The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-07-20

work the edge on the Damascus steel tool
seemed TO be as good as before the work
was started.
men who formed the Damascus Steel Com
pany that they have maintained the organ
ization and have waited patiently for the
inventor TO emerge from prison that the
work might be resumed. The directors OF
the company were all more less active
IN securing his parole, and they believe in
gratitude for their actic@ Mr.. Dawson will
consent to place the secret in some condl-
ton so that it will be saved TO the COM
pany, no matter what happens 10 him.
They will attempt to get him to cooperate
with them in placing the whole project on
a practical basis, make series or ex-
haustive tests as to its cost of production
commercially, and then turn the process
over 10 some great steel company on a
royalty or sell the process outright. Inc
directors believe that there will be no dlf-
ficulty in securing Mr.. Dawson's co-opera-
ton, but as a last resort the courts may
be resorted to that the company may be
protected against the loss of the secret
through the death or other disability OIL
the inventor.
A startling feature of the whole case is
the point that no officer or director OF the
steel company ever saw the secret depos-
tied in the safety deposit vault. 1hey uele-
gated a man friendly TO Dawson 10 see that
this was done. He reported that the Tor
mula was really deposited, but one OF me
directors said to-day that he could not OF
his own knowledge tell whether the lorinuia
was for making steel or biscuits
However Mrs. Dawson made desperate
attemnts TO secure control of the paper
after her husband was sent to prison, ana
al one time threatened suit against the
cornpany This was met with the prelim-
inaries of a suit on the part OF the com
pany TO secure control OF the papers on ue-
post and the effort was dropped. Inc
action of Mrs. Dawson in trying so hard 10
regain possession of the paper In the vault
convinces the men that the secret OF the
process is really there.
In addition to the process of Damascus
steel Mr. Dawson discovered a way TO
harden copper. He declares that ms rs
as successful in its way as the steel Is In
another manner. His hackers, TOO, are
confident from the samples he has secured
that his hardening of copper is compete
success In one article alone he can make
a fortune. That is in the small round
wheel at the end of trolley poles on all
electric street cars. With soft copper
these wheels are constantly wearing out
and have 10 be repeatedly replaced at tire
mendous cost. In the line OF surglcal IN
struments well a fortune is at mana,
for with hardened copper instruments they
can be immersed in antiSeDtic baths with
ont fear of rust or deterioration. Other
uses for hardened copper are almost in
Vulnerable.
DIRECTORS EAGER TO BEGIN.
An informal meeting of the directors has
already been held and a formal meeting
will be held in day or two. at which some
action will be taken TO resume the work
of putting the invention on the market as
The directors-President Rood. Vice Presi-
dent Stewart Goodrich, Secretary A. II.
Miles w. l.. Read, l.. Fl. Chamberlain and
DR.. q. NJ Chappell-are anxious to proceed
at once.
In this they may be handicapped by Mr..
Dawson. He is suspicious OF every person
and will trust the secret TO none. lie fears
that every man who wants to discuss the
subject is really attempting 10 get his Sc
cret away from him, and there Will come
the hitch if any occurs He has thus iar
refused 10 put matters in such condition
that they could be put into a business
proposition 10 any corporation.
In 1885, when he went TO Cleveland 10 see
John d. Rockefeller and also to Pittsburg
TO see representatives of Andrew Carnegie,
ne was SO manifesty suspicious ana I'M
practical that the magnates simply put
him down as visionary They onered 10
furnish him appliances in the plants by
which he could make steel, and offered 10
buy his product. but that did not SUIT the
inventor. He has dreamed for years of be-
coming rich from his secret, and ne makes
heavy demands for any portion IN MS
project.
He is tall, thin and slightly bent. His
cadaverous appearance is accumulated by
long white beard, and before he went to
prison he wore his hair long. he has
ant man TO converse with, except that
metalurgy is his hobby, and he likes 10
talk of little else.
FAMILY OF IRON WORKERS.
1hlS inventor OF the pIOCeSS VI Hlc Nib
Damascus steel comes from family OF
iron workers. Ralph Hogg, who made the
first iron cannon in England in the f1f-
teenth century, was an ancestor on his
mothers side S. r. Dawson was born
in Greene county, Tennessee, in 1S47 and
lived there until 1861, when his father,
with other union men. went TO kentucky.
The following year the son went to Prince
Ia
ried there to Miss Mary keyser, who
died within the year. In 1876 Dawson
came TO Iowa and began selling patent
riehts throughout the State. In Council
Bluffs in 1877, he met and married Mrs.
Josie \ Siddel, "A widow With her he
il still living at the family home in Des
Afoines both Of them very happy over
the reuniting of the family after the sep
aration of I'VE years. They have two chill
dren-Clara. the daughter who caused so
dark a trouble in the family, and Daisy,
now sixteen years OLD
After a lifelong study OF metallurgy and
a constant battle TO develop his discovery
successfully Mr.. Dawson gives TO his wife
m credit for the realization Of his life :
ambition she always encouraged me to
persevere' he says. and gave me coun-
81 and advice which was The means of
ny retaining absolute control and posses
sion OF my secret up 10 the present time"
Eccentric vet kindly disposed 10 all
most persons IN De= MOines believe Mr.
Dawson would never have harmed Young
Scott had ne not been goaded To despera-
ton and the action or Governor Shaw
I'm parOing him Is regarded universally
with unnIxed approval