Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1867-10-17

at Spencer, Massachusetts,, where his
father was farmer and miller, hi
naturally acquired those marked New
england peculiarisies of mind devel
oped in his inventive career. HI
commenced life a. farmers boy
but an inherited lameness made the
work too hard for him, so he return
ed home and assisted his father, who
was manufacturer of cotton cards
In 1885, at the age of sixteen, he
went to Lowell, and found employ.
ment in a machine shop where Major
General n. z. Banks, his cousin, was
one of his fellow worhmen. HC
afterwards went to Boston, and
there, at the age of twenty one
married, while still journeymar
machinist. earning nine dollars 6
week The next four years of hi:
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 hope Of
thereby acquiring a competency
Then it was he caught the inventor
mania, and, after many months Of
failures, through the timely pecunia
ry assistance Of n friend named
George Fisher, he succeeded in July
1915, in constructing the contri
vance that has since appeared in sc
many courts as the witness that
established his claim to decide the
original inventor of the sewing
machine, and though every part of il
has since been improved, and new de.
vices have been added, no success
full sewing machine has ever beer
made which does not contain some
of the essential elements of this first
attempt. In the Introduction oil
such an innovation rs that of sew
ing machine, that was seemingly
antagonistic to SO many interests
Howe's trouble began. He placed
his little engine in one Of
the rooms of the Quincy
Hall Clothing Mandatory and chal
lenged five of the swiftest seam
stresses in the establishment to sew
q race with the machine In the con.
test Mr.. Howe was victorious, and
did his work sooner and far moro
neatly and strongly than the seam
stresses. Still he received no en-
couragement Not machine was
ordered The cost oft was seri-
Gus obstacle to its Introduction, as
it could not be made for less thar
$500. In the spring of 1916, there
being no prospect Of revenue from
the invention, he engaged as an en-
gineer upon one Of the railroads ter
minating at Boston. His friend
George Fisher, was totally discour
aged. He had advanced $4,000 and
supported the inventor and his fam
lily for many months, and although
a patent was lodged on September
10, 1916, in the Patent Office, Amer
lea virtually rejected the invention
Mr. Howe was determined, however
to mike an effort TO introduce it in
England, and after many hardships
he succeeded in selling the machins
he nad brought With him to Mr.
Thomas for f2j0, with the right to
use as many Others in the business
of Mr.. Thomas rs that gentleman de
sired. There was also a verbal TN.
derstandig that Mr.. Thomas was to
patent the invention in England, and
if the machine came into use there
he was to pay three pounds on every
machine sold. The Englishmar
never carried out the verbal part Of
the agreement, and the investment
Of two hundred and fifty pounds has
yielded him profit of one million OF
dollars. Completely disguised with
the chicanery and insolence Of this
ignorant householder, Mr.. Howe re
turned to America. being obliged to
pawn some of his clothing and his
precious first machine and letter:
patent, and in April, 1919, landed in
New York with half dollar in his
pocket. He began the most serious
battle of waging war against the in
fringers of his patent. The figh,
was not ended for some years, anu
involved an immensely of tigation
and sewing machine literature Al
length compromise was arrived at
the terms Of the agreement being thai
Mr.. Howe was to receive certain
amount upon every machine sold il
the United States, and a small sun
upon each one exported. The patent
expired on the 10th OF last Septem
Ter, and it is estimated that the
amount Mr.. Howe has received from
his invention will not fall short o.
two millions.