(INVENTORS) WHITNEY ELI Autograph Letter Signed E Whitney to

Sale 2686 - Lot 61

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Estimate: $ 1,500 - $ 2,500

ASSEMBLING EQUIPMENT TO MAINTAIN "PROGRESS OF THE SCIENCE IN THIS COUNTRY" (INVENTORS.) WHITNEY, ELI. Autograph Letter Signed, "E Whitney," to iron maker John Adam, Jr., requesting that he produce an iron component of a piece of equipment for use by chemist Benjamin Silliman, describing the production process and materials and dimensions, stating that Whitney subscribed to inventor Benjamin Dearborn's magazine Useful Cabinet, reporting that Whitney also added Adam's name to list of subscribers, and giving payment and shipping details for the components. 3 pages, 4to, written on a folded sheet, holograph address panel on terminal page; seal tear with minor loss to text of third page, faint scattered foxing and soiling, few short closed separations at folds. New Haven, 26 May 1808

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"Mr. Silliman the Professor of Chemistry has frequent occasion in the course of his experiments to use a wrought Iron Bottle--somewhat resembling a retort or rather an alembic. They are a very important article in a chemical apparatus & are difficult to procure. Those which he had brought from Europe with him being likely to fail, he became apprehensive that the want of them might impede the progress of the Science in this Country & persuaded me to attempt to make one. My success in this attempt has been quite equal to my expectations. There is with me but one difficulty . . . . I welded up bar iron & plated it under my tilt hammer: but this is not a good method. . . . I think you can make the Shapes with great facility & convenience: either by working them in part under your hammer & then passing them thro' the Rollers; or by the hammer altogether. I think good bloomed iron will answer the purpose as well as refined. The plates should be suant [suent?]--in order that they may bend with the more facility & regularity--it is also important that they should be sound--they will in that case indure much longer in the fire . . . .
"The object of this letter is to solicit in behalf of Mr. Silliman that you will . . . have half a Dozen of these Shapes made at your works & sent to this place as soon as you can make it convenient. . . .
"Dimensions: 13 inches Long
"10 inches wide
"full ½ inch thick
"I have lately become acquainted with Mr. Benja. Dearborne [Benjamin Dearborn] of Boston, inventor of the proportional Ballance, President of the New England Association of Inventors &c. He is concerned in publishing a little periodical work in monthly numbers, entitled 'the useful Cabinet,' giving a list of Patents in this Country, specifications &c, &c . . . I . . . took the liberty of putting your name down for one also . . . ."