Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1861-01-18
Facts Stranger than Fiction.

Facts Stranger than Fiction.
Rise Of an incaiid bog from peaury to Tie
position Of proprietor of one Of The most
erteaSice business Institutions of tie na-
ton. Biographical sketch from the life
Of Il. j. FuHam.
1t was in the fall of 1866 that was told bv
my father (rather stern specimen of the old
Puritan stock made somewhat conceited, per
haps from having held the exalted position of
Vermont magistrate in connection with the du
ties Of the plow) that was welcome 10 the re-
manning year of my minority, adding that
would soon find it more of a task to seek for
myself than | anticipated That he hoped
would now see how much harder it would be to
support myself than it had been under the guild
ance aud protection of parental care
Unable to toll manually or to endure longer
the duties of teacher, undertook the sale of
books This failed. Next ! sold medicines
and Yankee notions This also failed. Then
sold stencil plates sending to market to have
them cut Sales were ready and the business
suited me, but had TO pay enormously for
plates, travel the country twice over, pay heavy
express bills, lose some plates from delay and
othecs by mistake All these difficulties topeth
er with my never varying rule as to respectable
boarding places and my restless experimenting
for the purpose Of becoming the possessor Of
tools for cutting my own plates The man who
furnished my plates finally became suspicious
that | would sooner or later develop the prin-
ciple and make set of tools for the manufac-
ture of my own work. Accordingly to thwart
me in my plans he notified me that he would no
longer furnish my work. was then far from
home among strangers in the city of Montreal.
Returning 10 Saratoga Springs in the summer
of 1856 entered the blacksmith shop of Briggs
" lisdgman and labored necessarily for six long
weeks, at the end of which time found myself
the producer of the first set of stencil tools
ever saw Having originated not only these
tools but also the entire process Of their manu-
facure, felt confident new era in nv life
was already commenced After filling INV pock-
cts handsomely with the proceeds of nv tools |
Informed my friends of my whereabouts and that
wore good cloth and would like TO have mother
see how big dash could cut without splitting.
She accepted my invitation to the Springs and
hnally induced me TO return with her 10 Spring
Held, ", the home Of my friends On nv ar
rival home the news spread like wild fire that
had made irtune at cutting stencil plates.
Father took the fever hard and at once pro-
posed trip with me South for the following
winter. But could not leave town until |
stencil tool mandatory was founded, for could
not elbow my way through the streets. Actual
" besleged and lormenied without cessation on
all hands finally opened my works and com
nenced building machinery for the manufacture
Of stencil tools. But father was bound | sbopd |
90 on trip South, and to crafty him | went
We had not left our own New England borders
before the yellow deposits in handsome amounts
1t increase, found its way day by day into the
safes OF the different hotels from town to town
where we stopped.
Our landlords took the fever; the walters oot
a'ld OF II; every railroad conductor knew il
ana me tew sets OF tools took with me were
'a'hauied long before we reached New York,
where we deposited our funds, took quiet rooms
1t good hotel, and if ever two mortals nartici-
Dated IN any real comfort we were those two
turing the winter Of 56-57 that father and NV
sell leisurely spent in New York. The COMING
ourth OF March and adjacent weeks found ms
busy with our stencil tools at Washington. Re-
;elvng eXhorbiant inducements in The wav or
'rders Tor tools, father returned to his farm and
myself to the further development of stencil fool
machinery at my works at Springfield. VT
fartherlng my inventions and filing few or |
he most important demands for tools beoan ~
hink more OF some true source of pleasure
BENG very fond OF music | resolved 10 tate
rip alone and as met with competent Teachers
received from time to time such practical hints
md instruction as enabled me 10 enjoy a scng a,
he piano when ! wished for real diversion
Dressing with care and attention, and. as aat-
er myself, maintaining the demeanor of an in
dependent business traveller of unexceptionable
habits, readily commanded The kindest and
uoj 'leome iarors of the best society in each
lace | eanvassed
How many. All! How many, were the
acih blessings which fell 10 my lot during the
umner Of 1857. '''
returning to Springfield, VI. in Oct, 81
Huud ~ ehtiFeiy out OF the question longer 10
neglect The ieldo invention before me AMI no "
equenily fixed the resolution permanently tba,
hoagh The golden field spread out so vast before
ne IN cutting stencil work was the most va,
efiain to secure me all that heart copld wish
confess l wanted 10 become a grea, manu-.
y =, tnfer. prominent man. leading 6nancjar
! here counted my hundreds wanted TO count
hOuSahas' and however any may Judge me. /
ave never condemned myself for iound;n, ,bo
nst iutiun OF which am proud 10 he ,bs ~
nd exclusive proprietor
IL seems young Fulsm has ou.stripred .,.o~,,-
hihg IN the way Of human perseverance, /,
ne h-st place he seems 10 have gained hand.
ONE competence tom the use Of a mer- set al
'en'l too such as he now furnishes for so
securing patents on his original nichols AZ
toiuclns these toals h.. seems Il have inst,lied
inlseli at the early ase OF 25, the p,inre ocl
IN. rean manufacturers. not only eWnins a,d
ondue'ing one Of the largest nnaevfarfn,;,,
'neefns N the eonntrv bot actually s,isiaip;nS
pom his own capitli first elass Offices i,yar;,bi,
. the very cioire~t l0caiisas in al oar or,
Ties These are no mere commission c,,,,,s,n.
be siosk, fixtures aai everything else be,oa