The Elk advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Elk Co., Pa.) 186?-1868, 1867-10-31

| ulCu u HlS lCSluCDCG III 1DiOJN y Us lNtN
York, on the evening Of the 3d inst
For the last three months Mr.. Howe
was afflicted with that terrible disease
known as Bright's disease of the kid.
neys, and although he was supposed to
be gradually gaining Ii? took sudden
cold few days previous to his DEATH
which carried him of. lie was born
in Spencer, Massachusetts,, in 1910. and
was subsequently ID years Of age.
Mr.. Howe's life and struggle, are an
almost exact parallel oil nearly every
great inventor, aud read ia PORTIONS
more like a romance than the relation
Of facts His boyhood was marked by
hard labor on farm and in mill own
cd by his father, 20 that he had vciy.
lew educational advantages. At tie
age Of sixteen lie went 10 Lowell 70
learn the machinist's trade, where lc
remained about two years. From there
he want to Cambridge, near Boston,
where the idea Of iuvcnting a sewing
machine first possessed his mind. On
this idea he worked, giving his entire
attention to it to the neglect cyGrythiny
else. About the time he came Of age
he married At this time he was re-
ccivpg nine dollars per week, on which
he was obliged to support himself
Worried by family cares, 81 ;kness, and
unable to keep his head uGove water,
Howe never for a moment despaired Of
accomplishing his idea, but until 18Th
! II ,.,,1,p,, ~ ;.b ,-.o co 80 f.,
In this year he conGied his idea to a
friend iu Cambridge, who possessed a
small capital, and who assisted him with
means to get out a model machine,
which was finished in the carly part of
May, 1915 Full of hope, he cxhibi.
ted his machine in Boston, where he
convinced the tailors Of its usefulness
and won their commondation, qualified
by the expression OF their opinion which
accompanied it, that it would ruin the
trade Their praise Of the machine was
all the support the inventor received.
Not one of them would invest a dollar
in it. Again in despair, with all his
money gone, his friend came once more
to his rescue, and between them the
machine was patented. This was the
extent Of his friends support; the fail
ure Of further efforts to introduce the
Invention to public notice and patronage
broke down his confidence. lie was
obliged to give up AMI seek employ.
mcnt to keep his family fom suffering.
For some time he worked as ar engi.
neer on a railroad, until his constitution,
naturally delicate, gave way, and he
was again reduced to almost destitute
circumstances. At last he concluded to
seek the patronage in Eng land denied
him at home, and, assisted by his faith
er, his brother Amasa left with the ma
chine in October 1916 Amasa found
there in William Thomas, of Cboapside,
London, the first financial success, and
Mr.. Thomas got "A bargain, receiving for
E220 sterling the machine which the
brother had brought with him, and the
right to use as many as he needed in his
own business of corset, Umbrella and'ya-
lice making. lie offered G3 per week
if Elias would come to him and work
the machine. With this offer Amasa
returned, aud as the G250 were only
temporary relief, FL as concluded togo to
England and accept the offer of Mr.
Thomas, which he dill, accompanied by
Amasa, Here he worked eight months,
but Thomas was eXacting, and Elias left
him at the expi ration Of that time. In
the meantime, his sick vile and .hrcc
children had joined him. The story Of
his life for several months after his dis
missal from the workshop of Thomas,
is most painful in its details, ending in
absolute penury ana his return homo,
after an aosence Of two years, with an
empty pocket. ne landed at New Y ork,
where he learned that his wife, who had
preceded him, was dying Of coasump-
ton at Cambridge. lie had not money
enough to eLabie him toreach her. In
a few days, however, he succeeded
reaching her ledside just before her
death.
Fate had not yet done her worst.
The ship in whlth he had embarked
the few household goods he had gather.
ed together in England was lost at sea.
rms II WouIu appear was iortuac'S last
blow. He soon found himself in good
employment, and better still, in short
time he realized that his machine had
become famous during his absence,
Ingenious mechanics, regardless Of his
patents, had constructed f;tc simHes.
They were being exhibited about th9
country as wonders, and in some places
had been introduced in important man.
utaeturies. Howe now found friends,
and after some delay, the necessary
funds to establish his rights. In 1850
he was experimenting in this city the
construction of machines to order, With
the litigation which accompanied the
first steps Of the Inventor on the road to
wealth our readers are familiar. 1t Is
known that so protractod were these law