Thomas Jefferson Papers

To Thomas Jefferson from Caspar Wistar, 17 January 1804

From Caspar Wistar

Philad Jany. 17. 1804

Dr Sir

I beg leave to present to you Mr Thos. Benger a native of Newfoundland who has resided many years near this city & is greatly respected here—He will be interesting to you on account of his efforts to improve the mode of preparing our black oak bark for exportation as a dye stuff & he goes to Washington to apply for a patent for his improvement. As Mr Benger can give you more information than I can do, relative to this new subject of Commerce, I will not tresspass upon your valuable time with any observations upon it.

With the warmest sensations of gratitude & esteem I beg leave to subscribe myself your obliged friend & servt

C. Wistar Junr

RC (DLC); at foot of text: “His Excellency The President of the United States”; endorsed by TJ. Recorded in SJL as received 24 Jan.

Later in the month, Thomas benger received a patent for “improvement in preparing quercitron or black oak bark for exportation or home consumption, for dying or other uses” (List of Patents description begins A List of Patents Granted by the United States from April 10, 1790, to December 31, 1836, Washington, D.C., 1872 description ends , 39; Madison, Papers description begins William T. Hutchinson, Robert A. Rutland, J. C. A. Stagg, and others, eds., The Papers of James Madison, Chicago and Charlottesville, 1962- , 37 vols.: Sec. of State Ser., 1986- , 10 vols.; Pres. Ser., 1984- , 8 vols.; Ret. Ser., 2009- , 2 vols. description ends , Sec. of State Ser., 6:355).

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