The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1898-10-12
Mrs. Mabee Invents Labor Saving De-
vices.

ten avenue is a remarkable and re.
scurceful woman. When her hus.
bands fortune was shattered in 8
bank failure at Chicago several years
ago she turned inventor. Success
attended her efforts from the very
start. Her husband proved good
salesman for the devices which he1
brain created and now they are again
on the high road to wealth and pros
perity. So popular have Mrs. Mabee's
inventions become that it is not lon
ger necessary for ner to seek capital.
It comes to her whenever she has q
new device to put on the market.
Only recently clever cake beater,
which she patterned in an hour, was
put on the market. In one week a
third interest was sold for S., 900.
Thus, in lump sums Of several thou
sand dollars at time, the family has
progressed rapidly toward its wonted
af1uence.
Until three years ago she had never
thought of becoming an inventor
whose creations would ind favor in
nearly every household in America.
Servants, society calls and all that
went to make up the life Of woman
in her station occupied her entire
time. On several occasions she re-
marked to her husband that she be-
lieved she could improve on certain
utensils used in cooking, but the re-
marks on that score passed unheeded
and she gave the idea no serious con-
sideration.
While attending the theatre on one
occasion the curtain caught fire and a
stampede followed. Mrs. Mabee
spraag from her seat, but her husband
restrained her and made her sit down.
There were several people injured in
the rush. The IRE was extinguished
and Mr.. and Mrs. Mabee we're the
only persons in the entire opera house
who had not been caught in the jam.
The occurrence suggested the neces-
sity Of chair which would prove con-
Yenient in case Of FIRE. A plan for
the chair was mapped out, but the
model was never made. Il was Mrs.
Mabee's first invention. but one which
Enavsr came to practical issue. Al
though she plans innumerable devices
there are only few which her hus-
band considers practical enough to
put on the market. These are culled
out, models made and the patents sold
or else the devices manufactured.
Mrs. Mabee's money was swept
away during the hard times. Work
was scarce. There was daughter to
provide for. Something heroic had
TO be done. Mrs. Mabee came to the
rescue. Why not put into practical
use some Of the ideas which she had
evolved? Her husband listened with
interest as she unfolded her plans, her
ideas. There was little money left
for the experiment. The invention
seemed feasible. Mrs: Mabee took up
the first real work which she had ever
done in her life. Although she had
never studied mechanics and knew
nothing Of the science Of drafting she
was never puzzled for way to figure
eut the problem. First. plans were
drawn and then preliminary model
Of card board was made by her deft
hands. From this the mechanic
evolved the first device. Itwas neces-
sary for Mrs. Mabee to stand over him
while he worked and often when his
skilled hand went wrong she corrected
his mistake.
So far all of her inventions have
been those which add to the comfort
or convenience of home life. Only
dozen or SO of her ideas have been put
into practical use, and in each case
they have proved a success, far ex-
ceeding her expectations. But for
the enterprise Of her husband, she be-
lieves that all Of her patents would
have gone the way Of most inventions
and been relegated to the junk pile.
"It is easy to get up device for
which there should be demand, re-
marked Mrs. Mabee to Republic re-
porter, "but it is hard to get it intro
duced. I regard my husband as Of
more value to the success of the inven-
tion than the fact that it fills a long
felt want. You see, there are so many
devices Of all descriptions on the mar
ket, and the risk of introducing a new
one, even if it is much better than
any other, is something which people,
as rule, do not want to undertake.
stT dn nnt know how get nv ideas.