The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1867-10-19
Death Of an Inventor.


sewing machine, died at his residence, i'll
Washington Avenue, Brooklyn, on Friday
morning, after severe and protractcd Ill
ness. lie had been suffering from govt Tor
some time past, but it is said, had obtained
temporary reiet through the instrumenaliiy
of "a clairvoyant physician. The recent
change in the weather, however, brought on
a fatal attack of the malady. AS the invent.
or ofonc of the greatest Of labor. saving APP
paratus he is entitled TO rank with the Ark.
wrights, if not with the Watts and Morscs of
mechanical science. Born in 1919, at Spen-
Ger, in Massachusetts, where his father was
"a farmer and miller, he naturally acquired
those marked New England pecuiarities OF
mind developed in his inventive career
He commenced life as farmers boy, but
an inherited lamcncss made the work too
hard for him. so he returned home and as.
sisted his father who was manufacturer of
cotton cards. In 1886, at the age OF sixteen,
he went to Lowell, and there found employ
ment in machine shop, where Major Gen.
N. p. Banks, his cousin, was one OF his tel
low workmen. He afterwards went to Bos.
ton, and there, at the age OF twenty one,
married, while still q iourneymam machlnist,
earning SO q week. The next four years of
his life were passed in that probationary
penury that has frequently been the spur to
stimulate the inventor to the perfection OF
his task in the hopes of thereby acquiring q
competency Then it was he caught the
inventor mania, and, after many months
of failures, through the timely pecuniary as
sistance of friend named George Fisher,
he succeeded in July, lsi5, in constructing
the contrivance that has since appeared in
so many courts as the witness that establish.
ed his claim to decide the original inventor
of the sewing machine, and though every
part Of it has since been improved, and new
devices have been added, no successful sew.
ing machine has ever been made which does
not contain some OF the essential elements
of this first attempt. In the introduction Of
such an innovation as that of a sewing ma
chine, that was seemingly antagonistic to so
many interests, Mr.. Howe's chief trouble
began. He placed his little engine in one
of the rooms of the Quincy Hall clothing
mandatory, and challenged five OF the
swittest seamstresses in. the establishment to
sew race with the machine. In this con
test Mr.. Howe was victorious, and did his
work sooner and far more neatly and strong.
y than the seamstresses. Sill he received
no encouragement. Not machine was
ordered. The cost of it was serious OBJ
stace to its introduction, as it could not be
made for less than $500. In the spring OF
from the invention, he engaged as an eng'
neer upon one of the railroads terminating
at Boston. His friend, George Fisher, was
now totally discouraged. He had advanced
81, coo aud supported the inventor and his
family for many months, and although a
patent was lodged on September 10, 1886,
in the Patent Office, America virtually re-
iected the invention. Dir. Hove was, how
ever, determined to make ain effort to intro
duce it in England, and, after. many hard
ships, he succeeded in selling the machine
he had brought with him to a Mr.. Thomas
for $3.50, with the right 70 use as many others
in tho business Of Mr. Thomas as that gen,
teman desired. There was also a W.T. ~.
understanding that Mr.. Thomas was tc
patent the invention in England, and if the
machine came INTO use there he was TO pay
three pounds on every machine sold. The
EnGlishman never carried out the verbal
part of the agreement, and the investment
Of the two hundred and fifty pounds has
yielded him profit of one million of dol
lars Disguised with the chicanery and
insoIence Of this ignorant purse holder, Mr..
to pawn some of his clothing, aud his pre-.
| cious first machine and letters patent, and
in April, lSl3, landed in New York with
half dollar in his pocket. Now began the
most serious battle, that of waging wal
against the infrngers Of his patent. The
| fight was not ended for some years, and in.
volved an immensely of litigation and the
manufacture OF such sewing machine liiera
ture. At length compromise was arrived
at, the terms Of agreement being that MI
! Howe was TO receive certain amount upon
every machine sold in the United States
AMI small sum upon each one exported.
The patent expired on the 10th OF last Sep
TENDER, and it is estimated that the amoun
Mr.. Howe has received from his inventio,
will not fall short oftwo millions.