The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-04-23
THE CAR.
Who Was Really It's I.veutor.

To THE EDITOR OF THE SuN-Sir: Your Is.
sue Of last Sunday. April 10. contained IN ar.
ticle which ! ask you. in the interests o. JUS.
tice. to correct by publishing this reply;
Neither Webster Wagner nor George Pull.
man invented the sleeping car. It was In.
vented by Asa Hapgood Of Worcester. Mass.
and his cars were placed on the line between
Boston and Now York at tho critical period In
tho history Of those allied roads when they
were In q very bad way financially. because
people preferred o comfortable nights rest on
the Sound steamers.
The ereat dinlculty about profitable sleeping
cars lay in the necessity for having an upper
berth which would turn up out OF the way in
the day time after doubling the carrying ca
pncity at night. Asa Hapgood also invented
the device. the peculiar elbow hinge. which
made this possible. Webster Wagner adopted
this device. and George NJ. Pullman patented
1t. 1t is not worth while entering into the de-
tails Of this use and patentine. I presume
there are many instances In the history OF
PATENTS which are similar in character. 1t is
sufficient to say that Asa Hspgood did not sell
them the right to tho patent or use. and that
OF the old axiom. that when tho. world
sSeS Of any an man inv.n %Gas a great p]s ,1E,S1s
inventor: About 1878 a grand legal battle
".s' epht oOIko W. 4 iAiuhu
who demanded the payment OF royalty. from
Webster WAGNER on that upper berth device.
n msnt te on T ths sro Go@a tsst ypi whlIea fs %as aot p tSe
40 fo n h Tbs Nc %1 valid right Hdm + to his his p osyS,s and ID
Worcester. and took from the car shops Of
bradley Car Building company there a model
which Asa Hapsood had made with hi;
avn hands; as all the members Of the Bradley
BnDD AL Tie Tina wAFA raahV and willing In
swear. by virtue Of this. model the Wagner
COMPANY successfully resisted the demand Of
to use the berth and hinge without ,paytnR
ROYALTY. Another significant fact is this: The
tail 81, which was H' in HsHeS'q bs him = we're nrst
used have never paid q penny Of royalty to
f heard dI ths pm P tie t.t and , So far lave as ! n sSse
50 much as venturedto make a demandin that
As, for tho model berth made by Asa Hap
good. which won the lawsuit. for the Wagner
COMPANY, it's still, SO far as know, and In al
See oassny's Ia Inx sss safe 6 bSsDi tBin .! s Is % S.ntais:
berth mode, was ever asked from, o. Giivsp BY
knoyledred their indebtedness to Asa Hap
oSss con-. sne ior ns eithe ns royal Pni Or h SortS or model oti n''fs
beyond he Claims q Justice. Is this question:
eyes Of honest men and Of the Higher Power.
tor whose sake great charities and ,philsn-
throplG sta blishms are supposed to be
have no claim on Justice. or just payment OF
debts the Ignoring Of which has enriched the
even the great amounts which unpermitted
use Of the Inventions OF others has BROUGHT
j have not heard recently of any great charity
George NJ. Pullman. though thers may have
been something Of the sort ,but We have al
much about donations from the Wander
bilts. who are now practically, II not actually.
the SUCCESSORS Of oil Wagner interests.
NEW YoRK. April 20. ONE WHO KNOWS.