James Monroe to Thomas Jefferson, 7 March 1810
From James Monroe
Albemarle March 7. 1810.
Dear Sir
A Mr Easterley who reminds me of a conversation with him in London some years past, has requested me to make known to you a project of his for converting our tobo & corn stalks, to a purpose of great publick utility, as well as private emolument, and likewise to introduce to you Mr Burroughs his agent. I have thought that I could not better promote his object than by enclosing his letter to me, to you, by Mr Burroughs. I have made an experiment under his auspices to day on a small scale, tho’, as the weather was unfavorable, I could not attend the process to a conclusion, I cannot as yet pronounce1 on the profit to be expected from it. The process however is so simple, and so easily managed, that I am induc’d to believe that it will be found to be, a discovery of real advantage to our country. Mr Easterley, was I think made known to me,2 by some person of credit, as one deserving of attention for his information & moral character; tho my recollection is too indistinct on this point, to allow me to be very explicit on it.
Jas Monroe
RC (DLC); endorsed by TJ as received 7 Mar. 1810 and so recorded in SJL. Enclosure not found.
On 5 Feb. 1810 George Easterly, of Richmond, received a patent for his procedure for converting tobo & corn stalks into barilla, an impure alkali used in the manufacture of glass, soap, and soda ( , 78; ).
1. Monroe here canceled “either.”
2. Preceding two words interlined.
Index Entries
- barilla search
- Burroughs, Mr. search
- corn; stalks search
- Easterly, George; J. Monroe recommends search
- Easterly, George; patent received by search
- inventions; manufacturing alkali search
- Jefferson, Thomas; Correspondence; letters of application and recommendation to search
- Monroe, James; and G. Easterly search
- Monroe, James; letters from search
- patents; of G. Easterly search
- tobacco; stalks of converted into barilla search