Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1882-05-18


t-@~-
Willem Rittinglnvsen, the first Men,
monte preacher in PENNSYLVANIA, came
with his family and others of the sect to
Germantown in 1855, and on branch
of the Wissahickon Greek, in RoXbor-
rough Township, built in 1890 the earli-
est paper mill in, America II is in ref
erence to this mill that Gabriel Thomas.
4 quaint old chronicler of the severn
teenth century. SAYS: s.All sorts of very
good paper are made in the German
Town" and it supplied the paper used
by William Bradford, the first printer
in Pennsylvania, rs well as the first in
New York. Here. on the Sth of April
1882, David RittenhOuse, a great-grand-
son of the emigrant. was born His
mother, Elizabeth Williams, was the
daughter of Evan Williams. native of
Wales. and probably one of the Quaker
converts who came from that country
and settled a number of townships in
PENNSYLVANIA. When he was three years
old, his father. Matthias, removed with
his family to a farm jim Norri-
ton, now Montgomery County. and
naturally enough he determined
that David. the oldest son, should
follow the same pursuit. As soon,
therefore, as be was strong enough to
be of assistance. he was put to the ordi-
nary framework, and he plowed and
narrowed. sowed and reaped. like all
the BOYS BY whom he was surrounded.
His tastes, however, ran in another
direction, and one of those occurrences
which are sometimes called accidents
gave him an opportunity to crafty
them. An uncle, who was q carpenter.
died. leaving a chest of tools. and
among them a few books containing the
elements of arithmetic and geometry
and some mathematical calculations.
These things, valueless TO every one
else, became treasure TO David, then
about twelve Years old, and they seem
to have determined the bent of his life.
The handles of his plow, and even the
fences around the fields, he covered
with mathematical calculations. At
the age of eight he made complete
water-mill in miniature. AT seventeen
he made wooden clock. and
afterward one in metal. Having
thus tested his ability in an art
in which he had never received any
instruction, he secured from his some
what reluctant father money enough to
bi.y in Philadelphi;i the necessary tools,
and after building shop by the road
side. set mp in business as clock and
mathematical instrument maker. His
DAYS were given to labor at his chosen
trade, and his nights to study. BY too
close application he injured his health,
contracting an affection of the lungs, at
tended with great pain. that clung to
him all of his life. and seriously inter-
fered with his writing, but he solved
the most abstruse mathematical and
Astronomical problems. discovering for
himself the method OF fluxions. For a
long time he believed himself its origi-
nator, being unaware Of the controversy
between Newton and Leibnitz for that
great honor. "What a mind was here.'
said DR.. BENJAMIN Rush, later. in q
burst of enthusiastic admiration. with
out literary friends or society, and with
but two or three books, he became be-
fore he had reached his four-and-
twentieth year the rival of two of the
greatest mathematicianS of Europe. -
Sa1pnsi ". Ptiuigpaeker, IN HGrper'S
Magazine.