The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-12-05

was Wiling 20 tell now ne happened TO IN
vent his very destructive gun. because he
does not believe that he should be re-
garded as sanguinary or warlike person.
On the contrary he thinks that if he should
be celebrated at all it should be by the
peace societies, for he is convinced that his
guns and the others suggested by his in
vention will do more to stop wars than all
the sermons that could be preached.
Dr. Calling studied medicine, but never
practised, and early in life turned his at
tention to mechanical invention. As
early as 1874 he took out letters patent for
wheat drill. the first practical imple-
ment Of the kind ever used, I believe, in
the field. This invention and the neces-
sity to develop and sell it took him away
from his early home, where he has not
since lived. When the war broke out in
1861 he was living in Indianapolis and
completing railroad for which he had q
contract.
'When there was a call for troops" he
said. II was very much interested in see
ing the boys start to the war. frequently
went to the railway station to see them
of and witness the sad but hopeful
farewells to sweethearts and wives.
In few weeks these same fellows
began to come back, but now they
were brought back in pine boxes and We
realized the dreadful horrors of war.
When inquired how they came to die,
learned that only very small percentage
had been killed or even hit by bullets. The
great Majority had died in camps and hos
pitfalls from diseases contracted in the I'M
accustomed life and in the long marches
from battlefield to battlefield. 1t then
occurred to me that the methods of war
were Anticipated and that wars lasted too
long. Ii the whole dreadful business could
be hurried up, then quite large proper
ton of the lives of those who died in the
camps and hospitals could be saved. I
said to myself we are doing nearly all
kinds of work by machinery now, whv
should not men be killed by machinery.
too? This, thought, would shorten wars
and save many lives. So went to work
on this idea at once, and after while I
had designed a gun which in principle is
the same as that of the perfected gun of
today, that will fire accurately l 200 shots
In minute"
not used in the war for which they were
designed ?" l asked
They were used q little bit," the doctor
replied. but how they happened not TO be
more generally used is quite long story.
conceived the idea in '61, but il was a
year before had gun with which | was
satisfied. / then went to Cincinnati. and
in the shops of Miles Greenwood made six
guns that cost me 5000. Just as | was
about starting 10 Washington CITY 10 offer
the guns 10 the war department Green
woods shop was set on fire and my guns
so injured that they were worth
less. thought at the time that the
fire was started by some Confed
crate sympathizer, but | am not so
sure now. At any rate, very sensational
reports had been spread As TO the muir
derous nature of my guns. | did not lose
any more time than | was obliged TO. but
went 10 work 10 build more guns. At
another shop | made the unlucky number
OF thirteen guns. at cost OF SIC. 600. Now
came the difficulty of getting these guns
adopted. | was green then" and az the