The Hawaiian gazette., 1879-02-12
5+a WEDNESDAY. FEB. II. 1879.
An Uurewarded Inventor.

Mr.. Henry Bessemer, the world famous inven-
tor Of the Bessamer process of making steel,
which has revolutionlzed the iron trade of the
world in his younger days was as fertile 10 in
ventions as ia Mr.. Edison, though not in the
same field. AT the age OF twenty which was
forty five years ago. he Discovered q process by
which he could make permanent die, even IRON
thin paper original, capable of producing a
thousand copies of an embossed stamp such as
is used by the Government and in legal TRANSACT
tons. 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, and
in such manner as to utterly defy detection.
The public knowledge OF such means OF forging
would. at that time, have utterly shattered the
whole system of the British Stamp Office.
Alarmed at the possible consequences OF his dis
covery, he abandoned further experiment in that
direction and buried the secret OF the process in
his owo breast, where it has ever since remained.
His 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 trans
ferred from old documents to new, and thus be
made 10 do duty several times, and that the an-
uual loss TO the Government in this way proba-
bly, eqnaled half million dollars, Mr.. Bessemer
set himself TO work to provide stamp that could
not be obterated by damp, as would be the case
with an embossed stamp on the parchment itself,
or removed as was done with stamps impressed
on paper attached to parchment. After months
OF patient labor, necessarily carried in secret
after his regular daily duties were performed. he
invented die which perforated the parchment
with morelthan 400 holes in the shape Of ade-
sign with the necessary words, surrounded by
delicate lace work. When this was completed
he presented himself to the chief of the Stamp
Department, explained the process by which the
stamps in use could be easily counterfeited. and
exhibit ed The device TO prevent existing and
possible frauds. The official was astounded at
the magnitude of the peril in which the stamp
system stood and delighted with the device for
its safety. Arrangements were made by which
the Government was to become exclusive owner
of the device, and Mr.. Bessemer was to be re-
warded by position 10 the Office worth from
So 900 to $4,000 year.
The young inventor was OveTjOyed at bis good
fortune, and for good reason. He was engaged
to the present Mrs. Bessemer, but the young
pair we're not exactly 10 pecuniary condition to
wed. The promised position made the way clear
and Mr.. Bessemsr fastened to inform his be.
trothed OF the bright future before them, aud to
explain the invention that had made their bappi-
ness complete. She was clear-headed young
woman. fit to be the VITA of an inventor After
listening to his explanation Of the device and
the frauds It prevented, she said Yes. under.
stand this but surely. if all stamps had a date
put upon them, they could not at future time
be used again without detection? z" In an in.
slant Bessemer saw that bis elaborate device for
perfOraling dies was unnecessary, and that his
labor of months had been wasted. Procuring
one of the dies in common use, he drilled holes
for the insertion Of movable steel type engraved
with the day. month and year, and the simple
contrivance dispensed with the necessity o.
manufacturing new and costly dies If Mr.
Bessemer had been q shrewd schemer be would
have told this last discovery to no one. md have
stopped the future Mrs. Bessemer's mouth will
kiss But he was simple minded invent or
and at once hurried off to the Stamp Office will
his news. The Government official saw the adj
vantage of the change and Immediately adopted
it. Mr.. Bessemer ventured to hint about hi
| promised place, bat was told the position was NJ
longer necessary. To requests for compensation
in some other form the Government official re
turned cold stare Of surprise, and all subse
quent officials have repeated the stare wheneve
approached upon the subject. -rs-a e.