Cleveland daily leader. [volume] ([Cleveland, Ohio]) 1865-1873, 1866-04-07
Curiosifv Cortbe Lodics

There is on exhibition at the salesroom
of Messrs. Wheeler & Wilson, No. SOS
Broadway, the first Sewing Machine No.
l made by that Company, the present
number being 100000. Let the interest
ed compare the Machine sold in 1851 for
$l25 with those now offered for sos. The
former owner of this Machine gives It's
history as follows:
This Machine was finished early in 1851,
and l learned its use from Mr.. Wilson
himself. l was thus, you see, the first to
work the wheeler & Wilson Machine,
and learned on the first Machine theye I'VE
manufactured.
In 1854 1 earned with the Machine 1926,
besides doing my own homework and ia
king care of my baby. In 1856 we came
to Davenport, and brought the Machine
with US. l believe it is the first Mac hine
ever brought to Iowa.
l run that Machine almost constantly
for more than fourteeA years, on all sorts
of work, from the finest dressmaking to
the heaviest tailoring. l quilted a full
sized white b%ed-spread with it which has
been exhibited three times at the Fair. It
took me three weeks to do it with my
other work; but it could not have been
done by hand in as many years. I have
even stitched leather with it, and at the
time I exchanged it, lin 1861 for No.
le3,320 it worked just as well as when
made.
1t is perhaps unnecessary for me to add
that 1 believe the Wheeler Sc Wilson to
be vastly superior to any other machine
made. Yours, respectfully,
P. E. B.
Time tries all things. Use only furn-
ishes the final test. Opinions of the skill
full may be OF value, but time is needed
to confirm them. All failures have had
their advocates. 1t is noteworthy that
the Sewing Machine for which the high
est premium was awarded at the Worlds
Fair here in 1853 long since sunk into
merited oblivion. The past fifteen years
has seen numerous Machines, with high
sounding pretensions, rise with a flourish
confound the simple, and vanish. So will
it be while credulity lasts.
The Wheeler & wilson Company fixed
upon the "Lock Stitch" as the one best
suited to the general purposes of sewing,
for beauty, permanence, elasticity, and
economy Of thread, and experience has
confirmed the preference. 1t was at lib
erty then, as now, 20 make a chain-stitch
machine; and even now, at a cost of less
than 10 cents each, can adopt its Lock
Stitch Machine TO make the chain-stitch as
well as the lock-stick; but, not believing
in the stitch, it has steadily refused to give
it any kind of Endorsement.
While this Company has given TO the
public the best fruits Of inventive genius,
it has guarded it from a multitude oftraps.
Attachments have been added for various
purposes, as heming, binding, braiding,
cording, &c, but it has been kept
free of all useless complications.
Simplicity Of parts, and adaptation to
the widest range of work, has been the
aim. Instead of Boosting of a
of useless stitches and movements,
it claims to make but one kind Of stitch,
,n3 that with tho fescest naouernents posi-
bic. Hence the Machine may run con-
for fourteen years, like the No. l
aforementioned, OF a lifetime, even, and
work just as we'll as when new. With a
complication of parts and movements, it
would require monthly repairs and adjust
ments. As the purchase Of a sewing ma
chine is, or may be, an act for a lifetime,
care should be had in getting what time
and use have approved-ConinereiGL ID
u~ertiSer.