The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1880-11-11

signs, which also he made with his
own hands, thus keeping his secret to
himself, and shutting ont rivals in
the trade which his own ingenuity
had created. And now tho demand
for his novel wares grew SO urgent
that he could not produce them fast
enough for his customers. AS a
matter of course, he had impressed
the services of his whole family--his
sons aiding in the printing, and his
wife and daughters working early and
late in ironing out the printed cloths
after the colOring matter was dry.
The ironing process took great deal
OF time; and though the woman bent
over the ilat.irons early aud late, they
could not meet the urgency OF the
case, and thus the execution of the
orders that poured in was continually
delayed.
20 overcome this obstacle the far
mer set his wits to work to cOntriye
~ machine to supersede the use of the
iht-irOns. Remembering the advan.
tage he had derived from the use of
. cylinder in carding the COTTONWOOD,
nc turned again to the cylinder to
effect his present purpose. He in.
structed carpenter to make n large
oblong frame, with a smooth bed of
solid planking, supported Oh upright
posts, and with u raised rail or ledge
on either side. Running from side
to side he placed roller, with Il han
die to turn it, and round the roller he
wound Il rope spirally. Each end of
The rope was fastened to u strong OBJ
long box, as large as the bed of the
frame; and the box being filled with
bricks and paying-stones. was heavy
enough to impart IA powerful pressure.
Instead of ironing his pieces of print
ed cloth, the farmer now wound them
carefully round small wooden rollers,
which he placed i'm the smooth bed
beneath the box of stones, drew that
backward and forward over them, by
means of the handle affixed To the
cylinder, which had the rope coiled
round it, and so, without the use of
the tlat.irons, gave the desidered
finish to his work. And thus IL was
that the first manglc came into the
world.
This machine answered its purpose
admirably, and. by releasing the wife
and daughters from the ironing.table,
increased by so much the producing
power of the family. The farmer
worked on now with redoubled dill.
gence; the more cOttOns he printed.
the more people wanted them; and as
lie had taken especial care that no
man should become master of his
mystery, he retained the trade in his
own hands. AS years flowed on
wealth poured in, and the small far
mer of the village became the princi.
pal of one of the largest and most
prosperous manufacturing houses in
the country. He took his eldest son
into partnership, and applying his
capital to the production of machin-
cry to facilitate cOtt0n-printing, was
enabled to transfer his patterns from
blocks to cylinders, and thus to print,
in Il few minutes only, piece of
cloth which 1t would have taken a
week to complete under the old pro.
cess of mallet and blocks.
The farmers son became q man of
vast wealth and influence. 1t was
but u trine to him, when the burden
of war weighed heavily upon his
country, ana the national emergen.
cies were most oppressively felt, to
raise and equip, ut his own expense,
a regiment of horses for the defense
of the country, and present them to
the government. This he did; and
the government, in return for his
generous patriotism, made him a
bar0net.
The patriotic baronet had u son,
who, though inheriting the thorough.
working faculty and persistent per-
scverances of the family, was not
brought up to the manufacturing
business with the view of adding to
the family wealth. The grandson of
the Blackburn farmer was placed
under skillful instructors, and in due
time sent To college, where he set
noble example of subordination and
diligence, displayed abilities of the
highest order, and won distinguishing
hOnors. He afterward obtained u
seat in Parliament, where he served
his country for period exceeding
the average duration of human life,
and served it, too, with fidelity,
proof not only against the seductive
influence of party, but against his
personal interests, and in opposition
TO the cherished friendships of
whole life. He obtained, and for u
long period enjoyed, the greatest
honor which it is possible for SOW.
ereign to confer upon a subject. AS
The Prime Minister of England, he
devoted himself to the welfare of the
people, working steadily for the
emancipation of industry. the amell.
Grafton of the poor mann's lot, and
the cheapening of the poor mans
loaf. In this cause he signally
triumphed, dying in the midst Of his
success, by what seemed the sudden
stroke of accident, and leaving be-
hind him name and q fame dear to
Britain and honored throughout the
world.
We need scarcely add, that the
name of the small Blackburn farmer,
father of the wealthy and patriotic
baronet. and of the champion Of free
trade, is one and the same, and that
it will he found carved on the pedeS.
tai nf thp statula Of RORERT PEEL