The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-07-16

pan revolution began, In February. rc9s.
SPAN purchased thougands OF mllss al le
from us, and Weyler used il In m ,is.u..
me approaches to his Two trccfaS -
ulmcuit as possible. These tfoenas ~.
ultches and earthworlts. with a b.os.
mousse on fort garrisoned by sold era er-
cry mile or two along the line. IL vss i
substitute for what the armies of I.n-
rope have known as the cheyauv n.
Irise, hastily constructed substitute
Tor regular abatis (irees fe.led In the
direction from which an enemy may be
eNpected) to stay the progress OF an ad-
Sanclng foe. Sometimes IL is formed Of
pieces or timber or iron barrels trav-
ersed with iron pointed spears or spikes
OF feet long, used to defend pas-
sage stop breach or impede the ad-
vance OF cavalry. At Badajoz. Spain.
uuring the peninsular war, in the early
part OF this century, when Wellington's
nosts were defeating the armies of
France. great service was rendered bv
chevaux de frise formed OF sword blades
nxed into beams OF wood The engineer
corps of a large army frequently CARTE.
chevaux de frise formed OF cyliudricaI
iron barrels about o feet long. each hav-
ing ~ holes to receive a correspondtnc
number of spears. the latter being pack
ed In the barrel when not i'm warlike use.
Spain's modification OF this has been 10
use barbed wire. Washington Irving
long ago wrote OF obstruction of chain.
boom and chevaux de frise."
III is statement of interest that the
United states sent $50 tons of barbed
wire TO Manila few weeks ago. for
what purpose can only be con5ectured-
though Admiral Dewey and General
Merritt will undoubtedly make proper
use OF 1t.
All this has revived interest in the
history. invention and manufacture of
barbed wire. There is today I'm Chi
cago one of the giant manufacturing in
dustries or the world the American
Steel and Wire company, with a capital
of s2f,o00.0o0. 1t is the sequence OF the
life story OF two humble women OF De-
kaib. Ills, one Of whom turned grind
stone I'm the woods to help her husband
perfect his invention in the summer OF
1873. He was trying to develop an idea.
but was ashamed to have the world see
him at work lest IL should criticise him
for wasting his time. for he was a farm
er The other woman reused the anger
OF her husband, who was storekeeper
and was also secretly trying to find On
efcSt''c htdHs VI keeping STOCK within
bounds. because she honestly declared
that the other mans device was better
than the one he had originated. The
two women, however, later helped to
lay the foundations or the mighty capi-
talistic concern before mentioned.
IL was Mrs. Joseph F.. GIidden who
turned the grindstone. and II was Mrs.
Isaac l.. ElIwood who once made her
husband so angry he would not speak
to her for an afternoon and night she
aided her husband to achieve great
riches i'm wire-barbed wirc--thsf NOW
forms the basis OF the great fencemak-
ing industry. Mr.. Ellwood had more
money than Mr.. Glidden, the successful
inventor. and after due consideration n
his wifes decision begged her pardon.
accepted her Judgment. purchased n
half interest in Gliddens fence fer 81
and is today worth according 10 rublc
estimate, $15.000.000 The other man.
while not so wealthy. is still very rich.
The story of their combined struggles
through adversely and the subsequent
litigation inflicted upon them is a pa
thetic one, but finally organized capital
rescued them from the slough of,despair
and made them men envied OF their fell
lows. There are thousands OF American
soldiers at Santiago, however, who have
had good reason In the past few weeks
TO heartily rue the day when American
barbed wire, useful In peace, was made
useful In war.