The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1889-01-18

Ina harL street of Bo,ton two men sat one
sultry August midnight upOD & pile of boards.
They were Denuiless and frtendless; they
were enartiu9 under failure and keen and
bitter disspuSiDImeut. Actual wapt stared
them in Tie face and made them desperate.
And vet upOn the outcome Of that midnight
scene uighty ISSUES hing UuiyuriuR, All the
world had stake I'm the ibOupbt of those
moor. friendless desuerate men. One of
them had heard from across the seas the
Song of the shirtW he had heard
It's sad echo even from the more prosperous
homes of our own land and lis dismal chords
had awakened in his breast the burning de
Sire to still It's horrible refrain, and carry
relief and HELM to the weary seamstTess
Golden visions too, had foated before him
Of the princely reward the world would offer
for such service to It's great gisterh0Od
With great difficulty he had persuaded two
other men TO Join him. One furnished the
scanty capital of FORTY DOLLARS; the
other gave the USE Of his machine shop,
WOrkmeu and tools. Day and night he had
worked to produce a SEWING MACHINE,
sleeping but three or four hours out Of the
twenty fOur, and eating, generally but once
a day, as he knew the mGchinc must be built
for forty dollars or not be built at all. The
hour Of trial had come that very day.
The machine had been completed and put
together. aud DID NOT WORK One by
one the wOrkmen left him In disgust, but still
the inventor chung teuaclousIy to his purpose
and refused to Yield to defeat All were
gone but bis companion, who held the lamp
While the inventor worked. Loss of sleep
insufficient food and incessant work and
anxiety made him weak and nervous, and
he could not get tight stitches. Sick at heart
the task was abandoned ut last, and at mid
night the worn and wearled men turned
their backs upon their golden dreaWb and
started for their lodgings. On their way
=
were glOomiIy discussing the sad fate OF the
project, when bis companion mentioned to
the inye Dtor Chat the loose loops Of thread
were all upon the upper side of the cloth,U
Instantly it flashed upon the inventor what
the trouble was, and back through the night
the men trudged to the shop, re-lighted the
iamp. tIq6Iened little tension ecrew, and Ia
a few minutes ISAAC MERRITT SINGER
had produced the first sewing machine that
ever was practically successful.
Charge oaks from little acOrns grow.n The
midnight conference between thbse unhappy
men settled the question, and from that day
the voices Of our mothers, sisters and wives
have mingled with those Of the angels in
praise Of him who has proved himself the
benefactor Of all woma6kiud. III no little
while after the success Of his invention was
assured the first factory for their manufacture
was started at New York The place was a
room 25x5O, on Center street, over the old
New Haven depot II was sufficient for all
purposes at that time, but presto! look at it
supply the demand for Singer machines, and
Ibe company Is taxed to It's utmost capacity
e meet ft. HE factories arc located Is foi
lows! First. Rlizabetb, N, I" This factory
covers tbirty-two acres, with a park in front
Of four acres. Il has eighteen acres Of floor
ing, and employs 5000 operatives. Second,
Kiibowie, on tile Clyde, near Glasgow, Scot
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