The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1901-06-04
IMMORTAL GOODYEAR
The Man Who Devoted His Whole
Life to Rubber Making.
Difficulties and PrivatiOns EncOan.
tered and Endured Before tho
Benefactor of Mankind Tasted
the Fruits of Success.

as Tue Sbd'' on buhheI IN WINS
H. T.. Armstrong, in Ainslee's. 81 be-
lieve," said Daniel Webster, in the ia
nous patent suit in which he fought
the good fight for Goodyear, that
Charles Goodyear is to go down to
posterity in the history of the arts
in this country in that great class OF
inventors at the head of which stands
Robert Fulton, in which class stand
the names of Whitney and Morse, and
in which class will stand, not far re.
moved, the humble name of Charles
Goodhear."
Goodyear was Connecticut Yam
kee, born at Naugatuck, December 20,
1900; those now living who remember
him in the mesh knew him as a frail
little man with soulful eyes and "a
sympathetic nature. Goodyear after
devoting the energies of his life to
experiments discovered determination
process which neutralizes the adj
hesiveness OF rubber. while harden
ing it, so that heat does not dissolve
it or cold impair its elasticity The
chemists had sought the great secret
in vain. Triumph was reserved for Il
man who was always in debt and
sometimes In prison, and occasionally
reduced to the most pitiful shifts to
keep the VOL; from the door. Good
year was originally a hardware deal.
er, in small way, but he got inter.
ested in rubber when it began to
make a stir in the world with the
first importation Of shoes from Bra
iii. They were soon being made in
New England. but the business tum-
bled TO ruin when the rubber decOm.
posed in hot weather and gave out
an offensive udur. 70 one had Il good
word to say for the stuff 1t sold for
five cents Il pound in the general dis.
gust bat Goodyear, although with.
out money or credit, set to work to
rehsbiIitate the reputation of gum
elastic. as he always called it. iIe
thought of Rubber all day and dreamed
of it all night, and it adhered to his
hands and clothing so that they were
one and indiNisjbe. IF you meet a
IidlI, NilI H'll' 'll' WIZ Nhhlo' " &
describe GoohN ear, "who has on an
india rubber cap, stock, coat, vest and
shoes, with an india rubber purse
without a cent of money in II, that
is he" In chasing what seemed TO
his friends a wiIl-o'thc wi>p Good. !
year was often III the pawnshopS. He
once left his umbrella with Cornelius
Vanderbilt for some ferry tickets,
and al smother time sold his chill.
drcu's school books for tiv" dollars,
which he needed for his experiments.
About this time Goodyear met Ma
thanirl Hayward, who was fussng
with rubber in factory at Wub'rn,
where he was regarded as a harmless
crauk. To Hayward it was revealed in
a dream that rubber could be hardened
by missing sulphur with it and expos.
ing the compound to The sun. The
process gave out It rank odor, which
made HAYWARD a nuisance in the fac
tory. but he took Out ii patent on il.
Goodyear. being struck with 'he idea,
bought thr patent. The two men
leased building and went in for maxi
.ng life prcStrVcr&, But the secret had
not been discovered. although llay-
ward was on tn" right scent in hot
weather il Se"mrd n wrong one to
purchasers Of lif" preserver$. Good
year was not diaHaycd. After more
make 20 rubber mail bags for the gov