The Morning herald., 1878-12-12
LET INVENTORS READ.
AN INTERESTING CHAPTER FROM THE
LIFE OF THE FAMOUS Mr. BESsEMER.
From the Cleveland Herald.


LIFE OF THE FAMOUS Mr. BEssEMER.
From the Cleveland Herald.
Mr.. Henry Bessemer, the world-famoul
inventor of the Bessemer process Of max
ing steel, which has revolutionized the
iron trade of the world, contributes to the
London Times long story of his wrong
at the hands Of the English Government
in return for valuable services readered il
by his inventive skill. The tale is inter,
esting, and conveys a moral to inventors
whose conscientious patriotism may tempt
them to forget that Governments of all
kinds are apt to be ungrateful.
Mr.. Bessemer in his younger days was
as fertile in inventions as is MIR. Edison
though not in the same field. At the age
Of 20, which was forty-fve years ago, he
discovered process by which he could
make a permanent die, even from a thir
paper originally capable of producing a
thousand copies Of an embossed stamp such
as is used by the Government and in legal
transactions. By this process the most
valuable stamps could be counterfeited in
ten minutes, at the cost Of a few cents, and
by the merest tyro, in such manner as to
utterly defy detection. The public know.
ledge of auch q means Of forging would, al
that time, have utterly shattered the whole
system of the British Stamp Office
Alarmed at the possible consequences oil
his discovery, he abandoned further ex.
pertinent in that direction and buried the
secret Of the process in his own breast
where it has ever since remained. Hi
next step was to find some process By
which frauds on the Government could be
prevented instead of facilitated. Having
learned that the ordinary embossed STAMP
then in use for large transactions could, by
. little ingenuity, be transferred from Old
documents 10 new, and thus be made to dc
duty several times, and that the annual
loss to the Government in this way pre-.
badly equailed half million dollars, Mr.
Bessemer set himself to work to provide a
stamp that could not be obliterated bv
damp, as would be the case with an en.
bossed stamp on the parchment itself, OF
removal rs was done with stamps impres.
sed on paper attached to the parchment
After months of patient labor, necessarily
carried on in secret after his regular daily
duties were p. rformed, he invented die
which perforated the pal chment with more
than 400 holes in the shape of design
with the necessary words, surrounded by
delicate lack work. When this was com,
pleted he presented himself to the chief o.
the Stamp Department, explained the pro
cess by which the stamps in use could bt
easily counterfeited, and exhibited the
device to prevent existing and possible
frauds. The official was astounded at tht
magnitude Of the peril in which the staml
system stood and delighted with the devic,
for its safety. Arrangements were mad,
by which the Government was 10 become
exclusive owner of the device, and Mr.
Bessemer was 10 be rewarded bv posi-
tioD in the Office worth from 5000 TO 81,
600 a year.
The young inventor was overjoyed a
his good fortune, and for good reason
He was engaged TO the present Mrs. Bes
semer, but the young pair were not exactl,
in pecuniary condition to wed. Th,
promised position made the way clear, ant
Mr.. .Bessemer FASTENED t. inform hi
betrothed of the bright future before them
and to explain the invention that tat
made their happiness complete. She wa
a clear-headed young woman fit to be tn,
wife of an inventor. After listening to hi
explanation of the device and the fraud
that it prevented, she aaid: "Yes, un
derstand this; but surely,i all stamps had ,
date put upon them. they could not at ,
future time be used again without detec.
tionT In an instant Bessemer saw tha
bis elaborate device for perforating die
was unnecessary, and that his labor o
months had been wasted. Procuring on'