The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1899-08-04
A NOTABLE YEAR.
Some of the Interesting Happenings
Recorded in This Country
in 1851.

"In looking over the events that have
happened during the years of my life,'
said an old resident to Star reporter,
81 think the year of 1851 produced the
greatest number and the happenings
were of greater diversity of interest.
Jennie Lind came to this country that
year under the $4,000 contract with
Barnum, and sang her songs with won
derful sweetness and equally wonder
full profits to Mr.. Barnum. The sloop
America won the cup for the fastest
sailing, defeating the world, and the
old ship still exists and can hold her
own even against the modern boats
with their extensive keels. Louis Kos
suth visited America in 1851 and gave
great impetus to national and inter-
national politics. The first worlds fair,
the Crystal palace at London, was held
in 1851, and though it was long time
ago it is not forgotten and has not been
surpassed by the worlds fairs which
have followed. 1t was at the Crystal
palace that the American mechanic
showed that he stood second to none in
the world. Hobbs challenged Chubb,
and Hobbs, the American mechanic,
maker. Hobbs represented an Amer
lean manufacturer of iron bank safes.
He placed his safe on exhibition and
tied the key to the combination lock on
the outside. Inside the safe was placed
6 $50, or $3.50, and the free offer was
made to the mechanics of the world
that if they opened the safe the money
contained therein could be taken for
their success. The safe was never
opened. At that time Chubbs was
famous all over England and in Europe
as lockmaker. The Bank of England
Endorsed Chubb and used his locks ex-
clusively. Hobbs examined the work
manship of the locks and offered to not
only enter the outer doors of the Bank
doors leading to the treasure safes in
side of two hours if permission was
given. This was too much for the Brit
ishers to stand and they gave the nee
essary consent.
"Hobbs was on hand two hours be-
fore the time for opening the doors of
the bank arrived, and announced him
self ready to go to work. All the tools
he had he carried in his vest pocket,
consisting of about 20 picks. He opened
the front door in seven minutes and
entered the bank triumphantly. He
next approached the outer door of the
treasure safe. In six minutes the door
opened, and before one hour had
passed, half of the time he asked for,
he had his hands in the treasure of the
bank, much to the amazement of the
directors of the bank and to the intense
disgust of Chubbs, who, besides being
loclSmaker, was knight or duke or
something similar as side line, and a
man of influence and wealth. He took
his defeat gamely, however, and soon
set to work to improve his locks. This
he did by taking Hobbs into his en-
ploy as an adviser. For the time, how
ever, think the Bank of England put
American locks on their safes. for
everybody recognized the fact that
>Chubbs was no match for Hobbs. We
won great races on the English turf
that year and did other things equally
proud. An American artist painted the
finest picture on exhibition in the
Crystal palace, while Henry Ward
Beecher outpreached Sturgeon in his
London tabernacle" Washington Star.