The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-11-24
LIT INTESTORs HFan
An Intere.i,rs Chapter from tho u,r. or ,.~
Famoos NJ. Besser.e~.

T'nr' ~ Csrst'sd n-ulL
Mr.. Henry Bosscmer, tho worId-femo,,.
inventor cf the Bessrmor procrea ~ unti,,.
stool which has revolutlonizcd tho iron trnde Of
the world contributes 10 tho London T;oes n
long story OF his wrongs ut tho hands " the
English Government in return for valuable scr
vices rendered II by his inventive skill. The tale
u ln'erceiing. and conveys moral to inventors
whose conscientious patriotism may tomrt thcm
w forgot ihnt Govern nIeDts Of all Kinds are apt
10 h. ungrntofuL
NJ. u,'souer In he Younger dave WIS IA fer
'ilo In invent 'ons "a ~ Mr.. Eiison. thnu rh not
IN IN" sanr hcli. AZ tho MO- VI 20 which WIS
forty nve years aCo nv discovered process by
which be could make n rcrnnncnt die even
from thin pnU'r original. cnpahle OF produc-
ing Thousand copiee ~ nm embossed stanp
such ms is used hv 'hc Government md In legal
transactions. Wv his ptuote- the noel valuable
stnmps rouh hc counterfeit 4 IN ton minu'rs
~ ~" "N7l ~ = i'w 0snts md hv The sncr,st
lyro "a ~ q % o. " 9g o. M, els dDiN dcipc-
tioi. r. rphH. lnnwiul.,1f eneh n mrnn.
oi torg'nr would. ~ tt't tine. have utterly
rhnt"' W tho wlt'sv S-iotnoi the British Stainp
ON go. Al ru,,l al tho pns. Bic con4ruurn ~,
NJ HE d'efuv ~. he ahlr l0ucc further expert
mont IN ila' direction Hnd buried the secret 81
the rr"T@-e in his Own hr'Het. where II huA
svI since r"u nincd. u next elep WAS to
rrnm' ~ could v" ur.v' uicl instead OF fHcili-
ificd. Having learned ihai tbe ordinary ON
hos.ed stamp tnrn In usr inr large trnnshetioms
iron old documents To nov. and thus he
wnd" TO- dn duty several times. nnd that tho
annual loe- tv thu. Gov .fhm.ut In this way
Bos~enrr ST hlfu-rlf To vorl, tn proviie a stamu
tnat could not hc uhlitrrnted br damn. IA would
h' TIE case with an cmhlssrl stamp on the
iNr'lu''ni h'"li. nr removed us wis done with
stamps in pressed On pnprr attached to tho
Parchment Alter months of patient labor. nee
o., irliN cNrti'd on IN secret after his regular
y NV du'i"s Nrre performed he invented n die
WI. J. p"rinfut - Tie parchment with more than
lVo H. les IN ~" sNnpr ~ design with the no'-
Nf"n fhi- wne nn''r i''Hf n" prs .utsd himself
10 IN ehi"i 90 ING STAMP Department. explained
easily count n lie mat exhibited the dryice 10
rr.vNut exist ing md possible frauds The
ON NJ was n.y. lnndrd NJ the magnitude NJ the
lighted with the device fdr iis safety Arrange
meuis wrre made by which the Govrrumeut
was 70 become exclusive owner Of the device.
and Dir. Bcs-smcr wis to be rewarded byn posi-
ton in the Office worth from 1900 TO 81 600 n
The young inventor WINS ovcrioycd at his good
fortune, ana Tor n gposl rOuHpn. lie was en-
young pair were not exactly IN - pcruniHry ron-
duon To we'd The pl onisrd position made the
way clear, AMI W., Bessemer hn-tcned to inform
his b"trwhcd ~ the hrt-ht future bcfurr them.
and TO explain the invention that had made
ih'ir haptintsH complete. She was u clear
inventor. After listening 20 his explanation Of
tho device and the frauds thHt IL prevented. she
snid; l"S. j understand this; but surely. n
an stamps had n date put uuou them they
could not nc n future time be used Agnin without
detection p In an instant Brssemer saw that
his elaborate devi'n for perf0ratug dicz was
Unnecessary. and that his labor Of months had
been wHsted. Procuring one OF the dies in
common use. he drilled holes for the insertion
Of movable steel type engraved with the day
month. aud war. and thia simple contriyanes
dispensed with the nec,..sity " manufActur-
ing new and costly dies. II Mr.. Brssemsr
had t-sen shrrwh ech-mer. he would have
tod this laAt discovery to no one. and have
stopped the future Mrs. Brsscincr = mouth with
is. But he wis q simule-mindrd inventor.
AMI nt on - hurried of b. the Stamp ONCE W III
his news. Tho Government official saw the adj
vantage ~ the change and immediately adopted
u. MI HeeS"mcr vrnturcd ~ hint about his
promised place. but WIS told the position was
no longer necessary. To requests Tor compel
sntion IN some other form the Government ON
cinl r"turned cold stare of surprise, and all
subsequent officials have repeated tho stare
whenever approached upon the subject. For
forty 1--we wears the British Stamp Ofirc has
usvi Mr., Be-spm"r'e inv, ntiOn tu tho saving Of
~ least hall a million dollars yearly. upon it,
own Ninicrston and Mr.. B-4ssu@r hus never
received one penny in recognition Of his SCR
/ yicos Nor IL that ALL when the late Emperor
Napoleon offered 10 invest Mr.. Besscmor with
the Grand CrU~s Of the Legion of Honor in
recognition Of his services " mankind Ia tho
discovery OF his process Of making steel. on
condition the British Government would permit
him 20 wear II. the British Government promptly
and p-rsmutorily refused tho perm lssiun. and
tho order Vas not conferred.