Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1875-08-08
Isaac Merritt atnser-

This eminent mechanician died at hi
residence at Old Paignton, near Toruuav
! England. on the tWenty-third day O
July, 1875. in the sixty-fourth year O
his age. 1t rarely happens that a grea
mechanical inventor permanently idep
titles his name with the useful inven
tons he gives to the world. Still more
rsrely does it occur that the meritnrioul
/ inventor secures the pecuniary reward.
/ which Justly pertain to the highes
efforts of the mind. The subject of thi,
notice was so fortunate as to achieve, il
both respects, a grand SUCCESS. Hi,
name and reputation will be perpetuateC
! by a great manufacturing corporation
whose beneficial operations extend over
the whole civilized world, and he died il
! rhe possession and enjoyment of large
/ fortune. His father was German, s
millwright by trade; his mother q ma.
! tive Of Rensselaer, county, New York,
where the future inventor was born. Al
an early day the family removed to Os.
WegO, but the father met with little sue
cess In his busIpe' IS, aud the son, when
about twelve years of age, with very i'm
perfect school education and no money,
departed from a home to which
IAC ACfOA lCiNA ACN. IlOh iLiGl
time forth, he fought the battle O;
life alone. He soon turned his attention
to mechanical work, and maintained
himself as machinist, but he never
served any regular apprenticeship, and
never pretended to be an accomplished
artisan. His mind naturally employed
itself about novel means Of reaching
important results, and for many years,
1.
practice to employ the simplest materi-
ais, such as steel wire bent to some
peculiar shape, or pelce OF sheet-iron
cut to some strange form, or a pine
stick curiOusly whitfield with pocket
knife, to elucidate the principles Of
some OF the most useful and curious me-
chanical devices. The inventions being
thus made, aud the method OF opera,
ton distinctly shown, and skilled al! isan
readily put them into permanent form.
At one time Mr.. Singer was engaged in
the employment Of the Messrs. Hoe, in
the city of New York, as a machinist.
While he was still a young man he in
vented steam-drillirg machine, which
was used with much advantage in the
construction Of various railway s. and
canals. Subsequently he Invented q
machine for carving wood, metals. or
marble. While endeavoring to intro
duce this invention to public notice and
use, bis attention was casually directed
to the sswing-machine. AT that time
CAD. 1850, though several patents on
sewing devices had been granted in
this and other countries, no prac-
teal machine capable Of profitable en-
pioyment to do ordinary work had ever
been produced. Up to that time sewing
machines had been experimental mere
iy, aud had failed to be useful. In eleven
days the first Singer sewing-machine
was invented and built complete. 1t
contained much that was new and USE
ful, subsequent Improvements, for which
numerous patents were obtained, added
greatly 10 the value OF the machine; but
it was successful and profitable from the
beginning to all concerned in it, and,
against all mLetitiOn, has steadily and
increased in public favor,
thus establishing the reputation of the
Inventor and securing him vast for
tune. In 1860 Mr.. Singer retired from
the active management Of business, and
aince that time has resided mainly
abroad. After several years residence
in Paris, he went, with his family, to
England, and finally purchased an es-
late snd settled down st Old PaigntOn,
near TOrqua, in Devonshire. The last
years Of his life were devoted to the inn
Of that property, where he
liberal hospitality, and to the
poor OF that neighborhood his death will
De severe bereavement.