The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1898-01-30

the nsccSsaries for herself and child
is TO other than the Henry Ferguson
said to have acquired great wealth in
The klondikc country. This belief is
shaced by her two brothers, one OF
whom Is an officer of Polk county, Iowa,
und the ether resident of Boone
county
THOUGHT FERGUSON 4 GENIUS.
Al the time Mrs. Ferguson was mar
ried 1t was supposed THAT she was MAX
!r:; good match. Henry Ferguson was
known as an inventive genius. and
while none Of his creations had amount
ed to much. il was predicted that he
would at one time earn fame and riches
in this way. Such great faith did his
friends and relatives have in his invcn-
lions that they impoverished them
selves in providing money with which
To further his schemes. His genius did
not run to small things He was at
work constantly upon some contrivancr
which. if successful, was to entirely
revoluttoniZc one of the big industries
OF the country. While these were be-
ycnd the comprehension Of his financial
hackers, they were convinced of the
Feasibility of each contrivancc by the
inventors glowing explanations. and
their faith endured until their last cent
was gone
one of the inventions on which much
money was lost was n machine for the
manufacture OF a new gas. Fergus On
went to New York. where ne interested
men OF money I'm the invention and
tAcy provided part OF the funds for
the building of q machine. During the
construction, however. Ferguson had n
misunderstanding with these men.
which resulted in the abandonment of
the venture. The practcability OF the
machine never was tested for the sea-
son that Ferguson refused absolutely
10 complete it o" to Supcrntend The
work. Those interested were thorough
~ convinced OF its great value, it is
said. and tried hard 10 persuade the in
ventor 10 so on With the work. but he
remained ohduratc.
He next turned himself to the inyen.
lion of n machine for separating gold
| from Garth. 1t was intended especially
Tor use in placer di@gings The new
creation was circular affair which
performed its work by rotary emotion
II was claimed for il that it would do
the work much better and many timos
faster than could he done by the old
s!u.ce boxes It's chief feature how
ever and the one for which most was
claimed. was the small amount or wa
Ter necS sGary. IS the matter of water
IS very important in many Of the min
ing districts and rs the machine Womb
cnahie one man to do the work of ten
ny any other known method il was ro-
SaTded as very valuable invention.
1T was while engaged in work upOn
THIS machine that Ferguson was re-
duced to extreme financial straits. 50
| cn&roSscd was he with the invention
that he neglected his wife and baby
and they actually went hungry at
lines There were days. too, whc,i
Ferguson worked upon the machine
without food for himself, having ex-
haustcd both his money and credit.
About THIS time he made an appeal to
his brother-n-law in DeS Moincs to
assist him in the completion of his
new invention. TO this was added
the statement by his wife that her
self and baby were suffering for the
necessities Of life, the husband requir-
Ing all the money they could rake AMI
scrape for the promotion of the new
machine that was TO bring them
wealth.
The brothers here are level-headed,
practical men, who have nude their
money by hard work. They had pre-