The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-08-06

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expose them TO a suspicion of insanity.
1T CREATES sEt sArIoN IN THE HOUSE OF
COMMONS
Some specimen boxes of the new commodity
were sent TO Europe, where its success was not
more fattering than it had been at FIRST on this
side OF the water. One of these travelling speci
mems found ts way into the hands of Mr.. Glad
stone then Chancellor of her Maiesty's Exche
quer The great English statesman viewed it
with evident suspicion, and in the evening he
carried 1t up to the House of Commons with him.
Here 1t was passed around from hand to hand,
and contemplated by the assembled wisdom of
the United Kingdoms as a combined monstrosity
and curiosity. IL was 6nally placed in the hat
of one OF the members, and in that receptacle
was passed up into the Speakers gallery. What
subsequent adventures belell it, and what
became Of the covering OF the right honorable
gentleman's head, we know not.
TRIBULATIoNs OF TIE INVENTION.
Before Mr.. Hunt had secured his etters-patent,
he disposed of half his interest in the invention
tor the paltry sum of four thousand dollars, the
purchaser being Mr.. John W. Ridg gway, Of Bos
ton. The other half was subsequently sold, tor
three thousand dollars, to G. H. Valentine g. Co.,
OF New York. The latter gentlemen commenced
the manufacture OF the new article; but soon
desisted, on account of the poor success that
attended their efforts at selling their products.
So the patent was sold and resold, passing
from hand to hand, and diminishing in value at
each repeated transfer
In September, 1856, Mr.. Valentine brought
sample box, containing one hundred of the
collars, TO Philadelphia, and enleavored 70
persuade Mr.. William E. Lockwood, then a
at,
in this city, to undertake the sale OF them.
This the latter refused TO do, saying pointedly
that he regarded paper collars as the height of
absurdlty. He finally consented to make an
attempt at selling them, and subsequently dis
posed of few more packages. Eventually he
| persuaded himself that there was some thing
| substantial and profitable in the invention; and
in 1867, after Messrs. Valentine & Co. had closed
| their factory and given up toe business as
| Improbable, he purchased their interest and
removed their machinery to this city He Sab.
I sequently acquired by purchase the several
interests held by the other assignees OF Walter
| Hunt, thus becoming rhe owner of the entire
| patent.
Mr. Lockwood first established himself at
the Keystone Mills, near Cairmount. In 1860
| he was forced, by the rapid increase OF his
! patronage, to remove to his present quar-
! ters, Nos. 255, 257 and $50 9. Third street. BY
| judiciOus management and improved patented
machinery, the business has by this time
assumed large proportions in his hands. His
| employees vary in number from two hundred
and fifty 70 three hundred, the annual product
OF his mandatory being probably in excess
| of that of any similar establishment in the
| United States.
OTHER INVENTORS ENTER THE LISTS.
| 1t was not to be expected that business
| which was capable Of such lllimitable expan.
sion would be permitted thus to remain forever
in the hands OF single person. The patents
held by Mr.. Lockwood, it is true, weretin the
way of any other adveniurer in the same field.
But this difficulty was easily removed by inven-
| tive genius As soon the fact that paper
collars we're an VI qualified success became
established to he satisfaction OF the most skep-
ticaI, other persons in different parts Of the
country set themselves resolutely to tn task of
inventing and patenting them.
The original patent of Walter Hunt was subse
| quently reissued to William b. Lock wood, in
four separate parts, and dating from November
| 20, 1864, to April 4, 1865 These reissues gave
| him the exclusive right to manufacture shirt
collars-First. "in which white paper is used to
| initiate starched linen, and made of the desired
shape by dies or formers, applied under pres
sure" Second, 'those composed of paper and
muslin, or its equivalent, and polished or bur.
| nished.n Third, those "made of fabric
| composed OF paper and muslin or an equivalent
that the indentations will represent the stitches
of an ordinarily dressed linen collar" And,
| fourth those made as above, aud "having a
smooth white surface coated with transparent
| varnish."
Mr.. Lockwood himself took out a patent on
the 26th of April, 1859, which was subsequently
reissued in four parts, dated June 6, 1866, as
folloWs:-First, for ian embossed collar or cuff,
made OF fabric composed OF paper and m Isln
or an equivalents" second, for collar or cuff
ornamented with plain or colored devices,
printed upon the surface;" third, when orna-
mented by perforations; and fourth, when orna-
mented by the interlacing of colored tapes or
ribbons.
His first rival in the field was Mr.. Solomon s.
Gray, of Boston, who procured a patent on the
l4th of April, 1868, for paper collar struck up
or pressed from hat piece into any desirable
form.n On January II, 1864, Mr.. Gray also re-
ceived patent for "cloth and paper collar
struck up or pressed from a fiat piece into any
desirable FORM" Other patents were likewise
granted him for the process OF turning over or
''moldng" the collar on a defined line, whether
accomplished by die or pointed instrument. or
by bending the collar over block of the proper
shape; and for various other processes in con-
nection with their manufacture. The last OF
these patents bore the recent date of January