occupied by a man by the name of Gates, whose wife, or widow, was for one or two years, the teacher of the summer school in the North part of the town, about sixty-five years ago; and since that time there has been no tanning done in that yard. The second was about half a mile West of the meeting-house, and was owned by Oliver Carter, a son of one of the first settlers, and the father of him who was to have found the lost carbuncle. He sold out to Benjamin Hawks about the year 1780, who for about twenty-five years, carried on the business to considerable extent, employing a journeyman in addition to two or three apprentices, one of whom, Levi Adams, succeeded him. Adams, in company with B. Perkins, did a small business for eight or ten years, and then sold to Thomas Stearns, who, with about the same capital employed by Hawks, say $2000, turned out something like $3500 worth of leather annually for seven or eight years, and then sold to Wm. Burrage, and constructed a new yard on the Monoosnock brook at the Fullum saw-mill, where he continued to do a safe and profitable business till 1847, when he sold out to J. C. Lane. The tanning was successfully prosecuted by Wm. Burrage and a younger son, and by Asa Pierce, Jr., at the old yard till 1835,

and then wholly discontinued at that place. William Burrage, one of the first, and probably the best of Hawk's apprentices, commenced tanning in the north part of the town in 1790, with a small capital, and on a small scale.

He gradually increased the business, until at the end of thirty years he employed a capital of $3000, and turned out annually, for several of the last years, $5000 worth of leather. Leonard Burrage, after having been in company with his father three or four years, bought the yard in 1824, and carried on the business by himself, and in company with Geo. S. Burrage, annually increasing both the amount of capital employed and the manufactured article till 1844, when the establishment was sold to Babcock and J. M. Burrage. Up to this time the tanning in this town had all been done in the old fashioned way with cold liquor, slow process, and a great amount of manual labor; but Babcock & Burrage put in steam power, and increased the business about four-fold, doing as much in three months as had been previously done in a year; and, with a capital of $6000, turning out $20,000 worth annually. And now, 1852, the establishment has passed into the hands of Putnam & Phelps. L. Bur

rage, Thosmas Stearns, and A. Pierce, among others, were apprentices to Wm. Burrage; and by their industry and good management, they have all acquired more than a competency of the good things of this life. Indeed, two of them are now among the most wealthy men in the town. They have followed the example of their master in financial affairs. His first purchase was of Doct. Gowing, who then owned a large farm, and although it was only about $50 worth, the Doctor required two names upon the note. Mr. Burrage, avoiding the extremes of parsimoniousness and extravagance, by his economy and industry was successful in his business, and bought not only the Doctor's whole farm, but also another on the other side of his tanyard; and after a long and useful life died in 1844, leaving a large estate to his heirs. A good example for all young men to follow.

The manufacturing of patent leather was commenced by Babcock & Burrage, in the vicinity of their tannery, in July, 1851, and prosecuted by them until the following December, when a transfer of ths business was made to Mr. N. W. Stoddard. He being a skilful and experienced workman, is giving a new impetus to the business, and executing the work in a superior manner.

The management of so important and valuable a branch of finishing leather is attended with many inconveniences while in its infancy. The proprietor is surmounting the numerous difficulties, and with some half dozen workmen intends to finish about $25,000 worth of stock annually. One great inducement Mr. Stoddard had to manufacture patent leather at his present locality was, the convenient opportunity of obtaining an excellent article of leather for the purpose of Putnam & Phelps, successors to Babcock & Burrage. For firmness of texture and its pliability, the leather they tan is seldom surpassed. The valuable improvements introduced by the enterprising proprietor, in the finishing of this kind of leather, of which he claims the right, must make it a superior and durable article, compared with what has heretofore been manufactured,

BOOTS AND SHOES.

For seventy years but very little had been done in the manufacturing of boots and shoes, except merely for custom work. In 1810, Joseph Conant commenced making ladies' mo

rocco shoes, and continued in the business about twenty years. selling something like $800 annually, mostly in New York and Vermont.

For six years previous to 1842, L. & G. S. Burrage manufactured annually about $25,000 worth of leather shoes; and G. S. Burrage did nearly a third as much for three years longer. And since 1845, M. D. Haws, in addition to his custom work, has made ladies kid and leather shoes and boots to the value of from $7000 to $10,000 annually, sold in Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont.

SADDLES, &c.

About the year 1787, Mr. Ephraim Eager, from Sterling, commenced the manufacture of saddles in the old tailor shop of Mr. John Richardson. He was not a business man, his sales were small, and in 1799, he returned to Sterling, destitute of property. Asa Kendall, the younger apprentice of Eager, succeeded his master, and, being an industrious, careful man, carried on the business successfully for about fifteen years, when he sold out and removed to