The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1880-01-15
The Struggles, of an Inventor.

Mr., Erastus B. Bigelow, the inventor
of the-earpet loom, who died recently
in Boston, had q long and hand strug-
gle before he attained the success that
was his object His father was poor,
and the boy was sette work on neigh
boris farm with very small wages.
Whedf13ayea old he made his first1iu-
ventioh, 4 hand loom for weaving sus-
pender webbing. Next he invented a
machine for spinning yarn, which
brought him in, a few hundred dollars,
but was not long in USE When 16 years
old he attended an academy at his own
expense, and soon after became inter-
ested in stenography and mastered it
with such ease that it occurred to, him
that he would write a book forthe guid-
ance of others. So he wrote and pub
lished ..sThe Sef-Taught Stenographer,"
and, encouraged by the sale of 'S75
worth of the books in Boston in 10 days,
he fancied that he might make a~for-,
tune by icanvassing the country with it.
To this end he formed a partnership
with a young medical student, and they
two canyassed New England, I. New
York, New Jersey and Pennsyl-
yanias;-but the enterprise ended in
failure, and left him S400in debt. Next
he took partner and began the manu-
facture Of Irvine. Later he went to
Wareham, Mass, to manufacture cot
ton, but failed and increased his indebt-,
edness to 81 400 lie then came to this
city and took lessons In penmanship,
and soon became SO skilled that he sup
ported himself for some time BY giving
instruction. This wandering existence
did not satisfy him and he returned
home, and, after taking a course in
classical studies, he entered his name as
a student of medicine. His thirst for
knowledge again led him to invention,
and, sleeping one night under Marseilles
quilt, he conceived the notion that
power-loom might be made to weave
such fabrics. Suspending his studies,
he soon matured the plan of a loom, and
CONSTRUCTED machine, which worked
satisfactorily. He made an arrange
ment with Boston house which prom
Used him the neededNcapitaly but he was
again disappointed, for the house failed,
and his father also was not only unfortd-
nate in business, but in failing health In
his journeyings the young man had seen
the process Of weaving coach lace by
hand-loonisg He became Satisfied that
the work could be done by a power
loom, and, having first ascertained that
the demand for. the goods, was such that
its mapufacturs would be profitable, he
concentrated al bis energies upon ine
venting loom suited to the work After
six weeks of extraordinary mental APP
plication he had a power loom in sue
cessful operatiog which has called out
the highest praise1 This intention gave
him reputation, and times became bet
ter with him. He turned his attention
to earpet-maehinery, and in 1915 he
perfected loom for weaving Two ply
ingram carpets, and hestarted in Lowell, 1
Mass, the first successful power-loom
carpet-factory ever in operation. His
chief invention, the .poYer-loom for
weaving Brussels Carpet, wa, completed
a few years hter. y His patents on It
were purchased by an English firm for
100000. %R" 9~I
wThe whole a6mb@ or patents issned:|
70 Mr.. Bigelowl by the United StatesI
Ratent Office is sc. By his inventions,
the cost of weaving Coach lace was re-
duced at once from % cents "a yard to 8
cents; andlthe cost OF, Weaving Brfssels'
carpet from 80 cents to- four cents.=I
Exchange. 0HYT1