The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-07-29
Hill's Darner.
A INV AND USEFUL rsvrsrro'

sewing machine is used than the simple,
practical, useful and common sense de-
vice recently invented and patented by
Mr.. q. Powell Mn, or Richmond, Va. az
Is n device, or. II you choose 10 call II.
IAN attachment for darning hosiery Il.
e.. socks and stockingsJ on the ordinary
family sewing machine. matters not In
what part OF the sock or stocking the
holes may be. and so simple and practical
that even a child can use IL. requiring no
special adjustment OF the sewing machine
other than to remove the proper foot.
Just think OF II. ye mothers, wives,
daughters and aunts, and ye old bache-
Tors, too. who for unnumbered years have
been hoping for deliverance from the
wearying and thankless task OF darnng
by the Odd and slow method that has been
in vogue for centuries No more weary
eyes, tired fingers and dizzy heads. What
has heretofore required many hours to
perform may now be done In less than
one-fouCh the time. and far better than
by hand. The Richmond Times OF May.
IN abiding 10 Mr.. Hilfs invention. nu-
morously dubbed IL ITO Civilize Jerry
doubtless having i'm mind certain dis
tlngushel representative from one OF the
Northwestern states known as the SOCK
less congressman, Of whom IL has been
said. He does not wear socks Why
ne aojures the use Of such an indispensa-
pie part OF the wearing apparel OF all
CiNilIed nations is question not eN-
pialned, but may, perhaps. be attributed
10 the TACT that he experienced 50 much
diihculty IN having his socks darned that
ne prefers 70 discard their use entirely.
Mt. Hills invention has possibly sug-
gested the idea to The Times reporter
that II would enable the" ex-secretary
and congressman to darn his own socks.
and by adopting the use OF them thus
place himself within the pale OF clviliza-
ton. BE mat as II may, Mr.. Hi claims
for his invention a higher mission than
the civilization OF any one being lie
claims for II the lessening OF the labors
and deliverance from the bondage imposed
hn "a a.t.l l.t D. tara ftf
our land, not forgetting the old bachelors,
who are unable TO md "A helpmate To
cheer their lonely hours and darn their
socks. They can now do their own darn
ing with one OF these useful little attach
mcnts.
Being asked how he happened to invent
a darner he replied about as follows. 1t
was a very distressing bereavement I'm
my family thar directed my attention
and nerved my efforts 20 relieve my al
most heart-broken wife OF some OF her
domestic duties. For many years II has
been her custom 10 mend the family
hosey on Saturday afternoons. ADJ
Vancing age necessitating the use or
glasses rendered II very difficult Tor her
to thread her darning needle. For several
years past our only daughter would seat
herself by her mothers side and read
aloud 10 her while she did the darnns.
the daughter threading the needle when
needed We had but srecently lost our
eldest son, and within a year thereafter
the angel Of death again entered our fami-
" circle and took from us the light ana
joy Of our home, our only daughter.
leaving my poor wife almost crushed.
About six months after this last be-
reavement my wife resumed her accus-
toned Saturday afternoon work, T. e., the
mending OF the family hosiery. She was
seated At a window back ~ whore | was
seated. but a MIRROR I'm front OF me re-
hected her face as plainly as II | was
facing her. | had been reading a maya
zine. and had given but little attention
h.f 1b.a ma inc M
AT the mirror. | saw that she was vainly
trying To thread the darning needle AZ
first | felt a little amused az her efforts.
| and waited 10 scr how long ~ would take
her to thread the needle. Finding that
| she could not thread Il. | said 10 her,
| DO not bother about that She replied.
| 4 want % mend these for him TO wear
| tomorrow meaning our youngest SOM.
! told her | would go out and buy him a
! new pair II he needed them. She declined
| 10 put up the work. resumed my reah,
| ing. and about hve minutes later looked
| up. and saw that she was sun Uylhs
to thread the needle. But ! saw moro
| than that: great tears were coursinS
down her cheeks. and knew at once she
was thinking OF our beloved daughter.
upon whom she had so often called TO
thread the needle for her l sprang To
her side and took the work from her ana
told her that she must not do II. she IN
sisted that they must be darned for our
boy TO put on Sunday morning. ana re-
fused 70 let me buy a new pair Tor MIN.
| Then | told her ! would darn them or fy
To do 50. She wanted him 10 have that
| particular pair of socks 70 wear. ] took
| the proper foot off OF her sewing ms
chine. and after much difficulty | man
/ aged TO darn up a hole in the heel or one
| of the socks The greatest difficulty was
to keep the leg OF the sock out OF the
! way. and | said To myself. II | only had
! two more hands how easily could ac'
! compllsh the work. and wondered why
something had never been invented for
/ that purpose, and determined 10 try my
! hand at getting up some kind OF device
! that would accomplish the purpose. Mon
| day morning | commenced my eNpen.
! ments. and after several days succeeded
| I'm making n crude model ] tried 1t ana
| found IL answered beyond my eXpecta-
| tons. Realizing its great usefulness ana
| the extensive field for such an Invention
| determined 10 apply for 2 patent, II
| such thing had not already been patent
Ell IL had never heard OF one). ! went IN
Washington. and with the assistance OF
an attorney | found that no patent had
ever been granted for such a device.
made my application, and I'm due course
received my patent, and can see no rea'
son why I should not reap some benefit
from this heritage from the great bcrsave-
ment that has fallen upon my once happy
household