New-York daily tribune., 1854-09-15
THE yIcrssITUDEs OF INVENTORS.

The private history Of many inventions il fully
written out, would form volume of abundant di-
mensions. Its chapters would unfold world OF
practical rOmance the struggles of ingenious pow
erty which no encouragement could paralyze; the
undyipg perseverance Of minds conscious Of coos-
sal strength; the hopes, the fears the bitter dis
appointments of commanding genius; the triumphs
that have sometimes crowned the lsbors Of these
patient tOilers in their solitary workshops the
brilliant recompense of mereeuck or accidents
the vllainy Of confidential friends-in fact meas
ureless catalogue Of contingencies which seem
peculiar to inFentors as q class. Authors-of
books only-have had their calamities collected
and amplifed with touching pathos. The Pur-
suit Of knowledge under Difficulties, gathered up
into volume too small to embody more than a
mesger fraction Of its heart-depressing expert
ences, has fixed the attention and touched the
sympathies of kindred minds wherever its collect
ed records have be.ome known. Some careful
hand should also gather up the Vicissltudes Of In
ventOrs, Lot only as deserved mementO Of world
acknowledged merit, due as well to living as to
dead but as a stimuanL TO the hearts and labOrs
of q class existing everywhere around US, and en-
larging as the circle of the arts and sciences ex-
tends.
Let Us take a solitary instance. unknown to
fame, but illustrative of the common difficulties
men. The whole world has become familiar with
the great American Reaper, which the London
exhibition first introduced to European obserya-
ton. Yet as long ago as 1924, young boy in
Washington County, New York-Harvey May, by
nsme-coneeiyed the idea of a machine for similar
purposes He tried his first expert men. with
shears, the blades Of which were so curved as to
present nearly the same angles of edge from heel
TO point while cutting. The following year be
tried again using reel and sickle edge bu. re-
turned to the vibrating edges. Continuing these
trials amid world Of difficulties and opposition
the sneeIs and ridieule Of community OF boorish
minds, he at last succeeded completely. His
crudely- built machine-for no one awarded him
even the cheap aid Of sympathetic encourage
uent much less practical mechanical help-ex.
tended into the grain to the right, and was
mounted on the hind wheels OF his fathers lum
ber-Wagon. With large wheels and simple gear
ing, single horse drew the inventor and his
brother on the machine, and it actually cut heavy
rye at the rate of an acre an hour. Those who
looked On and witnessed its marvellous perform
snce, refused to be convinced. The science Of
demonstration was unknown to their vocabulary.
His neighbors did eondescend to grant that the
whole affair was quite original but compmented
him BY calling it Haryey's Folly" Further
trials, however only rendered the machine even
more perfect, whereupon il received the further
nickname Of Harveys Great Amusement.
Dir. May, in writing recently Of this promising
germ Of what hiss since unfolded into great in
dustTial improvement says, with touching SIM
plicity that be intended taking out patent but
my father refused to help me in this; for he
4" said the patent laws were only calculated to
draw men into ruinOus lawsuits. Itried to get
help from others, but all refused to help me
when they learned my fathers views on the
patent laws" Thus, with the evidence Of sue.
cess before him, this youthful genius Va. CON-