The Belmont chronicle, and farmers, mechanics and manufacturers advocate. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1848-1855, 1853-09-30
Like India Rubber.

Il was an old v,atchword with tanners and
shoemakers, "There is nothing like Lea,her;"
but this venerable motto must give way TO
the reply, "There is nothing like India Rub
ber.n This substance can be made soft,
hard, elastic, stiff, thick and thin, into every
shape, and can be adapted to almost every
purpose: it can stand heat and cold-can be
made into boots. caps coats, canes, combs, ~
we do not know how many other things be-
sides,--the last application of it's to artificial
teeth. An "inda rubber conscience" was
something well known Of old, but india rub
Der teeth to some may appear to cap the
climax Of its adaptation. This is not so,
however: lis application 90 judiciary bam-
boozlcmeut affords one OF the most wonder
ful and striking examples of the dvsibity
and extension OF matter on record. All Our
readers will remember the celebrated legal
contests between e. Goodyear versus Horace
Day; and how, from Massachusetts to Jersey,
year after yeLg, Goodyear cndeayorcd to van
quish Day, and at last, under the champion
ship OF the great Webster, he accomplished
his purpose, and obtained an Injunction. But,
like John Barcycorn, who was hacked mash
ed, and finally drowned, up has sprung the
India rubber case again, and it is no longer
Goodyear versus Day, but Day against his
former pursuers. The tables are completely
turned, and on the 9th inst. Day obtained an
injunction against Dr. lIarlshorn and d. aud
n. HAYWARD, at Providence, r. l., his former
opponents, to prevent them manufacturing
india rubber goods, unless the defendants
should give bonds, with security, to be ap-
proved by the Court, to account for all pro-
fits arising from the use of Chafiee's invcn-
tion, and to pay over the same according to
the order of the Court. This decision was
made by Judge Pitman, and it will no doubt
be oil great interest to our readers to know
how the tables have been turned in ii. III.
Days favor.
About eighteen years ago, oil tho indiu
rubber goods made in our country were ma.
nulactured from india rubber dissolved by the
spirits of turpentine into pasty mass, which
vas afterwards spread upon cotton fabrics q
dried. This method of dssOlving india rub
Der was expensive, dsagrecablc, and the
goods were of very inferior quality to those
now made. IN 1896, Edwin N. Chltl'cc, Il
working mechanic OF New Brunswick, N. J.
made an invention which completely rcvolu.
tonizcd the whole business and he secured
This discovery was nothing less than th,
rendering of India rubbersolt and pas,y by
mechanical manipulation in machinery Will,
hot, and spreading 1t upon the cloth in tha
state. This obvuted the necessity of chem
ical solvents, and at the same time produced
better goods 1t has been stated that Chafee',
invention reduced the expenses of manu-
featuring india rubber goods TO a third of wha
they were before. Charles Goodyear, o
Massachusetts, by some means, became th
owner of Chofcc's patent ana sold rights t,
various persons for manufacturing goods, re
azing thereby an enormous amount of money
Daring the fourteen years Of the PATENT from
1886 to 1880, the proprletors Of ii, and thu
manufacturers Of goods under il, pockctct
millions Of dollars tor their own benefit; ant
how much do our readers think they, in thei
swelling generosity, paid to Edwin n. Chat
ice, tie inycntUr! They could afford to br
generous, aud many long-w indod spneohc.
were made by thcir counsel about paten
pirates, and on, whom they pursued a.
in irirgers. Well, they paid to l. n Chufet
the enormous sum OF 800. Oh what india
rubber conscirnccs some men have!
In 1850, Edwin n. Chuilce applied for an
extension of this patent, and Mr. Ewbuni
granted it. The extension was opposed by
II. II. Day with fierce perlinacily, and after
ii was granted, he published long articles witt,
lawyers opinions attached, asserting that the
Commissioner Of Patents had granted the
extension illegally. This single act Of Mr..
Ewbank, Of extending the patent of this
poor inventor, deserves great credit. After
the extension, which, according to law, gives
no favor 10 the former owners, II. H. Day
sagaciously found way TO become its sole
proprietor. The terms are far more favorable
we believe, to Mr. Chanac, and wc hope he
viii realize (as he deservcs) handsome for.
tune out ol 1t for HIS old age. II is by the
extension ui the patent that the position ol
the parties have become reversed, aud II. II
Day is now the parsuer Of II II. H., QIarts.
horn, and the liaywards) We have not a
single word Of praise for Mr.. Day, unless he
pays Chaaee well for his invention, and il he
does, for that we will give him credit. As
for those who have made themselves rich by
Chaiiee's inyention--the Company agains,
whom the conditional injunction has been
granted having made $3.50, 900 Of clear profits
in II years-we have no language To express
our feeling. They have been Haunting abou,
In their glded array, while the man who made
them increase in riches has been for fourteen
years generously rewarded with the bounteous
sum Of 800. Oh! shame. There are men
in our country who pretend to be the friends
Of inventors, and terribly savage upon patent
pirates, that are really the plunderers OF
genius, the horse lteches Of inventors. We
defend and uphold the owners Of patents in
their rights, and we know that there arc ma.
ny generous men in our country who have
purchased patent rights, and literally reward.
cd the inventors. We do not iind fault with
those who buy patent right at a low price,
when there are doubts about its profits, but
those who buy such rights and make money
by them should not In their rosperity, forget
the inventors. The owners of Chaffee's
patent have been a company Of monopolists.