Meriden Britannia factory, view labeled 1863

38 A  CENTURY  OF  MERIDEX. til  al>oiit  the  time  the  Meriden  Bri- tannia Co.  was  formed  that  pots, plates  and  cups  were  made  by  rolling the  metal  and  then  pressing  it  into shape  by  means  of  dies  or  forms. The  articles  formed  by  casting  were susceptible  of  a  high  polish  and  pre- sented quite  an  attractive  appearance if  properly  cared  for  by  the  purchas- oftentimes,  when  poorly  combined,  at a  low  temperature,  the  effect  of  a  han- dle or  spout  dropping  oflf  when  in  use at  the  table  may  be  more  easily  imag- ined than  described.  A  better  com- position was  afterwards  employed, made  of  tin,  antimony  and  copper, which  was  much  harder  and  retained a  more  pronounced  luster.    Tlie  out- MI:KII>F-\  HRITANNIA  CO..  IN  1863. er.  Tabic  and  tea  spoons  were  cast and  then  scraped  and  burnished  bv hand  if  for  table  use,  or  sold  rough for  cooking  pury^oses.  The  metal first  used  appears  to  have  been  a  com- l)ouiid  of  tin  and  lead,  or  practically pewter,  and  would  easily  dent,  and as  the  solder  used  was  composed  of lead  and  bismuth,  which  would  melt put  of  such  a  factory  as  that  of  Mr. Griswold  could  not  have  been  large. In  1830  he  employed  not  nuire  than ten  or  twelve  men,  and  in  examining his  sales  book  at  that  time  it  is  found that  the  total  sales  of  one  month  did not  e.Kceed  $2,500.  The  power  used was  furnished  by  an  old  blind  horse traveling  around  a  beam  which  com-