The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1891-12-20
is ONE OF SEVEN THOUSAND
An Aged Farmer Preacher Who Be-
lieves His Patent Is Just the Thing.
Has csr-coupler and Knows He Could Make
Millions il Only He Could Get Million
aire TO Go in with Him.

The other day a Journal reporter met an
elderly man nearly six feet high. his face
shaver TO the chin, from which hung q
beard several inches long and almost white.
Age had touched HIM kindly. There were
wise wrinkles about pair of shrewd gray
eyes and his cheeks had the flush of q
winter pippin.
That's my name.D he said, pointing to q
printed address. "A. r Heath, CovIngton,
Ind, inventor Of the automatic gravity car
coupler. which meets thirty-four require
ments necessary IN q device OF this
character" II showed il at Galesburg. ILL.,,
In October last. to 55c practical raIlroaders
at the North American Trainmen's conven-
tion.n
Inventors always talk entertainingly,
and the reporter did not discourage this
one ten years ago." be continued, 1.-The
railroad corporations appointed what was
known as the Shinn committee. that being
the name of the chairman. They were
chosen from the Master Car-builders' Asso-
cistion. and they worked faithfully. At
Buffalo. n. u. In 1855. they tested forty
three different car-coupling devices. An
other test was made afterward at Burling-
ton, Ia, and tests have been made else
where. This committee concluded ITS work
four years ago. With q Recommendation of
the Janney coupler for trial. Since that
time there have appeared about twenty
couplers of the Janney type. and these are
all called the master ear-builders type OF
coupler"
What's the objection to emp inquired
the reporter.
They all buff the coupler" was the re-
ply. and this wrecks the coupler and the
cars: Three years ago." here the old gentle
mans eye lighted mp with enthusiasm, II
began on my coupler. which has the buffer
above In the dead W God and never Bluffs the
coupler. There Is nothing TO break il. 1t
couples automatically TO itself and to other
Hnk-and pin cOupleTs. 1t nave be I'M
coupled from either side of a car or from
the top of q car. A man can't do anything
between THE cars. coupling or uncoupling:
there's nothing TO do there, and so he is
kept out of danger
The reporter intimated that the woods
were full of car-couplers.
Yes said the old man, gently, that's
true; but this is the only perfect device.
Think of the human lives it will save;
think OF the millions of dollars it will save
TO therailroad corporations President Har-
risoD. IN his first message to Congress.
called attention to the necessity for some
device OF this kind, and said that every
year more than twenty thousand trainmen
were killed or injured by the old process of
coupling the cars. Think of the amount
of money these accidents cost the railroads
ALI the way from 81 900 TO $500 each. A
jury up in the northern part of the State.
some time ago, rendered "a verdict for SIS. OCO
damages against the Wabash road, in favor
OF man Tho had hand taken Oft while
coupling cars
How many patents have been issued to
inventors of car-couplersp
There are some seven thousand devices
Pm told. Week before last ten patents
were issued. last week three. and this week
eight or nine. III railroad companies were
90 begin adopting my device now it would
be nearly forty years before all the roads
would be equipped with them. i suppose
you know a bill has been introduced in
Conaress TO compel railroads to put on car
couplers. one tenth each year of the num-
Der required And all this time the roads
60 on killing men,"
What is your ccupationf"
well, I'm farmer and a preacher.
For 1ine years i distributed tracts, travel
ing on the cars pretty much all the time. i
don't exactly belong TO any denomination
or sect. think they ought to come to-
gether and have just the PLAIN gospel of
Christ Next Sunday shall preach dedi-
catory sermon for q Methodist church mp
in Fountain county. It's a Methodist
charch, but other people have Clipped in
to help build ii. and so I'll preach there
next Sunday
lerfp
81 don't say exactly that invented it,
There was neighbours boy that raised
who got up coupler. / helped him alon q
and he got a patent. Finally i lost $3.50 or
500 oD 1t The thing was detective. Then
I got to thinking about the coupler my self.
The coupler was IN my head nearly all the
time. There were twelve or fifteen points
lacking. One evening sat thinking, think
ing about the coupler. when suddenly,
without any plan at all all these hooks and
things Just as they are in this drawing
came before me. / didn't think il out; didn't
invent It; IL was an inspiration. i spoke up
20 my wife and said. as quietly as / could,
Wife. believe Pve got it,
Got whatP said she.
The car-coupler.'
"'Yes. you have lt on the brain. You've
lost money enough on 10, and you'd better
give IL MP OF you'll 90 crazy, and we'll all
go 10 the poor-house. You'd better quit car
compiling and attend TO your business
Now nv business was preaching. That's
what she meant But this is n great thing
and good thing. 10 VIII save lives and
save money. and | onght TO get great
amount of money out of IL myself. Money
in il, Why could make millions for any
millionaire In the land if could get him TO
take q half interest with me-"
And then the old gentleman trotted Oft to
another newspaper office TO look for rec
emily published list of millionaires. He
Will laboriously write 10 each and every
one of them. and every letter will be waste
basketed by the first clerk il reaches.