American Sewing Machines in Scotland

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The following compliment to American sewing machines, (nearly all of which have been illustrated in our columns) is taken from the ' Glasgow Chronicle':— " A machine of American invention has been intruduced into this country by Mr. Darling, of Glasgow, (at whose manufactory nu merous examples of it are now in operation) which carries the mechanical principle into a fresh department of human labor—namely, that of common hand sewing. The patent sewing machine promises to produce a revolution in the business of the seamstress as great as the powerloojn effected in that of the wea-, ver. This is, in truth, a moderate statement, for the capabilities of the machine have not yet been fully tested, and it is impossible to say how far its influence on the labor market may yet extend. By the hand the machine may be driven at the rate of 500 stitches per minute, by the foot at nearly twice that rate. Nor must it be supposed that the work executed at this extraordinary rapid tttte is looee, irregular slop sort ot work. On the contrary, it is strong, close, sewing, beautifully regular, such as it would require a very firm and well-practised hand to equal. Now, after all that has been said about American reaping machines, what will be said about this new American sewing machine, which seems likely to do still more towards facilitating indoor labor than the larger invention towards abridging the work of the field ? We do not wish to exaggerate the probabilities of the xttM) W* ib iiiu"yt?e*'rgarerTtie'IBd~thaFthe invention has so far passed the period of probation that it is in very extensive operation in America, that such trial as it has bad in this country has been extremely successful, and that already its inventors are improving on it and adapting it still more carefully and completely to its end. Looking at it when at work, it is impossible to resist the couclusion that it is destined completely to supersede all ordinary plain hand-sewing, and that sewing, as an occupation for either men or women, tailors or seamstresses, is gone for ever.

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