New-York tribune., 1891-08-29
A DTSPEPUT4BLE INVENTOR,

The recent death of Leonard Higgins, at st.
Croix, Wisconsin, a summer resort not far from
st. Paul, Minnesota, makes timely short re-
view of his life, life which, unfortunately,
should serve rather as a warning than as guide TO
Others His career was an example OF great tai
ents recklessy wasted.
Five years ago Leonard Higgins was poor man
in Minneapolis. that fertile home of wonderful
invention. lie caught the infection from the
genius laden air, but he did not turn it TO good
account. At this time he was extremely poor.
as we intmated. lie picked up scanty living in
the winter by driving woodcart, an insane affair
with wheel on one side and sleighrunner on the
other. In the summer he had light but agreeable
employment in the Como Avenue Presbyterian
Church at pumping the organ. Perhaps it was
this that first turned his attention in the direction
Of tie invention which was TO make him famous.
or ather Infamous Anyhow, he ceased his musical
labors. and gave his mind to invention. The re-
suit was a curious and ingenious device which he
called the Minister'S European Vacation Apparatus.
No blame can attach to the reader If he never
heard Of this odd invention, as naturally Higgins
did not advertise it publicly, but that the scoun-
drel tried to push it's sale privately and even make
people believe that he was selling it is well known.
The Minister'S European Vacation Apparatus
showed ingenuity worthy Of better cause. II
consisted essentially Of phonOgraph which was
intended 10 be hidden in the pulpit, though, for
the good name Of the cloth, we are happy TO
say that it cannot be proved that one ever was
80 hidden. spring was intended to protrude
Just above the surface of the carpet few inches
back of the pulpit, which could be pressed by
tho minister's foot and which, when so pressed,
would start the phonograph and cause it to OPP
crate TIL the pressure was removed. The way
the worthless fellow intended it should work was
this: Before the arrival Of the congregation
the minister in the privacy Of his study, would
cough with hacking, hollow, consumptive sound
into the phonograph lie would then conceal IL
in the pulpit, a crack in the front having been
provided to let out the sound. Then, at frequent
intervals during the services the minister would
press the spring with his loot, hold his hand before
his mouth and work his head slightly as the
phOnogaph cOughed in gloomy, foreboding tones.
The use Of his Vacation Apparatus for six
cessive Sundays In the spring, Higgins offered to
guarantee, would give any minister long Euro
pean trip during the summer for the benefit of
his supposedly shattered health.
We need scarcely say, we trust, that Higgins
never sold any OF his contemplate machines. 1t
is true that he established factory for their
manufacture, that it never shut down, that during
that truck-oads of boxes purporting to contain
Apparatus went daily TO the railroad shipping
office, but delegation of Minneapolis ministers
who appointed to look into the matter re-
ported that the boxes were all addressed to fc-
titous cergymen in various parts of the country
and that in the opinion Of the committee the scurvy
Higgins never sold machine, but was supplied
with money by some dishonOrable person so that
he might pretend TO make sales and thus bring
dscrodit upon the ministerial profession. This is
probably the true explanation of the affair. and
though it is also true that Higgins seemed to make
money and died with fine house in Minneapolis
and another at St. Croix this money might easily
have been furnished him by the same underhand
rascal who set up his factory. Nor does the fact
that twelve Minneapolis ministers went 10 Europe
the first summer prove anything AS we said at
inst the life Of Leonard Higgins should serve
warning to youth. Had he turned his genius,
which was undeniable. In the right direction. he