The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1893-07-12
A BOY who Had a Good Memory.

his Uncle Joe.
ats these dates. Father say
they're good thing for my memory
1 don'tsee any need of having mem
ory."
rDid you ever hear Of Samuel Slate
and the use he made of his memory?
inquired Uncle Joe, quietly.
NO., who was he?" said Ralph, hi
attention fairly aroused.
"He was an Englishman," answer
ed lis uncle, "and he came to thi
country in 1889. This you will re
member, even if your memory is no
very good, was soon after the close o
the Revolution. About this tim,
many improvements and new inven
tions for spinning cotton thread TO
cloth were being introduced in Eng
land. Nearly all the cloth used il
America had been brought from Eng
land. When the people here began Il
make it, their machinery was so i'm
perfect and old-fashioned, that tht
cloth was coarse and ugly. and every
body preferred to buy fine imported
goods. On this account the men who
had gone into the business lost a grea
deal of money and were very much
discouraged"
"Why didn't they buy some of the
new machines they had in England?
asked Ralph, who was accustomed tc
hearing schemes discussed for getting
the very latest Improvements in ma
chinery.
THAT was what they tried to do
they put advertisements in newspa.
pers for men who understood such
machines to come and make them,
offering large wages. But England
wished to keep the monopoly of max.
ing the best cotton yarn and CLOTH
You know, Ralph, some people think
it is fine thing to do something like
that now"
Ralp nodded. He had heard of mo-
nopolies.
"In order to keep the knowledge ot
the business confined to the country
England passed very strict laws for
bidding any one to give information
about any branch of manufacturing tc
foreigner. A manufacturer or in.
ventor who should send out of the
country a model or drawing thai
would enable one to build or make an
improved machine was threatened
with fines and Imprisonment"
II would have tried it, anyhow
exclaimed Ralph Indignantly.
IA great many did," replied his
uncle, smiling. "Inventors and arti
sans tried to embark for our shores, but
they were searched, their models taken
away, andi they themselves thrown
into prison."
"And what did Samuel Slater do?
inquired Ralph.
"When he was fourteen he was
bound as an apprentice to a Mr.. Strut
who was the owner of a cotton mill
This man, Samuel's master, had beer
for several years a partner of Richard
Arkwright, the inventor of the frs
machinery for spinning cotton
Therefore he had all the latest anC
most improved methods in his mill
Samuel was not slow to improve tn
opportunity thus offered to become
familiar with all the details of the
work and even the designs of tn
machines. All these lie carefully
studied, and laid up in his memory
In few years he was made general
overseer of making machinery, and
also Of the manufacturing department
These positions gave him still further
advantage in the line of study details
But he was not contented with being
merely an overseer he had dreams OF
emigrating to America.
"At this time, just as his appren-
ticeship was at an end, he came upon
an Am erican paper which contained
an advertisement for some one who
could build satisfactory machinery fol-
spinning cotton; to such a one q
liberal bounty was offered. Here was
his chance. He knew he could take
neither model or drawing, but no of.
ficer could contiscate his memory and
experience, and with these he determ-
ined to make the attempt to reproduce
the machines with which he was SO
familiar. Moses Brown, of Provi'
dence, who had been experimenting
with little success, was only toe
glad to engage the services of the
young man who promised if he did
not make as good yarn as they did in
England TO take nothing for his ser
vices, but throw all he had attempted
over the BRIDGE He had hard task
The work must be kept perfectly secre
until finished he had one man t
carry out his directions and outlines
which he chalked from memory 0l
boards and pIanks; later blacksmith!
was called in to make the iron worN
hut all others were carefully cX
cluded.n
ale must have been afraid h'
couldn't remember right" OBSERVED
Ralph, who had listened attrnIiveiy-
| "prObably he was Sume!I'n"s. a.
when the machine was fin Stlci ar
the first trial was made W.. can !niaG'
ine the anxiety with which the tOu
men who were in the secret watched
the operation. The result IS told il
the words of Mr.. Brown, who was
Quaker, Samuel, thou hast dom
we'll"
chimes, Uncle Joe""
"IIe made cotton yarn for aW lille 0l
this one, but lie soon went into NOR
extensive business. His brother JOIN
Joined him, and they started and man
aged for many years tne of the largts
factories in the world. He did gre;'
deal more for the business, so that II
is called the Father Of America!
Manufacturers Don't you think l
paid Samuel Slater to have goo'
nlemorym
Yes, indeed" answered Ralph
drawing long breath. II don't be
lieve could ever do that"
! "Probably you will not need to d