The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1867-10-25
ELIAS HOVE. Jr.

ElaS MOVE, Jr.
Mr.. Elias Howe, Jr, the inventor of the
sewing piachine, died at his residence in
Nashingtown avenue, Brooklyn, Friday
morning. after a severe and protracted III
ness. lie had been suffering from CONT.
Tor some tine past, but, it is said, had OBJ
tanned temporary relief through the instra-
menfaGlty of Clairvoyant physician. The
recent change in the weather, however.
brought on a fatal attack Of the maady.-
As the inventor Of one of the greatest of
la5oF-Saying apparatus he is entitled to rank
with the ArkrlGhJs, if not with the Watts
and Morses Of mechanical science. Born
1919, at Spencer, in Massachusetts,. where
ms iather was a farmer aud a miller be
natura IS acquired those marked New Eng
land pecpiiarIties Of mind developed ia his
inventive career He commenced life far.
mer's boy, hut an Inherited lameness made
the work too hard for him, 50 he returned
home and assisted his father, who was a
manufacturer of cotton cards. Ia 1885, at
the age Of sixteen, he went to Lowell, and
there fOnna employment i'll machine shop,
where Major General y. 7. Banks, bis
cousin, was one OF his fellow work man =
He afterward, went to Boston, AMI there.
at the age Of twenty one, married, while
still jOurneyman machinSt, earning 50 a
week. The next four years were passed in
that probationary penury that has frequent
" been the spur to stimulate the inventor
to the perfection of his task in the hopes
Of thereby acquiring competency. Then
it was he caught the inventor 5, mania, and,
after many months Of failures, through the
timely pecuniarv assistance of a friend
named George Fisher, he succeeded in
July, lS45, in constructing the contrivance
that has since appeared in SO many courts
to dec de the original invention of the sew
ing machine, and though every part of it
has since beel improved and new devices
have been added, no successful sewing ma
chine 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 sewing ma
chine, that was seemingly antagohistic to
so macy interests, Mr. Howe's chief trouble
began. He placed his little engine in one
OF the rooms Of the Quincy Hall Clothing
Manufacture and challenged five Of the
sWfteSt seamstreSses in the establishment
to sew a race with the machine. In this
contest Mr. Howe WAS victorious, and did
his work sooner and far more neatly and
strongly than the scamstresaes. Still he
received no encouragement. Not ma
chine was ordered. The cost Of it was a
series obstacle to its introduction, as it
could not be made for less than $500 In
the spring Of 1915, there being no prospect
of revenue from the invention, he engaged
as an engineer uIon one OF the railroads
terminating at Boston. His friend George
Fisher, was now totally discouraged He
had advanced 81 $50 and supported the
inventor and his family for many months,
and although patent was lodged on Sep
tenlbcr I0Ih 1916, in the Patent Office,
America virtually rejected the inventor
Mr. Howe was however determined to make
an effort to introince il in England, aud
al'er many hard>hipS he succeeded in sell
l0g the machine h hal brought with hun
to a Mr. Thomas for ESQ, with the right
to use IS many others in the business of
Mr.. Thomas as that gentleman desired. -
There was also Il verbal understanding that
MIR. Thomas was to patent the invention in
Bingham and if the machine came INTO use
there he was to pay three pounds on every
machine sold. The Eneli~hman never car
ned ont the verbal part of the agreement,
and the investment Of the two hundred and
fifty pounds has yielded him a prof, OF one
million OF dollaIs. Disguised with the chi
canery and nsOcnce OF this ignorant purse
holder, Mr. Howe returned to America, be
lac obliged 10 pawn some of his clothing
and his precious first machine and letters
patent, and in April lS49, landed in New
York with halt dollar in hi. pocket
Now began the most serious battle, that Of
waging war against the nfringers Of his
patent. The fight was not ended for some
years, and involved an an immensely Of lit
lgatIOn and the manufacture OF much sew
{ narIinp literature At ipuuth n cD,o-
mCnt being that Mr. Howe was to receive
IN the United States and a small sum upon
the i0th Of last September and it is csti-
mated that the amount Mr. Howe has re
ceiyed from his invention will not fall short
OF two millions.