The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1900-11-20
SAVANNAH INVENTOR DEAD.
JOHN &. CARTER HAD 4 SECRET on
RUBnER BSrITJTE PROCESS.

Made the Discovery While Expert
menunE for Vnrni=h Ofl From
cotton seed Oil-WouId Have Made
Him Immensely wealthy Had He
shown Proper Business Judgment.
was Insnnrls Jealous 81 his secrcr
md Would Impart It 20 No one.
which Accounts in Part for His
Fn1ure-Died OF Bright's Disease
at savannah Hospital.
John o Carter died az the Savannah
Hospital az j O'Clock yesterday morning
from Brighfs disease lie had been IN
81 health for some time and MS death
was no surprise 10 his friends.
Air. Carter came 60 Savannah from Bos-
ton Mass. about ten years ago. lie was
an artist OF considerable ability and he'd
been on assistant 20 william Hunt. the
celebrated painter. whose work in The
New York state capital al Albany added
greatly q his fame Mr. Garter came
south in search Of health and selected
Savannah as a location. lie opened a
studio here. but being in poor eircum-
stances as well as So poor health. did lit
tie work He brought considerable work
OF a high class from the North. however.
which met the approval OF Director Carl
Brandt OF the Tcltair Academy and for
some time ar. Garter assisted Mr.. Brands
81 teaching 90 art class az the academy
Some time after his arrival in savan-
nah the IDEA occurred TO Mr. Carter that
varnish oil Of high quality could be
made from oostousocd Oh. which would
h. "A
linsoed oil ara much hess costly 10 be-
gan the experiment with she assistance
81 q friend who had some experience in
the same line Of work They were en-
tlrely successful ia their cxperImcn,. bat
also made a more important discovery.
which was thot substance closely re-
Eembiirg India rubber could D. made from
cottonseed oh. A rubber substitute being
greatly ln demand. they both con .luItd
very naturally that the rubber substitute
was che more important Of tho two aud
Get 20 work 20 perfect H. Ia small way
they experimental quite extensively and
finally produced "a considerable quantity
Of the product which was taken
hy Boston manufacturing company
and used wlth very satisfactory
results. The only thing which prevented
them from Immediately securing large
contracts was that they had no plant
Mr.. Carter Immediately set 90 work to
organize company and erect "a plant
lie was suecefsful in interesting Northern
capitalists To- his discovery ana easiiy Sc
cured suiicieut capital with which q plant
was erected on a tract o. ground near
Greenwich Park. Here work was carried
on for several years but SO far as could
be learned no sarge quantity OF the pro-
duct was turned out and financially the
enterprise proved 90 be a failure. Lack o.
business management on the part of Alr
Carter ana his determination 10 keep the
process an absolute secret and TO share ID
with no one prevented his enterprise from
becoming an important factor in the rub
ber industry. Sis associate became dis
satisfied and dropped out one by one. all
Of them losing money by reason OF their
association with the enterprise.
About three years ago tho business was
closed down hy the creditors who had
supplied the machinery for tho latest
plant the first having been destroyed ~
fire. some time ago the plant was sold
al public cutlery being bought iu hy a
company which proposed 20 continue the
manufacture Of the Garter substitute. The
company has not h,-.n able however 20
secure sufficient capital TO pay the price
which Mr Carter demanded for his se-
cret ami 50 far as this particular process
Is concerned. - D. believed that the &C.
cret died with the inventor
The Garter discovery however. was
generally discussed Ia the rubber trade
papers. and % is commonly understood
that the rubber manufacturers generally
nov make use OF substitute obtained
from cotton seed Oh aa an adultoraut
That produced by the Carter PROOFS
however. was said 10 boz more fatisfacto~v
than any other With better husiu. -
judgment and with fairor dealing with
his associates Mr.. Carter would also ha O.
become a wealthy man. Ills wife. who
accompanied him 20 savannah. died here
In 1887
The body was removed yesterday 10
the undertaking cstabilshmcnt az r. Hen
derson's sons The funeral VIII take
place az Bonaventuro Cemetery ~ il
O'Clock this morning.