Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1866-12-24
i MECHANICAL rnsuMPBs.

A MECHANICAL TRIUMPH.
No iSvsxriox Of a similar labor saving |
character ever resulted in the same prac-
teal benefits 10 the people, or has come in
to such general use = that wonderfully !
simple piece Of mechanism-the Sewing Ma
chine. What could we do without III Where |
we nov find hands enough 10 accomplish |
labor which these busy little workers are
doing These are questions which deter
mine the usefulness OF an invention, and by
them we may gaguc the Importance OF Sew
ing Machines The history Of this discov-
cry is full Of interest. As early as 1886, an
ingenious end prolific inventor, named val.
tcr Hunt, Of New York. Invented the first
machine that was Of any practical value Tor
sewing Being Of rather indolent dispos-
;,ion, and disinelincd 70 undertake the 10.
Dor Of introducing so novel an invention in
70 general use, he neglected to patent his
discovery. aud cold the right 70 manufacture
such machines to Nr. Arrowsmith, Who,
however, neglected to test the practical value
Of his purchase or to secure j. by patent.
Six years elapsed before any further
action vas taken toward the introduction
Of Sewing Machines. aud then. ON the 18th
Of February. 1S42. the first American pa
tsnt vas granted 20 John J. Grsenough,
| Of Washington.
The.next recorded attempt At an applies
ton Of the idea was made and patented BY
Bsnjsmin w. Bean, Of New York. In the
same year (ls43) . Sewing Machine, was
patented by George X. Corlies. Of Green
wich. y. Y, but no ono seems to know
much about il, an evidence that its practi>
cal value was small. These abortive attcm.
pts had the effect, however, Of calling the
attention Of inventors to the subject Of Sew
ing Machines, and on the 10th ofSeptcm5cr
1876, Elias Howe, Jr., of Cambridge. Mass;
| patented the first Sewing Machine capable
Of being improved 30 as to be adapted TO
general use.
Although the machine patented by Mr..
Howe wolld nov be considered worthless, If
compared with the more recent invention OF
others, yet he stands at The door Of the Sew
ing Machine business. - u 100. ana Ievies
-. ..A VI one dollar on esch finished machine
in which the principles he invented are
used. A fortune closely approaching two
million dollars has thus been accumulated
by Mr.. lowe-a very fir return. consid-
ering the fact that the Howe Machine has
been left f.r behind by those whose subse J.
quent invcnlions have effected .. revolution
in the manufacture OF clothing, shirts, caps
boots, shoes, embroidery. and house furn-
ishing goods.
The utility ofs Sewing Nschine for fam.
ily use depends upon its adaptability to tie
greatest variety of work.. audi this article
would be incompetent. after tracing the
rise and progress Of the idea, We should fail
to point out from among the many varieties
the one that comes neares' to perfection and
combines the greatest number Of usefule
qu llitics For certain kinds Of work there
may be Machines NOR, peculiarly adapted
than others; but for all the numbcrlcss re-
quircmcnts OF a family, we unhesitatingly
pronounce the smoothly, silently, and swift
" running Grover & Baker Machine the
best.
One great advantage is, that the thread
is drawn direct from the spools. and requires
no previous winding on shuttles; aud the
simplicity Of all its parts and tho easy al
justncnt Of needle, thread, aud work, makes
it more readily comprehensive to the learn
er than any We have yet seen. Arother
important fact 10 that they perform. without
ain alteration Of the adjustment, n much
greater variety of work than is possible or
others. We might thus enumcratc quality
after quality in our way, but we think we d,
the inventors and makers full justice, and
ut tho same time relate our experience IT
terms which there Is no ms,aking, when
wc say that the Grover 4 Baker Machine MAJ
Do chosen Is the best, simplest, and mos
reliable Sewing Machine in the market.
The trade in these necessities. which
have now become SO indispensable, 10 assn
ming gigantic proportions. Grover & Bake,
alone send many thousands to foreign mar>
kcts and this popularity abroad Is an evid
encc Of their merit and superiority. Amer.
lean Sewing Machines are used all over the
world. and, like American pianos, have fur.
nished the principles which have been ad
opted by great majority of foreign manu-.
nfacturers.-N York Citizen.
To AOung and NoiddIr.A geSl Wcn