The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1885-12-25
throw, but 1t is less subject to nervous
shock than the other wild animals"
Philadelphia Times.
THE CURSE OF DRINK.
The Inventor ofa Noted Fire-Extinguisher
aPauper.

aPauper.
Recently the almshouse has num-
bered among it's inmates an old, gray
headed man, of about 68 years of age,
apparently in the last stages ofchron-
ic alcoholism, and presenting in every
respect the appearance OF complete
physical, if not mental, decrepitude.
Yet, if the story told by the aged pau
per be true, he has in times past oc-
cupied a far different position, his
name being familiar throughout the
length and breath of the United States
as that of the inventor of the Bah
cock fire extinguisher. To an inter-
viewer who visited him at the aims
house he gave q sketch of his life his
tory, beginning with his birth at Roch-
ester, N. Y, in 1917, from which place,
at the age of 5, he removed with his
parents to Mount Vernon, Iowa, and
later to Mansfield in the same state.
At the age of 21 he graduated from
the Pennsylvania University of Med
icine, but did not practice, entering in
stead into the mercantile business, at
first in partnership with his father at
Indianapolis, Ind, later on his
own account in Dayton, o. He
was very successful for eight
years, but in 1854 his good fortune
| deserted him, and after suffering a
number of reverses he went into liquid
alton. Going to New York, he secured
a position as a dry goods clerk and
remained there two years, during which
time he married. Going back to In
dianapolis, he purchased with his saw
ings an interest in his fathers busl-
ness, and for six years was quite sue
cessful At the end of this time reverses
again assailed him and heretired from
| business with but $4,000.
While in Indianapolis, however, IN
1860, he had patented the fire-extin-
guisher, which grew out of his exper-
iments in chemistry, tor which he al
WAYS had a. taste, and after his failure
he endeavored to do something in the
way of disposing of it, while acting as
travelling agent for some Cincinnati
tobacco and liquor firm, but met at
| first with but poor success. However,
about a year later, he leased the right
to manufacture and sell the extinguish-
er to Peabody & Co., of Chicago, for
five years at 5000 year, and i'm
mediately thereafter came to San
Francisco. He ran the old Buckeye
hotel, on Market street, for a while,
practicing medicine also, but, being
burned out, removed first to Oak
land and afterward to Peta luna
where he kept store for a while, finally
failing. He retrieved himself by sue
cessfully speculatingin Monterey lands
with his annuity, and about this time
lost his wife, which bereavement i'm
mediately preceded the first step OF
his downward career, since it led him
to try and drown his sorrows in drink.
Having once entered upon the path OF
vice, he pursued it to the end, spend
ing the proceeds of his annuities in
drink. Before entering upon the down.
ward course, however, with the mon
ev derived from his land speculations
he purchased farms in Yamhill county,
Oregon, for his daughter and each OF
his three sons, where, he believes, they
are all now living in prosperous cir
cumstances, though shame has pre-.
vented him from applying to them OF
late for assistance. He was first sent
to the almshouse three years ago, re-
naming for six months, and being
again sent out in July OF last year.
Between times he has wandered about
the country, and the writer remembers
seeing him in 1888, wandering about
the streets of Santa Rosa, Sonoma
county, in the lowest stages of drunk
en- pauperism, his arrest for vagrancy,
ETC., being regular weekly occurrence
for some months.-San Francisco Call.