Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1878-07-05
Jones Fortunate Dream.

THOMAS ID. JONES sudden leap from
comparative poverty to the possession
of a million is the talk of the town. He
saw defects in the common process of
grinding flour, and, by a simple inven-
ton that has remedied them, has made
in less than ten months 81 ,250, 900.
And, seemingly, this is just the begin
ming of what he is to make. The secret
is in the dressing of the mill-stons that
grinds the wheat. He saw that, by the
ordinary picking process, too much
surface was made on the stones. The
kernel was crushed. He wished it to
be granulated. The stones became hot,
destroying the strength and the color of
the grain, and taking out the gluten.
He saw that, by lessening the surface,
that these defects must be overcome,
and he set himself to work to overcome
them. He has succeeded.
Jones lives in plain but elegantly
furnished house at 32 Shonnard street.
The reporter visiting him found all the
neighbors talking of his good luck, as
they called it, and estimated his wealth
at millions. He returned from Europe
only short time ago, and being mod
est and unassuming had not proclaimed
his great success, as some might have
done. But the story would out, and as
usual it took an exaggerated form. Mr..
Jones himself opened the door. He is
of medium height, portly, and with
somewhat gray hair and whiskers. He
was perfectly willing to tell what he
had done and how it had been accom-
plished, and his story was narrated
modestly and as though he were de-
failing the most ordinary of events.
81 am Welshman," he began; "no
Scotch about me, as has been said. |
iourneyed from Wales while only three
years old. My father bought two farms
near Bridgewater, in Oneida County,
where he yet lives; and in early boy
hood l was apprenticed as a miller to
Thomas Roberts, who ground grists at
Wateryille. I've been trying to invent
something all my life, and in lesser at
tempts have sometimes been successful
/ saw that the old method of making
flour by grinding it between two almost
smooth stones destroyed the life of the
wheat. The kernel was mashed to a
powder. My notion was that could
improve it by granulating it. | must,
luNtnl hlilAl VI u aAOHt
that would not crush the wheat-that
would save the middlings-a stone that
would not get hot and bake the color
out of the flour, and take its strength
and gluten from it; my milestone must
have less surface. While l was think
ing it all over / moved to Ohio, and
there l tried to work out the problem
by changing the boiling cloths. That
improved it somewhat, but it wasn't the
thing. hadn't got rid of the friction
between the stones. / didn't own u
mill, and so had to work it along as
best | could, as it was hard work to get
anyone to bear any of the expense. /
worked on various mills in Ohio, and,
making some improvements on the old
manner of dressing stone, at length
made an engagement with the Throop
Grain Cleaner Company, now of Au-
burn, to travel. II gave me an oppor-
tunity to see many mills and milling
processes in the country. 1 studied
and studied, and thought over that
problem while was travelling; thought
it over night and day, even TO worrying
over il.
"The grand idea hit me in dream.
put up at the st. Charles Hotel, in To-
ledo, 10 stay over Sunday. / went to