Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1871-02-01
Ethan Allen.

The death of the late Ethan Allen has removed
one whom, after a somewhat intimate acquain-
lance, l regarded as a truly remarkable man.
In his business, as manufacturer of fire arms,
he exhibited an eminent degree of inventive
genius. In addition to the old six-barreled re-
volver, Ito which the early emigrants TO Califor-
MIA had occasion to he grateful, and which had
the reputation of shooting the infamous Sheriff
Jones Of Kansas,) he originated several forms OF
rifled revolving pistols, and a breech-loadng
rife, bearing some resemblance to Sharps', but
vastly its superior. He invented machinery for
the manufacture of arms, and also a machine,
Tor series of machines,) for making me-
talic cartridges, that was Of singular
beauty and perfeotness. In fact there
seemed no limit to the fertility of his inventive
skill. No sooner did any demand arise in his
business, than he set himself to meet it, and
never without success. His fruitful and restless
mind overfowed the bounds of his immediate
calling. Among the fruits of his leisure, recall
a method of making wrought-iron cannon, far
superior to that of Armstrong;, and very in
genous model of a selfregulating windmill
All of his creations were characterized by the
extreme simplicity that seems one of the highest
marks of truly great invention. 1t was Illus
trative of the grasp and tenacity of his mind
that he never put his conceptions upon paper.
He carried them in his head until they were
perfected the models and castings were then
made after his verbal directions.
BY his inventive skill, his resoIute persever-
ance and his unwearied industry, Mr.. A. ac-
quircd handsome property. He owed all, UNI
der God, to himself. He once said to me, "Some
persons envy me what they consider my prosperi-
ty. But they would not be willing to pay for it,
what | have paid. / commenced business with
a capital of twelve dollars. l often went hun
CRY that l might save the price of meal 1
dressed as none of the mechanics, that see
about me, would do"
Perhaps the most marked trait in his charac
ter was his fearlessness. He was not merely
brave; it seemed that the element of fear had
been left out He might have asked, "How does
a man feel when he is afraidP' An illustration
of this trait is no doubt familiar to all of your
readers who resided in Worcester in 1851.
While lying one night, racked with head.
ache, which prevented him from sleeping, he
saw a light moving in the entry, and knew that
+bo house had hoon entorod Ho instoptlv rose
and seized the burglar. The ruffan leveled
pistol at him, but the weapon, though loaded
and capped missed fire. Mr.. A. thrust him into
a closet until tho or+boritias copld bo sum
morod oortodorate o,yod b,, tho nronn+
justice awarded to his comrade, remained con-
ooo1o5 an 4ho t,o,,sol,o5 hooo,,,o orio. ond +bor
STOLE away
Mr. Alien was trulv lovoI citizep Many
manufacturers of nowder and of arms con-
tirued to col, tboir Goods 70 tho south nc lonr
os tho ovo,,,oo Of trodo ,voro oman In 1890
,lo,, +ono ,,oro hoord ,to ,,,,,+to,i,,c,o &c d;s
pniop ar, oron+ of virri,i. oo,lod ON Mr. A
ord On hoha1r Of ,bo+ stoto ,,ishod n nooot;oto
,or ,,,o,,i.,, &c ,.,,,. M. ,ro, ,,t.or,,, 70
esod 70 srnrI,, hin, o.. 60 have ,,,,, doa1ino,,
with hin, On his hords ,,as tho hlood Of M
,o,1io, rI, 90 It'll
.,,,o ,+hor oi.;,o,,s &c yvoroos+or EJo,srs rol
,,o,, an, p,,ssou ,,,, rof,sod n .ol,o o,,,,+roo+
10 srnn,,, ,ho Irn;tod States with ormv WAGONS
Gov .,,o ,rius. ond ,,,;cl,od ,yor oooinst Nov;co
H.. 80 .ho ,-.ood ee1Ioor, oc tho Co,r,rDon.
,,,oaIt,, y ho.,o - s,,oh D,ooho,;o ,rnoosI
- 80. ,.,, ,ho+NIr AuonJ, oos;.;,,o
.r,;.s &c oboroo.o. and bic otrono, odberepce N
w. 5o.a1,..e, ata,,l1 80 1ro,,l,,,+ hin,
,;,.,,. to,,o ,oo
S.,a;,,aI -, I;t.,a ao,,;hilit, ond .oot Anil,
:. Oiso n5o"htoIl,, tr1a that no ,ros much Ioss
r
On So, ,-eaato Thia oi.onn,
a,aoas h;r, no,1'o,;raoa =, fa,so rolo+ions
- ~. to,,ou, o;.;.o,,.,
" To ,' outward ' onnaoronce he was ruggcd and