Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1878-08-15
A Noble Record.

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- In notice of the death of the lac
Hon. Robert Parker PARROT q CORE
spoudent Of the Bedford (Ps) Enquirer
makes the following mention Of the deal.
ings of-Mr. Parrott with the q. s. Gov
srnmentdpring the rebellions
He was fhe Inventor of the 9ystem of
riflea guns ahds roAectiles bearing his
name. He invented these guns and mis-
siles while in charge of the West Point
Foundry, and they were first introduced
in actual service at the battle of Bull Run.
July al 1861. They were exclusively
used by the Federal Army and Navy UNI
til the end Of the civil war. One of the
P.rrott thirty FOUNDERS mounted At Cum.
minis Point was used against Charleston,
apd vithstood the extraordinary aest Of
bling iged 4,6D6 times ,boforo bursting.
In this connection we desire IN illustra-
ton, which we believe has not vet been
published, OF Mr.. PARROTS noble charac.
ter. During the war the rule was that
every body should pilo up wealth rs fast
as he could, regardless Of business prin-
ciples or conscientious scruples, particu.
larly so long as the Government was the
debtor, and history painfully reminds us
Of, the fact that there were few exceptions
to the rule. With the opportunity before
Linn, the alluring bait of gold untold
within his power and grasp without the
aid Of Congressman and jobbers and
brokers, he overcame the Devil and main
tsined his honesty, integrity and psr,ot-
ism by adherlng strictly to his primcip-
les.
The PARROT" gun, of which he was
the inventor, and which o.day bears his
name, was~ tested in the first battles of
the war, and found so servceable that it
was {immediateig adopted by the Govern
ment, AMI they were ordered for the
Army as fast as they could be manufac-
tured at Mr.. PARROTS works. A friend
who was familiar with his business re-
mons.rated with him upon the prices hs
had fixed, say,ng that the U. S. would
have to procure IN immense number Of
these guns. and were ready to pay what
ever he chose to ask-that here was an
| opportunity which could never occur
again to acquire such fabulous wealth.
This friend reports that Mr. PARROT
smiled II his quiet way, as be replied
that he had no desire to possess such ex-
! traordinary riches, and it he had, would
rather not acquire them in that way.
| Then, growing more serious, he added
that ''if he were a younger man he should
| return to the army and do what he could
to aid his country, but thai at his age
snd in his position hesrwss denied .the
Opportunity of helping the Governmtn It
/ in ihatwa But IN THIS way,n he said,
/ )" lcAN be Of use, and I do not intend
| these guns shall cost the United States
Any more than ii absolutelys necessary"
As labor and iron went uphe was com
! PEELED to alter his; price, but the friend
a5oye referred to expressed his belief that
! they were at no: time equal TO those he
would have charged at the same time to
q private customer. Yet the volume of
business was 80 great, amounting to many
millions, that his small percentage of profit
necessarily Increased his fortune yerv
largely.
|. Just before Lees surrender, large
contract for these guns had hes II rcnclul-
ed with MIR. Parrott, He knew that the
| sudden termination Of the war ra.,st- rem
der any additional supply Of his guns un-
called for. He had 10 wish to further Gu
himself by making guns for which the
United States could have no possible use,
and which would have no greater value to
them than old iron in times of peace. and
he accordingly wrote to the Department:
at Washington that he was ready to till
his contract il desired, but at the same
/ time If the Cniteot States should believe
1t to be for their Interest to annul it they
J were at liberty TO do So. 1t was cancsli-
| ed forthwith. q Efgss - ssx3a
The profit on the last contract would
have secured to most of us q modest for
tune, but Mr.. Parrptt thceght 70 iiiore of
thus cancclling it ty d stroke OF his pen
then i! it had been the simplest act OF his
daily routine Of bus; ness. That he did
not undervaluc money was, however,
| evident from the strict attention which he
gave to economy in bis works, and from
the simplicity OF his personal habits. He
wore patch on his boot whilst he was
spending one hundred thousand dollars
in building one Of the most beautiful
churches on the banks Of the Hudson, a
church so ariSticslly designed and thor
ougbly furnished that it seems to have
| have been there for century.
In his visits to the Riddlesburg fur.
mace ne took great pleasure in mingling
with the humble workmen, making
bimself one Of their number, as It
We're; Sc much SO that his periodical ad.
vent was hailed with joy by all the en-
ployes, and his sudden and unexpected
demise is 1nourned by them in sincerity.
In mis- death the Kemble Company lose a
leader ana manager that connot easily
be replaced, and Bedford County loses
the first pioneer in the development of
her vast iron resources. His name will
ever be held in tond remembrance. Peace
to his ashes