, 1860-07-20

Ccodvear the india Rubber Patentee.
The Seitntif, American thus speaks Of the
struggles Of Charles Goodyear, whose death
has recently been announced, to introduce the
use Of rubber fabrics:
"We presume that the story Of this eventfal
life will be made public in some more formal
mode by the friends Of his family, End ne will
not ATTEMPT tn FULLY trsce the progress OF MS
inventions. 1t was in 1884 that hr. Goodyear
turned bis attention to the manufacture OF fno1a
rubber. There was mystery ABOUT snts trop!.
cal gum which gave it stran.e charm in his
imagination. 1t was not an article Of commerce,
| but appeared from time TO time only as rare
curiosity brought from foreign lands. The
| savayes who possessed it kept the mode OF 1ts
| manufacture profound secret. It was found
only under the burning sun OF the eauator.1 IN
or the iungles of Asia and Africa. Its nature
| was as my ste5ious us its origin; the chemists
| who examined it wers bafaad IN their attempts
to make it Of practical use. 1ngen'ons men
| abroad and at home had attempted TO aolFe tne
| mvstery. but all had fsiled. That it vas Of i'm
lnense value in the arts, to supply thousand
wants Of civilized life. Was obvious to all. but
The elastic gum kept its OWL mysterious secret,
and there was no clue to tue discovery. -,
To discover the secret aad solve the problem
became the dream Of Charles Good5ear's LIE.
| The difficulties and failures which he enfonn.
tered only made it more dear to lin. He asked
aid from men Of science, but they discouraged
him: bis associates abandoned the pursuit In
despair; his friends one after another lett him,
but ue only clupg the closer to his caer,a Cd
faith. In one of lhe contests by which pirars ,
Of his invention sought to rob him OF bis rights,
the rel was half withdrawn from the life Of the
inventor. and lew details Of the privations
which he endured were gwen. He Was in such
extreme penury that hiu bed was sold from un-
der him lie was 80 poor shat it was said be
could not buy an ounce OF tea On credt. 1n
the dead Of winter there was no food IN hls
house, and no fuel for fire. This WAS not the
> struggle Of few months only, ont it was tht
story Of years. for it was not t1!l alter teE
r years of toilet, that he perfected and Patenee
!. his discovery. His labor, however, did no
= cease, and ereu to the hour Of his death he wa
! .--.,tad to the tavorite pursuit upon which h
ayished the immense sums ~.:-:: - - receive:
!, from his patents. His life was SUBJECT to tn
n | strangest vicissitudes. He went from 4 poo
!. debtors prison to palace in Paria- The MA
a who was an object OF cold contempt in an OF
!. scure village, on account Of his poverty, RI
:. ce,yed the Grand Cross Of the Legion Of Homo
Al from the Emperor Napoleon, a. a feward Of hl
ia genius In Europe, as well as America h
- neue was honored, sud his merits appreciate,
. but to the hour Of bis death he was the san
!. enthusiastic aud patient inventor. We hs,
a placed at the head Of this article beautif
r. sentence Of Paiissy, the potter, which th"u
ID | be tho motto for every trre inventor. Charl
"a. | GOODYEAR has been well called the Ametic,
ha palissv, and to his last hour he acted On Il
Id principle that God did not create him to lea
Il. him Idle"