The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-01-31
STORIES OF INVENTORS.
MEAGER REWARDS FOR SOME OF
TIE GREAT WORKS OF GENIUS.

Art of Printing to That Of Weaving
By Machinery.
From the Boston Herald.
John Gutenberg of Mentz, Germany. was the
undoubted Inventor of printing by movable
types; but his success aroused the jealousy Of
his associates, who induced the authorities OF
Strasburg TO demand the revelation Of his
secret-refusing which he was driven out and
returned to his native town penniless. Here,
again, he was subject to persecution, aud.
though his last years were peaceful under the
patronage of the Elector Of Nassau, he died
poor man.
On the other hand. both Faust and Schoeffer,
who had been associated with him and stole the
art, grew rich and tried to rob him of his fame.
There Is a curious but not very well authenti-
Gated story about visit Faust made to Paris to
push the sale of his Bibles
The tradition Of the devil and DR.. Faustus,"
writes dIsrael in the ''Curiosities OF Litera-
ture. was said to have been derived from the
ODD circumstances in which the Bibles of the
nrst printer, Fusts appeared to the world.
When Fust had discovered this new art and
printed off a considerable number Of copies of
the Bible TO initiate those which were commonly
sola as MSS. he undertook the sale of them IN
Paris. IL was his interest to conceal this dis
covery aud to pass off his printed copies for
MSS. But, enabled to sell his Bibles at 90
crowns, while the other scribes demanded 500.
this raised universal astonishment. and still
were wanted and even lowered his price.
The uniformity of the copies increased the
wonder. Informations were given in to the
magistrates against him as a magician and on
searching his lodgings q great number Of copies
were found. The red ink-sud Fust's red ink
is peculiarly hrilliant-whoh embellished his
copies, was said to be bis blood; andi was sol
emuly adjudged that he was in league with the
internal. Fust at length was obliged, TO save
himself from the bonfire, to reveal his art to the
parliament of Paris. who discharged him from
all prosecution 10 consideration of the wonder
full invention"
In regard to the origin OF many inventions
some curious facts have been adduced, and II is
quite true that number Of important discov-
cries have been made through accident. OF
course. such accidents or occurrences would
have had no significance to persons whose
minds had not already been, in measure, pre-
pared to receive and profit by them,
Before Watts, the discoverer OF the present
mode Of making shot, had his notable dream
said to be induced by overindulgence OF stimu-
lants-the manufacture OF shot was SLOW, Ia
borious, and consequently costly process. Great
bars of lead had to be pounded into sheets OF
thickness nearly equal to the diameter Of the
shots desired. These sheets had then to be cut
into little cubes, placed in revolving barrel
and there rolled until by constant friction, the
edges wore of from the little cubes and became
spheroids.
Watts had often recked his brain trying to
discover some better and less costly method,
but in vain. Finally, after spending an even
ing with some companions at an ale house, he
went home, went to bed and fell asleep. His
slumbers however, were disturbed by unwel-
come Dreams in one of which he was out with
the boys" and as they we're stumbling home
it began to rain shot-beautiful globules or
polished, shining lead-in such great numbers
that he and his companions bad to seek shelter.
In the morning Watts remembered his curious
dream, and it obtruded itself on his mind all
day. This led him to speculate as to what shape
molten lead would essume in falling through the
air, and, finally, to settle the matter. he as
cended to the top of the tower of the Church of
St Mary Radcliffe, and dropped slowly and
regularly aladleful of molten lead into the moat
below. Descending, to his surprise and delight
he took from the bottom Of the shallow pool
several handfus of the most perfect shot he had
ever seen. Watts fortune was made, for from
this exploit emanated the idea Of the shot
tower, which ever since has been the only
means employed in the manufacture of the lit
tie missiles which are SO important to sportsmen
the world over.
Sometimes an inventor gets hold Of an idea
that is misleading such as that pertaining to
the discovery of perpetual motion. There are
people living to-day who believe that th16 f0nfS
story was started no one knows-that the
United States government has a Standing offer
of 800, 900 for the discoverer.
AS rule, the inventors of fallacious theories
or processes are not successful in enlisting
capital to aid them, though in some notable
cases, as-the Kelley motor, the bisulphide Of
carbon engine, and some others that might be
named, great amounts OF capital were pro-
cured and, of course, lost.
Not many years ago number of capitalists
excited much curiosity and speculation in one
of the interior towns of New York state by eX-
periments which they were making In paper
mill. 1t was learned that the object OF the eX-
pertinent was to make paper out OF the to
bacCo plant 30 that cigars could be made by ma
chinery. II, however. cost the exp9rimenters
considerable money to discover that they could
not make pulp without destroying the flavor
OF the tobacco.
The history Of cotton and its introduction and
il, FurOTa fa a mr. rt1ri
Astounding, as ii does in so many sad expert
ences of inventors OF machinery to utilize this
novel staple. In Great Britain the early preju-
dice against the Introduction OF cotton can now
be hardly conceived. Its importation was pro-
hibited over and over again, 1t was treated with
every sort Of contumely and oppression, and 1t
had long to struggle desperately for the bsrest
tolerance; yet 1t ended by overcoming all OBJ
stacles and distanciuR its favored rival, wool.
First imported into Great Britain toward the
middle of the seventeenth century, cotton was
but little used for purposes Of manufacture till
the middle of the eighteenth. The settlement
of some Flemish emigrants in Lancashire led
to that district becoming the principal seat of
the cotton manufacture.
"a nober monument of human skill, enterprise
and perseverance than the invention of cotton
spinning machinery is hardly to be met WITH,
saws Fyfe; but it must also be owned that its
history, encouraging as 1t Is in one aspect is In
another sad and humiliating to the last degree.
II is difficult at first to credit the uniform in
gratitude and treachery which the various in
VentOrs met WITH from tne very men WnOm
their contrivances enriched"
''There is nothing, said James Watt in the
crisis of his fortunes worn with care and sick
with hope deferred, there is nothing so foolish
as iuventing, and with far more reason the In
ventors Of cotton spinning machines could echo
the mournful cry. 1t 10 sad to think 30 proud
chapter of our British history should bear so
dark a stain.
In 1873 the primitive method of spinning be
tween finger and thumb, and weaving up the
warn in a loom, the shuttle of which had to be
thrown from right to left and left to right by
each hand alternately, still prevailed. I'm that
year however. the fly shuttle was invented,
which. by means of handle and spring. could
be ierked from side to side with one hand. This
continuance was due to the ingenuity OF John
Kay, a loom maker at Colchester, and proved
his ruin.
The weavers did their best to prevent the use
of the shuttle, the masters TO get 1t used and to
cheat the inventor out of his reward. Poor Kay
was beset with lawsuits, but was not yet tired
venge a mob of weavers broke into his house,
smashed all his machines, and would no doubt
have killed him, but he escaped to Paris, where
he died in misery.
The use of the hy-shuttle greatly expedited
the process of weaving. and the spinning of cot
ton soon fell behind. The weavers we're often
brought to a standstin for want of welt TO go
on with The first inventor 10 meet the new
want was James Hargreaves. The idea of the
spinning jenny was worKed out by him In 1867,
when he constructed a spinning frame with
eight spindles and horizontal wheel, which he
called after his wife Jenny.
When the spinners of the locality heard that
there was machine that would do eight times
90 NLaarH kralr sw.Wr Nl.a.H