The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1892-02-26
THE JACK-KNIFE KING.
t4oW ELI TERRY WHITFIELD HIS
WAY TO FORTUNE.
life Of ConnectlcapI Noted Cltizon Who
Was ciOckmAksr, Peddler. -Drunl-
mer, Capitalist and
Phnanthrop'st. ~

IN Tue OulUeu oJateS were limitations |
(and very poor ones too, in most
cases) OF the rough metal timepieces
imported from Europe
In that year. however, according to
the Brooklyn Citizen the art of Amer
lean clookmaking was inaugurated by
an individual as original In his way
as the crude 'chroniclers OF the fly
ing hours which he turned out
Eli Terry was the person who may
be justly considered the founder OF
the great industry which now forms
so large part Of the wealth OF Con-
necticut and upon which thousands
of persons depend for their daily
bread.
The little shop scarcely larger than
closet in which Eli Terry began the
manufacture OF clocks is still standing
in an excellent state of preservation.
Eli Terry was born in East Windsor
Conn, in May 1872. From the time
he learned to talk he was engaged in
making his mothers life miserable by
splriting away the sharp knife which
was kept in the kitchen as potato
and apple parer The disappearance
of this knife was always sure to be
followed by the appearance OF sundry
Uniformed and only partially rounded
wheels which the youthful mechanic
carefully concealed under the house.
When he was about s years old
relative gave him a jackknlfe as
Christmas present. and this may be
truly said to have been the beginning
Of Terry's remarkable career. His
rough little wheels were brought out
from their dusty place OF concealment,
notches were whitfield into some others
were "triced up" until on his ninth
birthday Terry exhibited to his startled
mother rough wind MILL" about 2
feet high, which, when put upon
table or other level surface would
whirl It's fans rapidly, the motive
power being supplied by stone ut
tached to a piece OF strong Irvine.
This 80 encouraged Ellis parents they
had previously believed him deficient
in intelligence that they determined
to apprentice him to carpenter
But the boy appeared to develop so
many traits OF shiftlessness that this
plan was abandoned.
Terry continued to white with his
jackknife, and having seen some OF
the imperfect affairs called clocks
which Windsor man had made, he
concluded he could do no worse and he
accordingly set to work. Being out OF
employment ut the time he obtained
permission to build the little shanty
(mentioned above) on the bank Of the
Pequabuck river which at first served
him both as workshop and n dwell
ing. His existence at this timo was q
precarious one. He started three
clocks and after a good deal OF
patience and numerous setbacks, he
had good timepiece embodying a
new principle, which was that OF the
'wlndmilp' which he made twelve
years before. The magnitude OF
Terry's original undertaking may be
appreciated when 1t is remembered
that he had only some augers, a saw,
hammer and jackknife to aid him in
the construction OF the rather compll-
Gated and, to him, entirely new ma
chinery
The young mechanics clocks kept
good time, and he found little dini-
Guilty in disposing OF them at $25
apiece, but as the number OF persons
who could afford to indulge in such an
expensive luxury was extremely lin
tied in those days Terry was obliged
to make trips over the state line into
New York to dispose of his manufac-
lures. He was able to make ten clocks
year and he kept up this primitive
method for about eight years, when,
the demand becoming greater than
the supply, he purchased better tools,
employed two assistants and devoted
much Of his time to selling the out
put
IL required genuine imam OF bust
ness to make success of this depart
ment for tho pay was seldom in cash,
almost always being made in butter
wool or other produce A shrewd man
like Eli Terry at once saw the oppor-
tunity to double up" on his profits
and he was not slow to avail himself
OF it He sought and obtained orders
for farm produce and then traded his
clocks for what he wanted, always re-
curing from the man OF crops high
or price on account OF tho lack OF
ready money. In this way he not only
made the profit on his goods, but also
realized large sum per annum on his
exchange business. In fact, 1t Is al
legged that the money which he made
in this way enabled him TO start the
large factory which subsequently
made him famous and independently
wealthy.
Eli Terry may also be said TO have
been the first drummer, or commercial
traveller, as it Is now called. for his
business having grown apace, and his
new factory having developed ca
pacity for turning out work far beyond
his expectations, he found II neces-
sary to devise some new plan OF dis
posing OF his wares. He hit upon the
idea OF making semi-annual trips TO
the principal trade centers notifying
the dealers in each vicinity sufficiently
in advance TO enable them TO arrange
TO meet him. In this way he found
| +. IL Ha,s