The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1870-04-01
A WONDERFUL JERsEYMAs.
The Inventor Of Patent Leather, Msllcrb' q
Iron, aud speIter, Desd-Oniy One Pat n,
Secured by Him Ont Of scores OF Praa-
table Inventions,

Secured by Him Ont Of scores Of Pran-
table Inventions,
Seth Boydon, the inventor, died at his home in
Middleville, CLIFTON township near Newurk yes,er.
diy. in the s2d year Of hi' age. Mr.. Boyden was
native Of Fo1boro, Mass, and settled in Newark in
1915. He brought with him Ia novel machine Of his
own invention for splitting leather, which has since
been improved that hide may be split Into sew.
eral layers. Another man would have made o for
tune from the invention. hut Bvydens restless mind
always abandoned machine as soon as Il was q
success.
His next invention was also Of great value to
leather manufacturers, being machine for cutting
brads. IT, 1913 he In the silver plating business
and commenced experiments on u varnish TO be ep-
Piled to leather Out of this came patent leather Of
which ho nuactured the nrst In 1919, using Il In
bis own shop only until 1S92, when he manufactured
It article of merclai disc and threw II on the
1877 to CO. 03.06the small beginning OF what Is now
vas trade. But in ISL Mr.. Boyden sold out Of tho
SETH Boy den made TIE first malIeable iron on the
dth July, 1S2O and continued It's manufacture un
III 1881. In 1885 he started machine shop tor the
construction VI steam engines. TIE Morris and
EsseX Railroad found lis heaviest difficulty In the
grade Of iQ feet TO tie milo rom Broad street 10 the
summit Ol Quarry Hill and u was proposed 10 place
stationary engine the hill 10 raise the trains ly
traction. Mr.. Bovden contracted with the road
tn tuild locomotive which would do che work
and to the astouishment Of almost all, accomplished
n and the nrrt trnin over the road
drawn steadily and NiLOnt difficulty over the hill by
~ "
made a memorable Improvement In placing the driv-
ing rod outside Of the wi eels Boydon threw the
driving rod outside, made The wheel itself asubstituto
for the crank and gained the highest leverage the
most direct action, and the minimum OF friction.
whe in this shop he invented the Meil known "cut-
Wien tile Daguerrean process was fret mndo
known Mr.. Boyden saw an account OF II In the
@ s and patiently wSrke9 ever .y S,nsas ns op
this country. But here IL ended, and eHoept from
an acquaintance with Pro-. Morse which followed
aUVlNa Mt Mt hat NAN.a Da..g
Morse was busy With his grand invention, the iee-
graph and Mr.. Boyden was largely consulted
upon the mechanical dificulties TO bo overcome
lie was at that time no electrician. Yet after
lis attention had once been directed to cectri.
city, he went into the subject with zeal II occurred
to uim that " an electric equilibrium IL to be main
taincd. even IN thunder storms, the lightning
all come from direction. and that there II Just as
much priori reason that bolts OF lightning should
pass from the earth TO the clouds from the clouds
to tae earth To test this he set mp m elocrometer
showing the direction Of the current and found that
some OF the fercest " strokes" came from the ground
and went up to the clouds. A subsequent study o.
the incidents Of ligl thing strokes Confirmed this
idea. and his conclusion that surclargcd earth
Is quite as likely a. n surcharged cloud.
Another Of lis inventions was the manufacture Of
"spelter In this country: IL is one OF tie most
Russia sheei-ron. This has always been regarded
one OF the most profound secrets OF the arts. but
Mr.. Boydcn plodded through II and made good
article of Russ, sheet but at a cost 80 great that
II cannot compete th the imported article. While
upon tie list Of his mechanical achievement, given
Machine comes in
II ia not seth Boydeu's invention but he made On
Improvement upon II, and for the only time In
his lie applied for and secured patent. A dozen
Others had tried to improve this machine, which IL
wonderful combination OF science, speed, cheap
ness, and convenience. and all had been enjoned by
the United States supreme Court except one or two
which had been bought out by Burr. Boyden's i'm
prOyeuens stood the test In law and after tedious
and expensive suit, IN which he took small interest
the case decided In lis favor. Iris wns In his
old age-after he had passed his thrcc-score yenrs
and ten. aud seems 90 have been almost the ouy In
stance In which he cared at all who owned his
inventions.
In 1sis y took the "gold fever" and went to Can.
prospecting" ~
In sRrieu'ture he the same Quiet and succoes.
bossts n t5s lie , nree rid -', -
could make strawberry. 40 large as q pine
apple nnd preserve the original favor. The
"Acriculiurist was bis berry. so was the
"BOyden No. o." so was the abund.
ana yielding " Green Prolific" and finally that chief
and prince Of straw berries, the Boyden No 70"
oren growing To TIE diameter Of twS inches nna the
weight OF lull ounce while II has all The ercctlen
cics 81 ntvpr, hncnc', and color H. grapes also he
had series Oi successes, producing some fine By.
birds and that blhss us To nis Que failure lie
cuud never make good wine. lie uiei With the
Old hlcly and endurance OF temporary defeat, but
the wine was never good. At the time Of his death
be Was at work upon some experiments in bronze.