The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1880-01-22
The Struggles Of an Inventor.

4hi. EIdStttS ID. DlgeIOW, tHc lHFelltOr
of the carpet loom, who died. recently
in Boston, had long and hard strug-
gle before he attained the success that
was his object. His father was poor,
and the boy was set to work on neigh
boris farm with very small wages.
Whed 13 years old he made his first in
vention, a hand-loom for weaving sus-
pender webbing. Next he invented a
machine for spinning yarn, which
brought him in 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 for the guild
| ance Of others. So he wrote and pub
lished ssThe Self Taught Stenographer, y
and, encouraged by the sale of $75
worth of the books in Boston in 10 DAYS,
he fancied that he. might make a for
tame by canvassing the country with it,
To this end he formed a partnership
with a young medical student, and they
two .canvassed New England, New
York, New Jersey and Pennsy1-
vania ;Io,brit the enterprise ended in
failure, and left him $400 in debt. Next
he took a partner and began the manu-
facture of twine., Later he went to
Wareham, Mass, to manufacture cot
ton, but failed and increased his indebt-
edness to l,40o.b He 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 a Marseilles
quilt, he conceived the notion that a
power -loom might be made to weave,
such fabrics Suspending his studies,
he soon matrred the plan Of d loom, and
constructed. a machine which. worked
satisfactorily. He made an arrange
ment with a Boston house which PROM
ised him the needed capital but he was
again disappointed, for the house failed,
and his father also was notienly unfortu-
nate in business, but in failing health. In
his journeyings the young man had seen
the process Of weaving coach lace by
hand looms. He became satisfied that
the work could be done by power
loom, and, having first ascertained that
the demand for the goods was such that
! its Manufacture would be profitable, he
concentrated all his energies upon in
venting loom suited to the work. After
six weeks of extraordinary mental ap-'
plication he had a. power loom in suc7
cessful operation, which has called out
the highestpraise. This invention gave
him q reputation, and times became 1bet-
ter with him. He turned his attention
to carpet-maehi1efy, and in 1945 he
perfected a loom for weaving wo,ply
ingram carpets, and he started in Lowell,
Mass, the first successful power1looYnl
carpet-factory ever in operation. His
chief invention, the power-loom for
weaving Brussels carpet, was completed
a few years later.-~~His patents on it
were purchased bylans English firm for
100000.
The whole number OF, patents, issued
to Mr.. Bigelow7 by the United States
Patent Office is So. By his Inventions,
the cost of weaving coach, lace was re-
duced at once from % cents yard to 8
cents; and the costiof weaving Brussels
carpet from 80 cents to four cents!T
Exchange.