Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-10-10
THE SEWNG-MACRTNE.


some InterestingFacts as so Its IuVen~
ton an Inventors.
Ptt'sburJ Letter jnSstoing- Maoajns Times.
| AS historical fats are growing more
interesting each FEAR concerning the
prime movers of til great sewing
industry, wish give you what ! know
about the king If the sewing-machine
business, l. NJ. Singer. 1t is said that
! Elias Howe neve made a machine that
would sew perfectly, but that Mr.. Singer
did. All authorizes give Howe credit for
the invention, ad the country black
| smith did well towards t8at end, no
doubt, but he gQhis idea from a detective
machine made b Walter Hunt Of New
| York IN 1882. Ehnt invented the paper
collar also. He demonstrated the fact
that mGhiue could take
a stitch, Blu be could go no
! farther, and Howe patented the
| model and gOt.n offer from a London
firm ofcOrset-m&ers, who gave him two
years in which perfect his machine and
adaptit to their business. They fitted up
a machine-shOpRnd paid him for his time,
put 1t was taihre, and ne returned to
America discOmOlate.
The problem vas solved thus: About
forty years ago sman named Regain own
ed wOOd-carying establishment on Fifth
avenue, this city (Pittsburg). Among
his workmen was /. NJ. Singer, who was
an expert In making wooden letters Tor
signs. Many of these old letters are still
to be found in the rubbish of Pittsburg
garrets. Mr.. Singer IN those days was
hard up in the Ullest sense of that term
and was some what of Bohemian in
habits and taste. He left this city and
tramped to New York, where he obtained
work in a similat establishment, his rev
employer being engaged perfecting a
machine for saving out wooden letters
sort Of scroll-say; at any rate Mr.. Singer
helped him To complete it. The inventor
went to Mr.. CiaIk, q noted lawyer on pat
ents, in order toget his scroll-ssw patent
ed. He took Nj. Singer along to better
explain TO the lawyer the working, specit-
tatiOns, and plans Of the scroll-saw inVen-
ton.
Whilst there Mr. Clark spoke mciden-
tally of the failure of Elias Howe to per-
feet his sewng-machine in London.
Singer listened attentively, and it is said
asked many questions concerning the
difficulty.
by George, " exclaimed Singer, Il can
make that thing work."
''Ihere is a fortune tor you II you do"
said Mr. Clark.
81 can do il. ! have the idea now," en-
Enthusiastically continued Singer.
Then it is recorded how he looked down
at his shoes, with the sOles loose, and bis
clothes in tatters and rags. He wilted $50
to speak and exclaimed: 81 am talking
wild; haven't money enough to buy
screw"
Il will tell you what l Will do" said
CLARK. "PIl fit you up a shop in the loft
OF my stable. furnish you with everything
" RI y Wit "a nd
give YOU two months to make it so. If
yOu are successful L will get all necessary
patents and take half Of my investment"
''Its gOP said Singer.
Inside of month he had his machine
working, using the eye-pointed needle
and shuttle invented by Hunt, but with
al addition 1t made q continuous stitch.
There was one defect, however. His me-
chine failed TO draw up the stitches and
left each one with loop on both sides Of
the fabric. Upon this he worked night
and day until the last day Of his time
came. He worked at it until noon and
then started for his dinner. a thought
struck him, and back through the streets
he started on run for his shop. lie
seized little piece Of wire, gave IT
several bends, and inserted it in the ma
chine. This was the little 'splral" called
a "tskeup," which today IS found in one
form or another in every machine. II was
q successl
BY the time Elias Howe got back from
England he found three machines In AM
erica that would sew; all were based on
his patent--the Singer. The Wheeler a
Wilson. and the Grover & Baker. BE
found that Singer had sold 1900 machines.
lie brought suit aud succeeded IN getting
Judgment for $4,000 royalty on those sold,
aud further established royalty OF $2Oon
each machine sold by any OF the three
firms.
Alter this Howe got a man named Tay.
Tor 10 work on machine and ne nnally
succeeded in inyenting an entirely new
one, which took HOwe's name.
About this time rumOrs reached the
other firms that models made by Hunt
and antedating Howe's were In existence
and they secured one from Baltimore.
They held consultation and sent for Dir.
Howe, and showed him the model, and
their proofs that Hunt invented 1t long
before his patent was applied for. Howe
was broken up badly and made clean
breast OF it. Howe left the office and hap
pened 20 meet his lawyer on the street.
10 him he confded the whole matter. 81
will fix that" said the lawyer, and they
started back.
Snow, gentlemen" he said. addressing
the sewing-machi prOprietOrs, ''yOu are
simply killing the goose that laws the
golden egg. You let this thing get known
and pay Mr.. Howe his royalty
and YOU will have 70 sell
your machine at $25 instead Of
sf25 Inside OF year there VIII
he hundred sewing machines
i'm the market, all OF them using the pat
ent you now hold" They saw the point
A compromise was effected, DY whicn
Elias Howe continued 70 get q ROYALTY OF
81 on each machine, instead OF $40. Two
dollars also went Into general iund 70
tight other companies into submission 70
their control. This was the famous com
binationn which made millions upon mi.
lion of dollars, and furnished much cause
for denunciation on the part OF many
well-meaning people.
Tue Howe machine then was really the
Taylor machine, and Singer, who was q
made the frst machine mat
would sew. BE died worth Sl0,0OO,OO0, 70
,,atb hing Of tha mi lioua he gQuuuQeIous