Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1898-06-16
SIR ISAAC HOLDEN.
LIFE OF THE MILL-BOY AND
MILLIONAIRE.
Born in a Golfers Cottage; Died a
Baronet-HIs Industry and Inventive
Genius Brought Him Wealth and
World Wide Fame. .

| 5pOu III spite Oh ITdll 10TH, ue
maintained his health through the
years Of strenuous labor toiled at his
numerous inventions, built up a gi-
gantic business, and preserved to the
end his simplicity of manners and SYM
pathy with the needy. His life is a
romance of industry and generosity.
He was born in a Golfers cottage in
Scotland. George Ill. was king of
England, Jefferson was president of the
United States, and Bonaparte, who that
year declared Great Britain blockaded,
was the national boyle His father was
a Cumberland man, who had married
a Scotch woman. The parents of both
mad become Wesleyans under John
Wesley's personal guidance. The ia
Their, when quite young, worked in a
lead mine. His little home in Cumber-
land is still standing. He then re-
moved to a Scotch village, and become
mead man in coal pit near the Clyde.
Times were hard, wages low, and food
at famine prices. The collier had often
only two days work in the week.
Isaac, when years old, began his
education in a little village school. Five
years later, when work at the pit
ceased the family removed again. The
parents devoted all their savings to
send the boy to Kilbarchan grammar
school. But the wages again failed,
and food was so dear that Isaac had
to go to work after he was 10 years
OF age, and this time as draw-boy to
two weavers. He went to school at
night. The sight of machinery became
his constant inspiration. He was al
ways devising, even then, new plans
for saving labor. After while he be-
came full-fedged mill-boy, and
worked fourteen hours a day.
When better days came he left the
mill, and was sent to the school kept
by Mr.. Fraser, who had known we'll
the poet Burns. This schoolmaster
was popularity called "Old Radical. :"
Sir Isaac was fond of telling, later, how
Old Radical had "A Mans a Man for
a That" printed in large type and
mounted on boards for the boys at
school to look at and parse at sight.
When, in the year that George Ill
died, 1920, lsaac's father removed to
Paisley, Isaac went to say goodbye to
Old Radical, who talked to him about
/ George Tvs accession, and said: IF
you want to study the new king, read
Suetonius and Petrouius. You will find
his counterpart in their works" Isaac
had been an apt pupil and replied:
The kings of the earth take counsel
together. but what is true and just
must live in spite of them"
The boy of 10 was placed with an
uncle at Paisley, to learn shawl-weav-
ing. Here his health broke down, so
that he could do little or no manual
labor. He then became assistant to
John Kennedy a scientific lecturer.
with whom he studied Greek. Latin.
French and mathematics. Twice he
offered himself for the Wesleyan min
istry, and was accepted as a candidate
but his feeble health closed this path
to him. When he was 10 he became
mathematical tutor at Reading and
formed mathematical institute, CIV
Ing lectures in natural science and his
tory. Young Holden's lectures at
Reading were given to about 100 young
men. who dubbed together and fur
nishsd q ll'- r+--tci a1ory' In the
course of his chemical experiments. in
1929, he originated the idea of the lu-
eifer-match, though he never patented
it nor derived any financial benefit
from 1t. But we shall hear him tell his
own story. Before a select committee
Of the House of Commons, appointed to
inquire into the working of the patent
laws. he said
In the morning | used to get I'D at
O'Clock in order to pursue my studies,
and | used at that time the flint and
steel, in the use of which l found very
great inconvenience. l gave lectures
In chemistry at the time at a very
large academy. or course. | knew. as
other chemists did, the explosive ma
terial that was necessary in order to
produce instantaneous light; but it was
very difficult to obtain a light on wood
by that explosive material. and the
Idea occurred to me to put under the
explosive mixture sulphur. | did that.
and published it in my next lecture,
and showed it. There was a young
man in the room whose father was a
chemist in London, and he Immediately
wrote to his father about it, and short
iy afterwards lucifer matches were is
sued to the world. | believe that was
the first occasion that we had the pres
emit lucifer match"
Mr.. Holden gave up teaching in 1880,
and obtained place as bookkeeper at
Cullingworth, near Keighley, to Messrs.
fownend Brothers, in which establish
ment he afterwards became manager.
From the time when he was mill-boy
he had never lost sight of the need for
an Improvement in the process of wool |
eombing He watched the hand-comb-
srs at work, and learned that many at
tempts had been made to treat the
1nre by machinery but that the fibre |
Itself was so delicate that every ex-
pertinent failed. He determined to try |
again. At last he succeeded in the |
production of the square |
wool-comber," with action to initiate |
that of the hands In the same year
Holden invented a device for genappe |
Farms.
He next entered into partnership |
with Mr.. Lister, now Lord Masham,
whom he bought out at the end of ten |
years by the payment of fS5.000. He |
improved his patents, extended his |
business, and accumulated vast for
lune. His Bradford works alone comb