The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1883-03-29
TYPOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES
OF THE
LIFE OF EDWARD G.. RUSSELL.

LIFE OF EDWARD G. RUSSELL.
Mankind take an interest in the his
tory of those who, like themselves,
have encountered the trials and dis
charged the duties of life. But today
we know more, and there is more pub
licity given to the lives of men splen-
did in acts of mighty mischief, in
whom the secret exercises of the heart
would not bear scrutiny, while the
histories are comparatively few of
those who are engaged in the business
and useful pursuits of life.
His history presents nothing of the
stirring incidents of war or murder
and pillage, which make man a hero.
His glory was not the fitting ignis
fatuus that rises from the charnel house
to dazzle and mislead but the bright,
cheering and durable halo of q we'll
spent life, passed in successful efforts
to better the condition of man ; in the
cultivation of and extension of those
useful arts which, by multiplying our
comforts and conyeniences, advance
the empire of civilization and add to
the sum of human enjoyment.
Mr.. Russell was a native of Nantuck-
ct, descending from noble and brave
race of seafaring men, who have given
character to the American nation
abroad. -
He was man of genius, who anal
yzed everything that interested him,
took much interest in discoveries in
every branch of science and art. Moth
ing of interest escaped his observation.
He had a retentive memory, and be
could call up at any time any incident
of his life; not, however. for the pur-
pose of parading his opinions before
the world, but who all his lifetime
avoided it.
1t seems to be pretty well estab.
their lives in making discoveries in
arts aud sciences, and making practic-
al tests of those principles when ap
piled to machinery or the arts, seldom
make money out of them. They have
no time to spare, and their faculties dc
not run that way. It requires differ
J ent class of men, and there are always
J ready those who are quite willing tc
: take up discovery and profit by it
This man seldom if ever made s
, mistake in applying his theories tt
, practice, and when once he saw tha
his discoveries were practically correc
i he gave them to the world, taking uI
:, his wanderings in some new field
leaving his discoveries for some ont
, else to profit by.
One of his first discoveries was al
| improvement in refining whale oil
}, This was in ls43. This proved to be o
much value to those who were inter
ested. He could take the dirty oil ant
} refuse leakage found in the holds o
] whale shiRs after a long voyage, ant
j convert it with little expense into ,
) merchantable oil. He discovered abou
r the same time process for bleaching
) sperm oil with little expense.
, In the year 1850, while in the Da
guerrean business in Ravenna, he mad
) an important improvement in tn
, camera. At that time there was NJ
, process known whereby operator
I could bring different objects into focu
, within the field of view in the instru
> ment-a thing hitherto deemed b.
. opticians an impossibility. But b.
) this arrangement groups of single pic
j lures or landscapes could be takel
with astonishing fidelity, all the mi
nutia being clear and distinct withou
any of the blurred appearance so Otter
: found OH the best pictures. Ever.
operator could see the immense ad
: vantage this method would presen
, over the old process. S. D. Humphrey
of the Daguerrean Journal, OF N. Y.
writing to Mr.. Russell, says: ell
regard TO your extended focus, yol
have sent me very interesting speci
men, and due credit will be given il
, proper time. l would recommend
. your taking immediate steps for pro
( curing patent" But our friend hat
no confidence in patents, and was in
: duced to try some other method TO
disposipg of it. Feeling satisfied tha
, every operator would pay small sun
for so valuable an improvement, hi
, language was, no one should associat,
, the value of it with the price shoult
, name, as the design is to give every
one a-chance, so that the thing may
not be held by few to the detrimen
, of the many This shows the charac
ter of the man. But alas for his idea
of human nature. His discovery was
made known, and before he had timt
to mature his plans, it was given t.
, the world, and his hopes of reware
were never fulfilled.
In 1855 he patented a governor valve
for steam engines, and at about thi'
time he adopted and put in practice ;
process for refining Mecca oil withou
the use of acids. This was a grea
Improvement over the processes ther
known. This was let out confidential
ly to "a brother refiner, and he, lost tn,
interest which should have come from
this
In 1872 he patented new Vertica
Action Combination Lever for Steam
Engines aud Pumps; and in 1873 pa
; tented a new Vertical Action Leve
for Well and Cistern Pumps. A con
tract was made for the use of this pa
tent with an Eastern manufacturing
Co., but they never responded in
ducats, and its real value passed from
his hand.
His courage still undiminished, he
again, in 1880, commenced, with the
aid of his sop-Charles E. Russell
new, cheap and correct method o
Photo o,lithographing,w which will when