Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1877-05-12

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written by Col. Daniel Dechert, and
published in his paper, the Border En-
press, at Danville, Va, under date OF
May 4, instant. The article will be read
with interest, from the fact that MIR.
Cochrane, whom it refers to, Is well
known in this county, as well as through
out the country: -
On Monday we were surprised with
the visit of an old and very esteemed
friend of happy memory, one OF the
most genial of gentlemen, to whom In
ante belium days We were devotedly at
tached. This friend IS Scotchman by
birth. He acquired at very early age,
the profession of Naval Architect, and
for several years followed "life on the
ocean wave," and at last settled down
and found a home in our own beautiful
land where his inventive genius In the
mechanic arts has made him proud
name and is now building him up for
tune that is well merited. VIM. +.
Cochrane, is in its true sense, master
mechanic. To his genius is the world
indebted for the fine Moving, Reaping
and Hemp Machines, the "Planets
which in all their parts are as nicely
balanced and adjusted as their name
sakes in the starry regions, and for
part interest in which the right to man
ufacture. he has realized large sum.
And it is to his genius-his inventive
genius that we are indebted for many
of the wonderful improvements in man
ufacturing (four) mills, by which finer
grades of flour are now manufactured,
even from the mildlings produced than
was heretofore. To illustrate that we
arc not speaking at random, Mr.. Coch-
rane obtained in the U. s. Supreme Court
on the 10Th of March last dicision in
suit he instituted in that Court against
certain parties who had infringed upon
certain patent rights which he had in
vented, which is one Of the most sweep
ing decisions that has ever been made
in patent right controversy, covering
as il does over 400 different patent APP
plications and which was given by al
most a united Court, only two out of
the nine judges dissenting, and this dis
sent being based Oh some minor points.
These infringements were for certain
Boiling Apparatus connected with the
manufacture Of flour, which are the most
perfect as well as the most useful lnven-
tons in the manufacture of the article
made in the worlds history. Over 90
900 Of the best mills in the United
States have in use Mr.. Cochrane's i'm
provements, and now armed with the
decision of the U. S. Supreme Court, he
is notifying the owners thereof that
there is little something due him for
what his brain has after years fpatient
toll brought about. The amount adj
Judged under the decree of court that
will have to be paid Mr.. c. by those
using his patents, will by simply paying
him royalty OF cents per barrel, run
up to millions of dollars. But this pay
ment cannot be avoided, the decree is
irrevocable and the millers who have in
use his patents, as fast as notifyed, are
accepting the situation with the best of
grace. We are rejoiced at our friends
good fortune, not only for the reason
that we respect him, but because we
think it about time that protection
should overtake the man of brains, or
industry and inventive spirit We trust
that his fortune for the good be has
done for mankind, will be colossal. A
large number of the largest and finest
mills in the United States he has either
built from the foundation up, or made
such improvements in them that they
are now first class in every respect.
One that he built at Harper's Ferry
has capacity of $50 barrels of flour per
day, and this We remember he erected
with the aid only of carpenters, one
gunstocker, together with laborers, hav-
ing no mill-wright in his employ.
At the early age of nine years Mr..
Cochrane exhibited his fondness for
milling, which be considers science,
and which he then made study. 1t
was at Kdstone, in Scotland, whilst at
school in passing and repassing the Kid
stone Mills that flourished in their prim.
tive glory, that he would enter and
watch for hours, the process of grind
ing grain, that he conceived certain
ideas, which after years of patient and
unremittipg toll he perfected to its pres
ent high standard of excellence.
And now a little incident in the life
of this remarkable man in which We fig
ured somewhat, and we shall finish our
sketch. A newspaper item is often OF
great service. The editor pens it not
dreaming that it may be worth the cad
er thousands of dollars in all possibili-
ty. The article is written, published
and circulated-fnds its resting place
at last in foreign cline, when it meets
the eyes of friends, and brings about
happy results. 1t is wa1 that foated
of, and now, 10, the result. In the fall
of 1870, Mr.. Cochranee having just in
troduced his unrivalled Moving Ma
chine, brought a sample machine to the
Virginia State Fair at Richmond, where
it took the first premium over "a other
competing articles of like character. At
that time we were editing the Hagers-
town (Md) Mail, and in letter to that
paper from Richmond, where we hao
been in attendance at the Fair, we incl
dentally mention the fact that the Plan
ct Machine, the invention of Mr.. w. F.
Cochrans had been adjudged the high
est award. Some one of our subscrib-