon and bushel, conforming to those in general use inthe United States, and to procure and distribute copies of these derived standardsand their comparison with and reference to the seconds pendulum and a meridianarc. The bushel and gallon were also to be defined by the fixed lineal dimensionsof a bushel and gallon of distilled water, whose weights were to be determined.

In answer to a Senate resolution of 1817, the Secretary of State, John QuincyAdams, presented in 1821 the elaborate report on this subject which so strikinglyillustrates the power of his wide-grasping mind, and which became the great guideand moving force to definite, positive action. The thorough demonstration of asignal lack of constancy and agreement between different custom-house and com-mon measures then in actual use, left no room for denying the practical demandfor establishing some positive standards, and of doing all that was requisite forInsuring conformity thereto. These local discordances were rather of fact than oflaw, the legislation of different States agreeing tolerably, while the discrepanciesbetween local standards were gross and required rigorous correction. He thereforerecommended not a grand system of legislation, but rather that provision be made“ for the uniformity of fact by procuring and distributing to the executives of theStates and Territories, positive national standards, conformable to the law.” Dis-couraging all attempts at fragmentary organic reforms, and leaving to a futureperiod, the work of establishing a universal system of metrology, he urged thefirst and nearest object, uniformity of fact under the prevailing system. It is shownby his recommendation to consult with foreign nations for the future and ultimateestablishment of general and permanent uniformity, that no one would have prizedmore highly than he, a unibasal and symmetrical system of mensuration, had itsestablishment been then practicable. Such success he dared not hope, and he wellknew the penalty of confusion which a grand failure would entail. Legislation onthis subject still halted, the first successful movement being made by Mr. Wood-bury in the Senate of 1830, for the comparison of the various custom-house stand-ards then in use. In compliance with the Senate Order, Mr. Hassler made exten-sive comparisons and submitted the results in his report of 1832, a productionabounding in valuable metrological materials, but somewhat deficient in digestionand arrangement. As instances of the gross discrepancies ascertained to existamong the revenue measures sent from the various custom-houses, it was foundthat the bushels ranged in capacity (J. Q. Adams’ table) between 74J and 87^pounds of distilled water ; the pounds from 6970.15 to 7075.52 grains of the mintpound, and the yards from 35.76 to 36.165 inches. In these comparisons, Mr.

Hassler exhibited a high degree'of skill and industry, and it is a just subject of re-gret that his lack of conformity or acquaintance with our national temper andpeculiarities has served to prevent his labors from attaining due appreciation, andleading to their proper effects on his reputation. He certainly achieved wondersin successfully conducting inquiries so novel among us, and withal so intrinsicallydifficult and laborious, without the aid of trained men to bear part.

In 1832, the Treasury Department reported to Congress the definite adoptionas custom-house standards, of the following measures and weights, which arenow the authentic final standards for all general government purposes, and arealso the bases of all the standards distributed to the States from the Office ofWeights and Measures.

1st. The final standard of length is a brass scale, graduated on an inlaid stripof silver into inches and tenths throughout. This was made for the Coast Survey,by Trough ton, being copied as exactly as possible from the English standard of SirGeorge Shuckburgh, so as to secure the most perfect identity. It is furnished withmicroscopes and micrometers, reading one ten-thousandth of an inch, and it has atracer arranged for transferring its divisions to copies.

2d. The standard units of capacity measure are the gallon and the bushel. Thestandard gallon contains 58372-2 grains, or 8’3389 pounds avoirdupois of distilledwater at its maximum density, weighed in air, at thirty inches of the barometer.The standard bushel contains 543391-89 grains or 77"6274 pounds avoirdupois ofwater weighed under the above conditions. The mercury of the barometer is sup-posed to have the temperature of 62° Far.

3d. The ultimate standard of weight is the troy pound, copied for the U. S.mint, by Capt. Kater, in 1827, from the imperial troy pound, and only 0-0012 of agrain heavier than the British standard. This was legalized in 1828, and is usedat thirty inches of the barometer. It is preserved in the Philadelphia mint.

The avoirdupois pound contains 7000 grains and the troy pound 5-760, or theavoirdupois pound is of the troy pound.

In 1836, a joint resolution directed the Secretary of the Treasury “ to cause acomplete set of all the weights and measures adopted and now either made or inthe progress of manufacture, for the use of the several custom-houses and for otherpurposes, to be delivered to the Governor of each State in the Union, or such per-son as he may appoint, for the use of the States respectively, to the end that auniform standard of weights and measures may be established throughout theUnited States.” In 1838, Congress also directed the preparation and distributionto the States of balances specially adapted for adjusting weights and capacitymeasures.

The U. S. Department of Weights and Measures, of which Prof. Bache is nowthe superintendent, is established in the Coast Survey Office, under the immediatedirection of Mr. Joseph Saxton, and it usually keeps employed seven mechaniciansand six laborers in the work of making standard weights, measures, and balances.These standards are intended for the supply of the States, custom-houses and mints.The full State set embraces the following items:—1st. A standard yard of brass,for both end and line measures graduated into feet, one foot into inches, one inchinto tenths; also the yard into tenths, and one tenth into hundreds. It is a stand-ard at 62° Fahrenheit. 2d. A set of standard liquid capacity measures, consistingof a gallon, a half gallon, a quart, a pint and a half pint. 3d. A half bushel stand-ard of dry measure. 4th. A set of standard avoirdupois weights, including thefollowing: 50 lbs., 25 lbs., 20 lbs., 10 lbs., 5 lbs., 4 lbs., 31bs., 2 lbs., 1 lb.; also, a stand-ard one pound troy weight. 5th. The following multiples and submultiples of theavoirdupois ounce, 8,4, 2, and 1 ounces; 5, 4, 3, 2, and 1 tenths; 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1hundredths; 5, 4, 3, 2, and 1 thousandths, and 5, 4, 3, 2, and 1 ten-thousandths ofan ounce. 6th. The following troy ounce multiples and submultiples: 10, 6, 5, 4, 3,2, and 1 ounces; 5, 4, 3, 2, and 1 tenths; 5, 4, 8, 2, and 1 hundredths ; 5, 4, 3, 2,and 1 thousandths, and 5, 4, 3, 2, and 1 ten-thousandths. 7th. A set, containingthe three sizes of standard comparing balances. The largest sized balance is intendedto be used with weights up to 50 lbs. weight on each scale or 100 lbs. load; themedium size, with weights up to 10 lbs. on each scale or 20 lbs. load, and the smallestsize with weights up to 1 lb. to each scale or 2 lbs. load. These limits can howeverbe considerably exceeded with safety, if required. With 50 lbs. to each scale, thelarge balance, when in good adjustment, indicates one-fiftieth of a grain, or onethirty-five millionth of the load; the medium size with 10 lbs. to each scale turnswith one-hundredth of a grain, or with one fourteen-millionth of the load, and thesmallest size with one pound on each scale sometimes clearly indicates one thou-sandth of a grain or one fourteen-millionth of the load under the most favorablecircumstances.

The Office of Weights and Measures is steadily and systematically executingthe orders of Congress, and a considerable portion of the State sets have alreadybeen distributed. The time is near at hand when each State will be supplied withauthentic standards, and when it will only remain for the State governments tocomplete uniformity by supplying appropriate standards to each county.

The standard balances are among the finest products of American skill. Amongall the tools, implements, utensils and machines aggregated in the Crystal Palace,j the critical observer will hardly find any thing superior in point of workmanship| to the four standard comparing balances, standing in the Coast Survey space. The