The Sun.
London, England, 1863-04-22 00:00:00

BY ELIAS lO\VE, OF MASSACIIUSZTTS.

In the year 1841, Elias Howe, fl native of Cam-
bridge Port, Massachusel ts, first conceived the idea
of constructing a really practical sewing machine.
A young mechanic, only 22 years of age, hardly
capable of supporting himself and those most dear
to him on his scant earnings, be laboured manfully,
in a little garret in his native town, at his self-
imposed task, during the few hours that were
spared to Lim after the ordinary labours of the
day were ended. He became enthusiastic, and
although, as he says, he could not devote his
attention to the subject during his working
hours, he thought upon it when he could, both
day and night. It grew upon him till he felt im-
pelled to yield his whole time to it, and being pro-
mised assistance by a friend, he devoted himself
exclusively to the construction and practical com-
pletion of his machine. The result was that in 1845
lie perfected his first sewing machine, and, in order
to test its practical success, he sewed with it all the
principal seams in two suits of clothes. On the 10th
of September, 1846, he obtained his patent. In
Howe's original machine a curved needle, attached
to tie end of a vibrating lever, was combined with
a reciprocating shuttle, for producing the lock-
stitch. The needle had an eye near its point, and a
groove formed along the upper and under sides, to
allow of the thread lying therein and so passing
more easily through the cloth. The cloth was
attached to pins on the edge of a thin steel rib,
called a" baster plate," from the fact of its serving
the purpose of a basting thread in holding the two
thicknesses of material together whilst being
sti.ched. This plate formed a portion of the feed
mechanism for propelling the cloth; it was carried
along step by step by the teeth of a small pinion
which geared into holes made in the baster plate,
an intermittent rotatory motion being imparted to
the pinion by self-acting mechanism working in
concert with the needle and shuttle. This feed
motion was found to he defective in many respects,
and has since been entirely abolished in all sewing
machines. The cloth was held in a vertical
position against the side of the shuttle race by
a spring presser-plate at the part where the
needle entered. The shuttle was driven to and
fro in its race or groove by two strikers,
carried on the ends of vibrating arms, worked
alternately by cams. The most important fea-
tures embodied in this machine were the
adaptation of suitable contrivances for imparting
the requisite amount of tension to the needle and
shuttle-threads, for taking up the slack formed on
the needle thread when the needle enters the cloth,
for tightening and drawing up the stitch, and for
supporting the cloth against the thrust and with-
drawal of the needle. Shortly after obtaining his
patent in America, Howe sent over a machine to
this country, and disposed of his invention to Mr.
William Thomas for a trifling amount.
On the Ist of December, 1846, Mr. Thomas ob-
tained a patent for the machine in England, soon
after which Howe himself arrived here to assist
him in adapting the machine to the peculiar kind
of work required, namely, stay making. Howe does
not appear to have prospered here, for in the spring
of 1849, indebted to a friend for a steerage passage
home, he returned to America, poorer if possible
than when he left. He found his wife on a bed of
sickness and in a state of utter destitution. Ten
days after his arrival she died. During his absence
in England his patent had been extensively in-
fringed, and in 1850 he commenced legal proceed-
ings, and succeeded in every case in establishing
the validity of his patent.

In the course of these proceedings a prior claim
to the in ention of the sewing machine was set uP
by Walter Hunt, who was said to have constructed,
exhibited, and sold, in 1834 and 1835, shuttle or
lock-stich sewing machines, similar in all essential
particulars to Howe's. That Hunt had tried his
hand at a lock.stitch sewing machine, and was the
inventor of the shuttle or lock-stitch, there is no
doubt, but it was never satisfactorily proved that
such machines were so far perfected as to render
them more than abortive experiments. The turning
point in Howe's career had now arrived, and for-
tune soon began to smile upon him. In 1853 be
granted his first licence, and in 1855 was enabled to
regain possession of the whole of his patent, which
at one period he had entirely disposed of, in order
to meet the pressing demands that were made upon
him. His patent rights being finally acknowledged,
and his patent prolonged for a term of seven years,
he now receives a royalty upon every sewing
machine manufactured in the United States, pro-
ducing an income of upwards of £50,000 per
annum.—Social Science Review.

COUNTRY MARKETS.

,►•

LE E D S-TUESDAY.

-----
The supply of English wheat only moderate, but s fair
show of foreign sorts. The fine weather and a slow flour
trade caused dulness. The sales were few, and prices were
scarcely equal to last week. Other articles were unchallgeu
in value.

MARKET HARBORZUGH—TUESDAY.
White wheat, 47s to 52s ; red, 438 to 46s per 36 stone•
Malting barley at 35s to 37s per qr. ; grinding, 28s to 30!
per 30 sty Oats, old, 26s to 28s; new, 20s to 24s per 2'
st. ; beans, 39s to 438 per qr.

SHEFFIELD—TUESDAY.
Red wheat, per load of 3 imperial bushels...l7s Od to 18s Ocl,
White
/7 7 ...20s Od to 21$ o‘,l.
New red , ,
.15s Od to 16s Od
New white ~
» ...18s Od to 19s 05
Beans
77
77
... 16s 6d to 19$
Peas, per qr
45s Od to 50s Oa
01
Grinding barley, per qr 28s Od to 30s 0,
Malting ditto, „ 36s Od to 40s Oa
Oats
~ 282 Od to 27s
Flour, is 7d to 2s 2d per stone.

LIVERPOOL—TUESDAY.
At our market to-day there was a fair business, with
tolerable attendance of the town and country trade, a 1
wheat was in fair request at Friday's prices. Also a fal.'.,
business doing in flour, and full prices for America
For oats and oatmeal the demand was better, at late priceS•
Indian corn firm, at 3d per qr advance on last week. Batt; • ley and peas in favour of buyers. Egyptian beans yen'
firm.

MELTON MOWBRAY—TUESDAY.
The following were the currencies :—New white wheat!
50s Od to 54s Od ; new red, 458 Od to 48s per 36 son!!
beans, 44s to 45s for old ; new sorts, 38s to 41s per 38 It;
barley, 35s to 39s for malting, and 27s to 30s per qr. for
grinding; oats, 20s to 28s Od per 24 stone.

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