Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1901-11-16

Inere is IalTly accuFbts uhtd Itsbtu-
ing the earlier attempts at match
making. Who the first person was
that actually invented the wooden
spllnt match, however. is matter Of
controversy Apparently, like the tele-
graph, this discovery was made stimuli
taneously In at least three parts Of the
world. But there is no doubt that
John Hucks Stevens was the first Of
the English-speaklng race to put into
practical use this thought wave. Late
In the twenties, or early In the thirties,
he invented the composition which
when applied to the wooden spiints
would ignite Il, and his splint match
soon superseded the cardboard, or pull
ing match. 1t WAS his match (then
manufactured only In England, though
used on both sides of the ocean,, Whlch
nicknamed the Democratic party
"lOcusfocus" In 49,
Mr.. Stevens was always eccentric
and cared nothing whatever for the
financial returns from any OF his dis
coveries. He was an excellent chem
list, somewhat exclusive profession In
those days, but, having once solved
any point which had bafiled him, he
lost all interest in the invention. In
quiry At the patent Office many years
ago elected from } the clerk this re-
mark:
THAT man must have been perpet-
ual motion crank. There are models OF
dozens Of things which he invented and
allowed others TO patent because he
hadn't the business faculty"
We who knew the old gentleman
smiled, for perpetual mouoii'' had
been among the mysteries OF which he
sought the solution Then we accom-.
panied the clerk through the central
aisle until he stopped before a glass
case containing some Of Mr.. Stevens
inventions, an improved cotton gin
being the only one which / now recall.
His match was probably patented
soon after he came to the United States
he being the FIRST to manufacture
wooden matches in this country-but
at that time patents were not num-
bered and are difficult to look up. Lat
er he made several improvements. OF
which three are recorded November l6,
1889 Their entries nov sound strange:
mo, l4l2-For preserving matches
from accidental friction during manu-
facture."
mo l4lS-compositlon matter for
friction matches"
mo l4l4-Match for retaining fire."
So little did he care for fame that he
frequently allowed HIS paid workmen
who merely carried out the suggestions
~ dVo MI M va ha n
patent machines, etc. He was an able
man. but not a schemer. and was con-
stantly victimized In business. Like
his friend Horace Greeley, he was
easily duped. and he permitted others
10 make fortunes which were rightfully
his though he was always in comfort
able circumstances.
OF his personal life his friends know
but little. He was born in Harwich,
Essex. England. June 25, 1906. From
boyhood he seems to have lived within
himself, spending his time In day
dreams, relieved by sudden spells OF
energetic experiment. which only
ceased when he had mastered his puz-
ale or become convinced that he was
following the wrong path.
In one OF his many trips abroad he
met Harriet Oldaker. l6-year-old
English girl, whose childhood had been
spent In Belgium, Holland. France and
such other countries as had CHANGED
TO appeal to her fathers fancy Mr.
Stevens reused from his reveries long
enough 20 fail deeply in love. and. AS
the liking was reciprOcated. the young
people were soon after married al the
English ambassadors in The Hagul.
Holland. after which they returned 20
the family home az HarNich.
Despite the fact that all the Stevens
family have been rovers, they have
been represented In this quaint little
seaport for nearly two centuries. Ira
dltlon points 20 Henri Estlenne. scion |
OF a noble family OF Province, who |
early in the sixteenth century estab- |
lshed a publishing firm IN Paris, as |
the founder Of the race.
Just when the family crossed the |
n this Is its source, is not \
known: but certain Il II that those OF /
the later generations who have not /
been chemists and inventors have been /
I'm some way associated with the /
fourth estate" and all have been IN /
with the mania for travel
Marriage did not c0unteract this tn
nate tendency in John Hucks stevens
SO carry IN 80 he let his brothers I'd
ward and William. have the English
and European rights TO his match,
while ne came on 70 New York city
where he soon established a factor
l0r matches. which. though previously
In use in the United States, had not
been man ufsS,urtd here