Chapter XXIII: Appendix: A

Shortly before his death Richard S. Lawrence wrote for his son, Ned Lawrence, an account of his life, which has never been published. It unconsciously reveals his genuine worth, and draws a simple but accurate picture of the life and struggles of an American mechanic seventy years ago. Through the kindness of Mr. Ned Lawrence it is given below. A few portions, only, dealing with family matters of no general interest, are omitted.

Hartford, Conn., Dec. 17th, 1890.

To my son Ned Lawrence.

By your request I will give you from memory in part a history of my
life. I was born in Chester, Vermont, November 22d, 1817. When I
was two years old my Father moved to Hounsfield, Jefferson County,
N. Y., located on a farm half way between Watertown and Blanchard’s
Corners. When I was four years old my Father moved to Blanchards
Corners and kept a Log Tavern. This was on the road from Watertown
to Sackett’s Harbour.... When I was six years old my Father moved on
to a farm one-half mile north of Blanchards Corners. At this time
my Father had a hard time in clearing up a new farm of 100 acres.
In order to make ends meet, Father, when farm work was not driving,
carted cannon and grape shot from Sackett’s Harbour to Watertown.
This material was sent to the Harbour during the War of 1812, and
condemned and sold after the War by the U. S. Government.... This
was the time that I first commenced going to school, which did not
amount to much. Father died on this farm when I was nine years old,
leaving Mother with three children.... Mother moved about this time
with her Father to the town of Pamelia. Here they lived about three
years, then moved to another small farm in the same town. I spent
most of my time helping on these two farms, and breaking steers.
Had yokes made for yearlings, had a little sled, and many times in
winter drove to Watertown Village to mill with grists. When I was
fifteen years old Grandfather and Mother moved to what is now called
North Watertown onto a small farm. About this time I began to feel
a little uneasy, and wanted to try something else for a living. I
went to live with Uncle Judah Lord in Jewellville, North Watertown.
Worked for him making Carpenters’ and Joiners’ Tools. My work for the
first year was sawing by hand seasoned beach plank into blocks for
planes. This was hard work and I wished myself in some better place
(many times). There was nothing in the least to give me courage, but
after a while I could make tools very well. What little spending
money I had was earned by night work, making packing boxes for a
paper-mill nearby. Worked half the night for 25¢. Up to this time I
never had but one suit of clothes at the same time, and was doing
about as much work as those that had much more pay. (I only had my
board. My folks furnished my clothes.) Lord’s business was dull, and
I went to work for Orange Woods & Co. making window sashes. (Will
say here that in the basement of Lord’s Tool Shop was a Custom Gun
Shop. I was always anxious to learn what I could of anything in
mechanical line, and spent my spare time with a young man employed
in this shop, tinkering on guns, and became quite handy with tools,
and could do general repairs quite well. This was the fore-runner of
my gun work.) Made sash and doors under contract. All work was done
by the best machines, and this gave me a good chance to instruct
myself on machines. At the end of one year the shop burnt up, and I
was left out in the cold. After a while Wood & Co. bought out Judah
Lord’s Tool Shop and commenced tool making. They hired me to work
on tools. In about six months this shop burnt up and I was left out
in the cold again. At this time I was about seventeen years old,
was nearly disheartened and thought I must try some new business.
Lord had moved to Brownsville and had charge of a Rope Factory and
Plaster Mill. He hired me to run the mill 12 hours each day. This was
very unpleasant work, terribly dirty. In about one year this mill
stopped and I was left in the cold again. Lord moved into a Hotel
and hired me to go with him as Bartender, Hostler, etc. When about
twenty years old (living with Lord) was drafted out in the service
of U. S. to guard the Frontier in the Canada Rebellion of ’37-’38.
Served three months, was regularly discharged, paid off, and drew my
Bounty land (and sold it). Returned to Brownsville and decided to
strike out in something new. Being in my 21st year I thought it time
to settle on something in a larger field than found in Brownsville.
Thought I would start for Vermont. Went to Utica with a friend in
york wagon (no railroad then). This friend was taking two children
to their Father who was the Engineer (Mr. Hardy) on the Albany &
Schenectady Rail Road, the only road then built that I knew of. This
friend was taken sick at Utica and sent me on with the children to
Schenectady, which was no small job, as the journey was on the Canal.
After seeing the children safe with their Father, I changed my mind
and thought I would go west, so boarded a Canal boat and started. On
arriving at Utica stept off the Boat and a farmer living ten miles
from Utica in the town of Clay, hired me for a month. Worked out my
month, and two weeks for another farmer, then I thought it best to
visit my friends in Vermont, and took Canal boat for Albany, thence
by stage over the Green Mountains to Windsor. I found Windsor Village
a dull place. The next morning I started on foot for the west part
of the town where my friends all lived. On the road met a man with
a team, made enquiry where Mr. Foster Farwell lived, an uncle who
married my Father’s sister. He looked at me and said, “Get into my
wagon and I will take you back to Windsor and then show you one of
the best Aunts you ever had. I know you by your looks--your name is
Smith Lawrence.” He had not seen me before since I was two years
old. Found my friends all glad to see me. Visited with them for
several weeks. While with Doct. Story found he had two Rifles, one
made by his Brother, Asa Story, who had a gun shop close by. This he
called his Turkey Rifle, the other was an old Pennsylvania Rifle,
full stock, barrel 4 feet long, all rusty. The Doctor said it had
been one of the best. He had killed many a deer with it. I asked him
to let me repair the rifle and put on a peep sight. He had heard of
this sight but had never seen one. Was very much interested about
the sight but did not dare let me repair the Rifle for fear I would
spoil it. After a while he consented to let me make the trial and
went over with me to his brother’s shop and obtained his consent
to let me use his shop and tools. I went to work, took the gun all
apart, leaded out the barrel, forged out the sight, finished it and
put it on the gun. His brother watched me all day. He had never seen
a peep sight and a mere boy handling tools and forging out work as
I did was a little astonishing to him. On the Doctor’s return from
his daily trip he made for the shop to see what I had done with his
Rifle. He found it in such nice shape that he could not say too much
in my praise. He made an appointment for a trial the next day as to
the shooting qualities. I had most of the day to give the Rifle a
trial and adjust the sights. We went out, he paced off 12 rods from
a maple tree which had a ³⁄₄ auger hole in (made for sap spill). He
said to fire at that. I found a good rest, lay down on the ground
and fired. The Doct. tended target. Could find no ball hole. Said I
had missed the tree. I fired again--no ball hole to be found. Doct.
came up to me and said I had spoiled his Rifle. Before my repairs
he could kill a chicken every time at 12 rods. I said, “Uncle, I am
very sorry, but I will make the gun all right before I leave it.” He
said he could not consent to my doing anything more to improve the
shooting qualities--the sight he liked very much. I said that as the
gun was loaded would take one more shot and see if I could not hit
the tree. After the third shot I went up to the tree to investigate,
and all of the three balls which I had fired were found in the auger
hole. The Doct. was astonished--dumbfounded. Said he never heard
of such shooting. We spent half of the night talking about guns. He
said we must go down to Windsor Prison where N. Kendall & Co. were
making guns. They must know about the peep sights. Mine was the first
ever seen in that section. We went down to the Prison the next day.
The Doct. told them all about the sight and his Rifle. The Company
hired me at once for the term of two years at about $100. per year
and board. My first work was stocking rifles (short stocks, their
rifles were stocked only on the breech). The first day I put on
five stocks, all hand work. The next morning Mr. Smith, one of the
Company, came along and looked the work over. Said the work was done
well but it would never do to rush work as I had, for I would soon
gun-stock them out of town--must hold up a little and take it more
easy. After a few days I was put on iron work. I made it a point
not to let anything be done in the shop that I did not make myself
familiar with, and soon found myself capable of doing the best work.
The Co. had quite a number of free men to work on various branches
of the work, nice parts, engraving, etc. I found that I was equal to
any of them except engraving. Could not at the end of six months do
as nice engraving as the older hands, but soon after could compete
with any of them. At the end of six months from beginning was put in
charge of the shop, much to the dislike of the older hands, but I
carried the work along without any trouble, to the satisfaction of
all. The foreman of each shop by the rules of the prison acted as
turnkey, so I had one section of prisoners to lock up. I worked out
my two years engagement.... In 1840 I again entered into the employ
of N. Kendall & Co., wages $1.08 per day and board.... I continued
work at the Prison. This was in 1842. During this year the Co. gave
up the gun business. I then engaged with the State as foreman in the
carriage department, continued in this position for about one and
one-half years, then in company with N. Kendall, hired a shop in
Windsor Village on Mill River and started the Custom Gun Works and
Jobbing. Carried on the business for about one year, done a fair
business. One day in the winter of 1844 Mr. S. E. Robbins came into
the shop and spoke of the Government asking for bids for Rifles. We
talked the business over and decided to put in a bid for 10,000 U. S.
Rifles. Mr. Robbins, with a friend Price, went on to Washington to
put in a bid for the Rifles at $10.90 each, appendages extra. This
was 10¢ below any other bid. The contract was awarded to Robbins,
Kendall & Lawrence. This was in the time of the Mexican War and the
Government was very much in want of Rifles. We made the contract to
finish the job in three years. Guns were not made at this day very
fast. We had nothing to start with--buildings or capital. We had much
opposition from all the Government Gun Contractors. They said we
could never do the work. We had nerve and pluck and were determined
to carry out the contract. The real work fell upon myself, Robbins
not being a mechanic and Kendall not exactly calculated for such
nice work, made it hard for me. We went to work with a will--bought
land, built factories, bought and made machinery with determined
will. We started the business in good shape. Soon after finishing
the Rifles, Robbins and myself bought out Kendall. Robbins then said
to me, “Lawrence, if it were not for you as a mechanic and by your
attention to business we could never go along with the heavy outlay
(debts) on our hands.” We finished the contract 18 months inside of
the time. Made a nice thing out of the job. Went on to Washington.
The Ordinance Board (Gen. Talcott) told us that ours was the only
Gun Contract ever finished within the contract time. He said, “What
do you want now? You have done well and finished.” We said, “We
want another contract for Rifles.” He said, “Come with me over to
the Secretary of War’s Office” (Sec. Marcy). Gen. Talcott told the
Secretary all about our work and wants. The Secretary said they would
see about it. On our way back to Gen. Talcott’s office he saw that we
were a little disappointed. He said, “Go right home and a contract
will be sent to you in a few days.” The contract came for 15,000
Rifles, which placed us above board. In manufacturing Govt. Rifles
a loss of about 38% was considered for bad material and workmanship.
About this time the California Gold excitement was raging. Guns were
in great demand. We sold all of our second quality work and good
mixt with it, anything to make up the gun for full Govt. price. This
was a great relief every way. Things looked very bright. This was in
1849-50. About this time we contracted with Courtland C. Palmer for
the manufacture of 5,000 of the Jennings Rifles, now the Winchester
(improved). This required new buildings and machinery. We made the
guns. Before this date we were very unfortunately situated about
freight, as no Rail Road passed through Windsor. Most of our freight
came by team from Boston. About this time the Rail Road was built
through Windsor, which put us in the market much to our advantage.
The Rail Road contractor, Mr. S. F. Belknap, came to us and wanted
to start the car business with us, led us to believe that he could
control all the Rail Road car work in that section. We went into the
business with him. He put in $20,000 as a silent partner. We went
to a large outlay, and about the time we finished the first cars,
Belknap had a quarrel with the President of the Road and we could not
sell a car when we expected to sell. We sold the cars to the Rutland
and Burlington Road, took stock and lost every dollar to the tune of
$40,000. Then we sold $14,000 to Boston, Concord & Montreal Road,
lost it all; $5,000 to Sullivan Road, $75,000 to Vermont Central.
This total loss of $134,000 was a drain on the gun work and cramped
us terribly. About this time Belknap died. In settling his estate
they brought in a charge of $105,000 against Robbins & Lawrence as
money lent. This I knew nothing about. As near as I could learn
Belknap & Robbins lost this money in stocks in Boston. We had to pay
the charge, which made a total loss up to this time of $239,000,
all paid from gun shop business. We gave up the car business after
a while. It was a mistake in ever going into this business. While
we were finishing the 15,000 Government Rifles and Jennings guns in
1852, we contracted with the Sharps Company for the manufacture of
5,000 Sharpes’ carbines in Windsor, and 15,000 Carbines and Rifles
in Hartford. Sharps Co. advanced $40,000 to enable us to build the
factories in Hartford. I moved to Hartford in 1853, and after much
trouble and many trials started up the works. Want of funds by heavy
former losses made it very hard and troublesome work to start the
business. After starting the business on the Sharps gun in Hartford,
the Minie Rifle contract was taken from Fox Henderson & Co. for
25,000 Minie Rifles. Before this contract was taken we had the
assurance from Dr. Black, Fox Henderson & Co.’s Agent, that he had
in his pocket contracts for 300,000 more as soon as we finished the
25,000. Fox Henderson & Co. agreed and did advance on the contract
$100,000. I did not like to enter into this contract for 25,000 only,
as the outlay for the work would cost more than all the profits twice
over. I objected to signing the contract without seeing the large
contract in Dr. Black’s pocket, and proposed to ask the Doctor to
show it. This Mr. Robbins objected to strongly, said it would be
an insult to Dr. Black. After a long talk I yielded the point, but
told Mr. Robbins that the minute we signed the contract we would be
floored. We had better have cut off our right hands. We signed the
contract. It proved that Doct. Black had no additional contract. Part
of the work was done at Windsor and part in Hartford. For want of
funds the whole thing was a total failure. The inspection as far as
we went was very severe. With all the gun work on my hands in 1855
and 1856 had a very hard time. The failure of the Robbins & Lawrence
Co. at Windsor brought Robbins & Lawrence under. A new Company was
formed at Windsor. I stept out and engaged with the Sharps Co. on
a salary of $4,000. About this time Robbins & Lawrence’s Agent,
Mr. Robbins’ friend, failed. I had a notice of his indebtedness to
Robbins & Lawrence of $43,000. I went immediately to Mr. Robbins
for an explanation. He said that he put this money into Foster’s
hands to fall back on in case he had any trouble. I said, “You left
me out in the cold.” Then he said, “You are all right--can demand
a large salary any time.” This was the very money that Sharps Co.
had advanced to Robbins & Lawrence to aid them in starting the
Hartford shops. Robbins done all the financing and I attended to
the mechanical work--never could find out much about our books. He
kept all mostly on memorandum books as I found at last. This $43,000
made in all as far as I know of $282,000 lost in the business. I
had laboured night and day to build up a business and make myself
comfortable and well off for old age. All the disappointments were
about all that I could stand under, but I said to myself that I
started out in life with nothing but good health, and would try once
more, and try and keep a part of my earnings. While in the employ
of Sharps with my salary, patents and speculations on machinery in
war time, I found myself as I thought worth over $100,000. I went
to friends for advice what to invest in. All said, “Put your money
into real estate. It never will decrease in Hartford.” I took this
advice which proved a very disastrous speculation. In 1872, after
leaving Sharps & Co. went into the Street Department, thinking myself
well off in this world’s goods, but the hard times of 1873 came
unexpected, and it took all my salary to furnish my family with a
respectable living, and take care of my real estate. It would have
been better to let the whole go and pass through bankruptcy as many
others did. My pride and the name of my family prevented me from
doing this. It was a mistake but cannot now be helped. I have served
18 years as Supt. of Streets in Hartford, 9 years on Water Board, 14
years on Fire Board as Chairman, 4 years on Board of Aldermen, and
one year on Council Board, 46 years in all.

NOTE

When we first commenced the gun business at Windsor we commenced
building nice machinery, made many machines for other gun makers.
Made at Windsor for the English Government most of their gun machines
for the Enfield armory. We ran a regular machine shop also. In
Hartford we ran a machine shop and Sharps Co. continued the work.
In Hartford made most of the machines used in the factory, and many
others for the English and Spanish Governments, and other Gun and
Sewing Machine Makers. Started the manufacturing of gun machinery in
Hartford which brought Pratt and Whitney into the business. I tried
to have Sharps Co. enter into the business more extensively as there
were bright prospects in the future, but they could not see it, and
declined. Sharps Co. commenced on a capital of $100,000, increased it
to $125,000. The stockholders were paid back their full subscription
of stock, about $200,000 in dividends. Sharps was paid $1.00 on each
gun made; Penfield was paid about $1.25 on each gun or 10 per cent on
all sales. The Company could not agree on anything and sold out the
whole plant for about $225,000. It will be seen that the stockholders
made a good thing out of the enterprise. This was all accomplished by
the use and skill of my brain, as I had the full charge and control
of the business. If the Company had taken my urgent advice they might
today be in the position and place of the Pratt & Whitney Co. One of
my misfortunes in business all my life was being engaged with men not
mechanics, therefore not being able to comprehend the points coming
up every day in business. Sharps Co. had the chance of taking several
contracts which I worked up for them where the profits would have
been over half a million. They could not see it and declined. When
too late they saw their mistake.

NOTE 2

I introduced the first edging machine ever in use, on the Sharps gun
in Windsor. The principle of this machine is now in general use. Also
introduced the first machine for pressing on car wheels on a taper
without splining or keying. This was done at Windsor. This principle
has since been used in all Rail Road shops. Made a great mistake in
not securing patents on both of the above.

NOTE 3

Introduced the principle of lubricating the bullet for breach loading
guns which was the salvation of breach loading guns. The guns were of
no use before this. This was done in the winter of 1850.[220]

[220] See Appendix B.

NOTE 4

Before 1855 all annealing and case hardening was done with Char coal
which was very expensive. About this time in Hartford I introduced
the plan and furnaces for using hard coal which proved a great
success and is now used everywhere for both case hardening and
annealing. Many other improvements on gun work and machinery which I
have made might be mentioned, but the above is sufficient.