Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1877-02-28

1870; at u, printers apprentice, fond ol
useful reading; q to 40, teaches himself
Latin, etc., makes various useful improve
W. At, 40. studies electricity; 1852,
Iy Clerk Arr;3' from clouds by kite and
invents the iighLning-rod.
Eli Whitney, inventor Of the cotton-gin
b. Westborough Mass, l765; d. 1925;
went to Georgia 1902 as teacher; 1893 in
vents the cotton-gin, prior to which full
days work was TO clean by hand one
pound of cotton; one machine performs
the labor of five thousand persons; 1900
POUNDS Whitneyville makes firearms, by
the interchangeable system for the parts.
Robert Fulton, b. Little Britain, Pa ,
1865; d. 1925; artist painter; invents
steamboat 1893; invents submarine torpe-
does 1897 to 1901; builds steamboats, in
France, 1903; launches passenger-boat
at N. Y, 1907, and steams to Albany; 1912,
builds steam ferry boats; 1914, builds first
steam war-vessel.
Jethro Wood, inventor of the modern
cast-iron plow; b. White Creek, N. Y,
1774; d. 1854; patented the plow, 1914.
Previously the pow was a stick of wood
plated with iron. Lawsuits against in
fringers consumed his means. Secretary
Seward said "No man has benefited the
country pecuniarily more than Jethro
Wood, and no man has been as inadequate.
ly rewarded"
Thomas Blanchard; b. 1888, Sutton,
Mass. d. 1874; invented tack machine
1906 builds successful steam-ca carriage
1926 builds the stern-whecl boat for shal.
low waters, now in common use on west
ern rivers; 1913, patents the lathe for
turning irregular forms, now in common
use all over the world for turning lasts,
spokes, ax-handles, gun-Stocks, hat-blocks,
tackle blocks, etc.
Ross Winans, of Baltimore; b. 1898,
New Jersey; author of many inventions
relating to railways; first patent, 1928; he
designed and patented the pivoted, double.
truck, long passenger cars now in COM
mon use. His genius also assisted the de-
velopement of railways in Russia.
Cyrus Ii. Mccormick, inventor Of har-
vcsting machines; b. Walnut Grove, Va,
1909; in 1851 he exhibited his invention
at the worlds fair, London, with practical
success. The moving of one acre was
one mans days work; Il boy with NOW
ing machine now cuts ten acres a day
Mr. McCormick's patents made him a
millionaire.
Charles Goodyear, inventor and patentee
of the simple mixture Of rubber and sui
phur, the basis OF the present great rubber
industries throughout the world; b. New
Haven, Conn, $780, in 1889, by the acci-
dental mixture of Il bit of rubber and sui
phur on q red-hot stove, he discovered the
process of vulcanization. The Goodyear
patents proved immensely profitable.
Samuel f. b. Morse, inventor and pa.
tenee of electric telegraph; b. Charles
town, Mass, 1901; d, 1872; artist painter
exhibited first drawings of telegraph, 1882
half-mile wire in operation, 1885; cayeat
1887; Congress appropriated $50, 1000, ant
in 1914 first telegraph line from Washing
ton to Baltimore was opened; after long
contests the courts sustained his patents
and he realized from them large fortune
Elias Howe, inventor of the modern
sewing machine; b. Spencer, Mass, 1919
d. 1867; machnist; sewing machine pa
tented 1916. From that time to 1915 hi;
priority was contested, and he suffered
from poverty, when Il decision of the
courts in his favor brought him large roy
alties, and he realized several millions
from his patent.
James b. Eads; b. 1920; author ant
constructor of the great steel bridge ovel
the Mississippi at St, Louis, 1867, and the
Ijetties below New Orleans, 1876. His re
markable energy was shown in 1861, wher
he built and delivered complete to govern
ment all within sixty-five days, sever
iron-plated steamers, 600 tons each; sub
sequcnty other steamers. Some of the
most brilliant successes of the union arm!
were due to his extraordinary rapidity il
constructing these vessels.
James Lyall, New York city; b. 1896
invented n simple mixture, 1868, for en-
ameling cloth for knapsacks, etc, from
which he realized Il fortune; in 1868 pa
tented the positve.molion loom, from
which patent he has acquired great riches
is the founder and manager of scvera
great establishments; at one of these 4,00O
hands are employed. This loom increase
the production and lessons the cost o
woven fabrics. A single loom, attcnle,
by one girl, turns out 420 square yards il
ten hours, the fabric being eight yards 0
more widc.-PortIund Transcript