The daily morning journal and courier., 1895-08-19
PROMINENT CITIZEN DEAD
ELI WHITNEY SUCOUl TO 4 SUD-
 DEN ATTACK OF PLEURISY.

Famous Father in Manufacturing Busi-
 ness-Remarkably Well Preserved for
 One of His Age.
 The announcement last Saturday evening that Eli Whitney, ST., of thls city had succumbed to an attack of pleurisy at sharon, where he had been for few weeks, was a great surprise to his acquaintances in this city, as few of his most intimate friends were aware that he was ill., and those who did know of the fact did not realize that his illness was dangerous in the least MT. Whitney was to have deliv- cred an address at the anniversary celebration of the Whitneyville Con- gregational church next Wednesday, and as late as last Thursday Mrs. Whitney wrote to the pastor, Rev. MT. Clark, that her husband had been ail- ing, but that he would probably be we'll enough to be present and deliver the address Wednesday. In fact, his condi- ton was not considered at all serious by the attending physician, Dr. Mun- son of sharon, until late Saturday af- ternoon when a sudden change for the worse occurred. He continued to fail from o'clock of that evening until he died at S:30. August 15 MT. Whitney same to New Haven to attend a meet
 ing of the directors of the New Haven
 Water company, and returned to Shar- on, where soon after he was taken with
 the fatal disease,
 MT. Whitney became unconscious
 about o'clock Saturday, and remain
 ed so until his death.
 Word was at once sent to his son,
 Eli Whitney, jr., who was in Norfolk,
 Conn, with his family, but before he
 had started a message was received announcing his fathers death.
 MT. Whitney was the only son in the
 family of four children, and inherited
 the ability and name of his illustrious father, the inventor of the cotton gin.
 While yet young he learned the busi- ness of the manufacture of firearms, which business his father had estab- lished in the factory still standing at the lower end of Lake Whitney and now occupied by the Winchester Repeating Arms company.
 This business the elder Whitney es-
 tablished in 179s having perceived the necessity of some other financial re-
 liance than his great invention, re- newal of the patent for which he was unable to secure from congress, because of the strong opposition of the majority
 of the members from the cotton raising
 states. In 179S MT. Whitney, ST., se- cured through the influence of Hon. Oliver Wolcott of Connecticut, the sec retary of the treasury, a contract for \ 10000 stands of arms to be delivered within about two years. But within this time the factory was to be built, the machinery to be made and much of 1t invented, and the workmen were to be instructed, SO that the contract occupied ten years, but so great were the improvements in the guns that the product was so highly satisfactory as to win. the highest encomiums from the government officials. Foreign officials had propyhesied after examining MT. Whitney's method of manufacture that, ! although the guns would be indeed models, the cost of manufacture would
 bS Slicl bnt tie lIlSSeIlloAS hAIllcI- ican had the satisfaction of proving s that by his system muskets were made not only better but cheaper than under the former method. This is the his 2 tory of the business to which the gen. M tleman who has just died succeeded z and until a few years ago he conducted the business not only on the same ex- cellent principles adopted by his fa- ther, but greatly enlarged it by ar increase of trade.
 $ Tn 1861 MT. Whitney and another Y contractor named Charles Mcclellan
 commenced the construction of the wa F ter works at Lake Whitney. Numer- < ous attempts had previously been made S to procure a fresh water supply fol x the city, but failed. It was principally E due to MT. Whitney's energy and as.
 sumption of pecuniary responsibility 5 in behalf of what was then considered x doubtful enterprise that the works
 were finally constructed, the introduc- E tion of a water supply into the city E having been left to private enter.
 prise, the New Haven Water company
 MT. Whitney advanced the sum ot
 $75,000 toward furthering the interests # of the company. The company anG
 contractors had unusual trials and diff S faculties owing to the persistent oppo y sition of those who tried to secure riva x charters, but MT. Whitney pushed tht
 work ahead, and on January 1, 1862
 water was first introduced into the q mains of the city. During his life MT
 Whitney was interested in the watel
 company. Upon the death of Presiden z Henry S. Dawson a few years ago MT # Whitney was chosen by the directors O
 the New Haven Water company tc 2 fill the position temporarily. Later hi
 son, Eli Whitney, jr., was elected to thu 3 presidency of the company.
 The deceased was a well know1
 figure about the city, being frequent, s seen mounted on his bay horse O < walking to and from the postoffice witt
 active step Despite his age his bear ing was erect, and he bore striking
 resemblance to his father.
 y MT. Whitney had. been engaged fo
 several years past in his leisure hour
 in perfecting an invention which prom # ised to be of vast financial importance # The invention was kept a secret, MT 4 Whitney being averse to giving any de
 tails concerning it to the newspaper
 until the invention had reached tn sTb point arrived at. It pertained to tn