Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1902-11-28
JAMES E. A. GIBBS.

JAmES Z. n. dt0oS.
The Last Of the Original Sewing Ma.
chine inventors.
James Edward Allen Gibbs, who died
Tuesday at his home at Raphine, was
the last of the original sewing machine
men and one of Virginia's great in
ventOrs.
Mr.. Gibbs was of New England an
cestry. His first American progenit0r
of the name of Gibbs being Scotch
Presbyterian minister who came to
Connecticut in the beginning of the
18th century. His earliest American
ancestor was DR.. John Hirpin, HUI
guenot physician, born in ROchefort,
France, in 1890 and immlgrated to Con
necticut in IT'S. His massive tomb.
stone still stands in the cemetery at
Milford, Conn, with this inscriptions:
For fifty years he praotlced physic
and surgery in this place with distin-
guished reputation" Mr.. Gibbs was
also a great grand nephew of Ethan
Allen of revolutionary fame.
His father, Richard Gibbs. came to
Fairfax county. Va, in 1916, and
brought the first wool carding machin-
cry ever in the State, but he was not
patronized as the carding was done by
hand by the slaves. He then moved
to Rockbridge county, where he mar
ried Isabella Poague, of pure Scotch
Irish lineage. There he also engaged
in the carding business, but owing to
impaired health was not successful,
aud therefore was able to give his son
only a common school education.
Mr. Gibbs was born August /, 1929,
and was reared in the carding bust
ness, but when about II, his fathers
mill was burned, leaving him without
employment. He then went to Poca-
hontas county. w. Va, and built q
carding machine of new pattern-an
invention of his own-but he soon re-
allied that large factories were super
ceding the smaller mills. and dispos-
ed of his interest.
1t was at this time that Mr.. Gibbs
attention was first attracted to sewing
machines by the wood-cuts in adver-
tisements. These only presented a
top view of the machine, which left
the course of the needle and the manip
ulation of the thread under the cloth
a mystery. There was nothing in the
cut to show that there was more than
one thread, and to do the work with
one thread he invented the revolving
hook OF the Wilcox & Gibbs sewing
machine, it's most distinguishing fea-
ture. He gave it no more thought,
thinking he had merely solved news
paper puzzle. Seine months afterward
be saw Singer machine with its shut
tie and underthread, and then realized
be had made an invention. He had
unconsciously done what other minds,
with effort, had failed to do. After
taking out some minor patents, he OBJ.
tanned his most important one June 2,
1857. After overcoming almost insur-
mountaDle difficulties, he completed
bis ideal machine, and got the manu-
facture started with royalty accru-
ing to him.
At this time the civil war came on.
and, though his interests were IN the
north, where his machine was being
manufactured, he sacrificed his bust
ness and all that he held dear, and
gave himself with unyleldlng devotion
to the cause of the south. His weak
constitution preventing his going to
thefeld, he placed his service at the dis
posal of the government and recei we'd
an appointment from the ordnance
department. In which position he con
tinued until the close of the war.
During the first year OF the war he
took refuge with his family in his ma
tive county, where he bought a farm
on which he had bis residence for the
last forty years Of his life. AT the
close of the war he again went north,
and found that through the fidelity of
his partner, James Wilcox, he had
suffered no loss. In 1859 he went to
Europe to conduct a suit in Edinburg,
Scotland, against infringers of his
English patent, and then made a tour
of the continent. Being in London in
1870. he visited Paris two weeks after
the suppression of the Commune. while
the city was In great excitement.
The Wilcox s. Gibbs machine has
become one of the standard machines
of the world, and is more largely used
In factories than any other, and the
company is one of the strongest in the
United States.
When the Valley railroad was built
through his land, a station was estab
lished on it, around which a thriving
village has been built, which he nam
ed in honor of his sewing machine,
"Raphine, being the Greek form of
the verb Ito sew" Unlike many of
Virginia 3 successful sons he spent his
life and bis money in his native State.
His life was so full of remarkable in
cidents that it il hard to condense it
into small space. Raised among the
o>ol,,da1 HILL IF tho Gbopopdooh Vol
Icy, his early years passed among the
still rougher mountains of West Vir-
ginia, at the age Of q he suddenly
emerged into the world of active bus
iness. His versatility OF talent was
remarkable; his legal cases in connec-
tion with his patents, gave him
knowledge of the patent and other
laws which made bis legal opinion of
weight among the profession, and he
was often consulted In difficult patent
cases.
Mr.. Gibbs retired from business 20
years ago, and since then has travelled
In this country and Mexico,
and was greatly interested in litera-
ture and scientific pursuits Once,
when asked why he settled at Raphine
he said: Il went to Raphine because
was born and raised and went to
school in sight of the spot, and after
all over this country, Mexico
and Europe, l have come to believe
that the Valley of Virginia is the gar
den spot of the earth; it's people, it's
soil, its scenery, are unsurpassed.
Mr.. Gibbs was the last male member
of his family in America, descending
from the Scotch preacher named above.
He was twice married, bis first wife
was Catherin Given, daughter of
Given of Nicholas county, W.
Va, whom he married in 1858. She
died in 1887. His second wife was Miss