Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1898-07-21

ban revolution began in February, 1895,
Spain purchased thousands of miles Of it
from us, and Weyler used it in making
the approaches to his two trochas as
difficult as possible These trochas are
bitches and earthWorkS, with n block
house or fort garrisoned by soldiers ev-
cry mile or two along the line. 1t was
substitute for what the armies of Eu-
rope have known as the Chevaux de
frise, hastily constructed substitute
Tor a regular abatis Urecs fellcd in the
direction from which an enemy may be
/ expected to stay the progress Of an ad-
Nancing foe. Sometimes il is formed of
| pieces Of timber or iron barrels trav-
ersed with iron pointed spears or spikes
| . or feet long, used to defend n pas
| sage, stop a breach or impede the ad-
vance of cavalry. At Badaioz. Spain.
| during the pcninsular war. in the early
! part of this century. when Wellington's
! hosts were defeating the armies Of
| France, great service was rendered by
chevauX de frise formed of sword blades
! fixed into beams of wood The engineer
corps Of large army frequently carries
chevaux de frise formed of cylindrical
iron barrels about 6 feet long each hav-
| ing II holes to receive a corresponding
|
ed in the barrel when not in warlike use.
! SPANS modification of this has been to
use barbcd wire. Washington Irving
long ago wrote of Construction Of chain,
| boom and ChevauX de frisc."
1t is q statement of interest that the
United states sent $50 tons OF barbcd
wire to Manila a few weeks ago. fol-
what purpose can only be conjectured
though Admiral Dewey and General
Merritt will undoubtedly make proper
use of it.
All this has revived interest in the
history, invention and manufacture OF
| barbed wire. There is today in Chi
cago one of the giant manufacturing in.
| dustries of the world, the American
Steel and Wire company, with a capita
| of $2i 900 900. 1t is the sequence of the
life story of two humble women of De.
kalb, Ills, one of whom turned n grind.
stone in the woods TO help her husband
perfect his invention in the summer o.
1873 He was trying to develop an idea
but was ashamed to have the world Sc,
him at work lest it should Criticise hin
for wasting his time, for he was a farm
or. The other woman reused the ange
Of her husband who was a storekeepe
and was also secretly trying to find al
|, effective means of keeping stock withil
bounds because she honestly declare,
that tho other mans device was bette
than the one he had originated. Tn
two women. however, later helped t
lay the foundations Of the mighty CAPT
talistic concern before mentioned.
1t was Mrs. Joseph f. Glidden VIII
turned the grindstone, and it was Mrs
Isaac T.. Ellwood who once made he
husband so angry he would not spcal
to her for an afternoon and night. Sh
aided her husband 10 achieve grea
riches in wire-barbed Wire-that nov
forms the basis of the great fencemak
ing industry. Mr.. EllWood had NOR
money than Mr. Glidden. the successful
inventor. and after due consideration q
his wifes decision begged her pardon
accepted her judgment, purchased
half interest in Giidden's fence for
and is today worth, according to publ
estimate. $15 000 900. The other mar
while not so wealthy, is still very rich
The story of their combined struggle
through adversely and the suhsequen
litigation inflicted upon them is "A pa
thetic one. but finally organized capita
rescued them from the slough of despai
and made them men cnviod Of their fel
lows There are thousands Of America
soldiers at Santiago, however, who hav
had good reason in the past few week
to heartily rue the day when America
barbod wire. useful in peace, was mad
useful in war.