[from the diary of William M. Blackford, bank officer and former diplomat with five sons in the Confederate Army]
Saturday 15. Mrs G. barely got off in
time to secure a seat on the train
-the carriage just coming
appointed a Discountion some 50.000
appointed Ferguson [?] to repre-
sent in the 40 shares we hold in
the Merchants bank--The annual
meeting will be an exciting one
-Flood-the [?]-is a candidate
for the Presidency. He is Jack Slaugh
ters security in his administration
& [?] Bonds and Jack sup
ports him and as he has control
a large quantity of stock, his sup
port can count --There is a chance
of his success--We have no reason
to regret it as we should then be
no longer [?] by him--we shall
make over 7 percent for the half
year, exclusive of interest on our
investments
Some five and twenty years ago
whilst engaged in trying to drill
a hole in the glass which now
constitutes the plate back of the little
air pump I made, I had spent ma
ny hours in the vain attempt, using
a hand or [soft iron?] blunt drill
& [?] my dear daughter Lu
cy Landon then a little girl asked
me why I did not try spirits of
turpentine. She said she had seen
in the "album,"of which paper
she was a diligent reader, the state
ment that a common drill kept
wet with spirits of turpentine we
go through glass as easily as thro'
metal--I tried it & with complete
success--and have occasionally practiced
it with advantage. I had a couple
of drills tempered very hard to
day
diameter & with them bored through
in two or three minutes a piece of
plate glass 3/8 " thick without in
jury o the drill--I shall now attempt
to cut a plate for the air pump
which belonged to Jno Minor
which is now out of order--I have
mentioned the fact to several
scientific men and none of them
could give any idea of the ration
ale for this success.
Mr. Frank Cabell called at
qr past 5 and staid until 8. He
is certainly one of the most inter
esting gentlemen I know His rea
ding seems to be universal. He is
a Swedenborgian in religion, which
does not [tell?] [well?] for his practical
sense but he is very clever and
a most delightful companion.
MSS 4763
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