St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1903-12-12

by the sale of the Mayersyps pat
ents, and then paWnsd everything
in sight, to carry on the expert
ments, consisting OF brsech load
ing contrivance, a rifisd barrel,
and bayonet ring-lock. His en-
thusiasm was evoked by q de-
sire, to furnish the Confederacy
with new rapid firing arm; when
his funds became exhausted MIR.
Martino, OF London became 1850
ciated with the inventors, and
probably aided them financially
to carry on the experiments !;
shortly after Martino wired from
London to send on the model, COM
pleted or not, as he had All offer
from Adr. Semmes, Of the Con-
federate Navy. The model not
being completed, Mayor refused to
send; in the meantime the Ala
bama sailed. Later, Mayor being
an intense Southernef, offered the
invention for nothing to tho Con-
federacy, receiving an acknowledge
ment Of his patriotism from John
Slidell representative OF the Con-
federacy in Paris, and also inform
ing him that owiag to the inabili-
ty of the Confederacy to manufac-
| ture the guns, his offer was de-
clined. In this offer, no small one
from II man who had beggered him
himself in the perfection OF the
gun offered, he doubtless had the
consent of the chivalrous Eigner,
a soldier OF the D'Artagnan type,
whose prowess on many a hard
| fought field had won promotion,-
for others. After this Prof. May
er made an Intellectual effort to in
terest the Russian War Depart
ment, and becoming tired OF the
red tape of the Beaurocrats at st.
Petersburg, he proceeded to Paris,
sought all interview with Ma
poleon, which was ut first refused,
and referred by the Secretary of
the Emperor, aud "Chef de Cabi-
metz to the Minister of War in
May, 1864; the ministry must have
been strongly impressed with the
value and originality Of the in
vention, for short time after
wards, he had an audience with
/ the Emperor, of SO cordial a ma
ture, that it raised his hopes to the
highest pitch of expectancy, but
suddenly the negotiations came to
an abrupt, inexplicable termina-
tion, probably due to the fact that
the French government erronously
supposed the Professor was still
4 German instead Of an American
citizen; and the causes that terml-
mated in the Franco-Prussian war
/ even than brewing, causing Ger
4 mans to be viewed with suspicion,
Out Of funds, despondent and dis
/ gusted, the Professor moved ito
London, and accepted the position
as General manager OF the Photo
Publishing House Of Henry Her
ring, afterwards Reynolds OF Re-
gent street. With the usual luck
of inventors, Mayer and Eigner
reaped nothing but debts and dis
contiture, from their Invention,
Others even getting the credit OF
originating the idea. In 1860 En-
fields were converted into breech
leaders, by fitting on the "Snider'
breech mechanism, but they proved
Intellectual; after exhaustive tests
with i04 different kinds of breech
loading rifles, the "Henry" Barrel
and the ".Afdrtini" breech was
adopted in 1871 by the British
army, and the new arm was known
{. as the Martini-Hsnry rifle, and
the drawings and specifications o
the Mayer-Eigner rifle that had
attracted the attention of Semmes,
drawings, perfectly familiar, AND
probably secured by MARITIME In
1864, show whore the principle O
the Martini-Henry rifle originated,
both rs regards the breech loading,
the bayonet ring lock, and prob.
ably the rif1ing of the barrel. Con
, sidering the eticisncy of the Con
fsderate forces inpertectly armsC
as they were, what might have
been the result, had they adopted
the Mayer-Eigner rifle
After remaining two years ir
, London, Prof. Mayer accepted ,
! | position as Manager Of the Fine
Art Department OF Marcus Ward
& Co., Of Belfast, Ireland, and after
wards with James McGill, of tn,
same place. In 1868 he opened ;
Photo and Fine Art Studio in Cas-
!. tie Place, Belfast, where he turned
out his Mayerotypes, in large mum
bers aud painted by a corps of tai
ented artists, one in particular,
Miss Ssdley, now Mrs, Reese, o
Belfast, whose excessive modest,
kept her in the background Of th4
; artistic world. During this pc
!. riod of prosperity, the Professor
!. musical talents were ever at TIL,
: call and service of friends ant
charitable entertainments. Il
, 1870 he was compelled by his asth
. INA to move to - warmer climate
!. 80, he revisited his old haunts Ii
st. Mary, returning much improved
. In health, the same year, TO wine
! up his business affairs in Belfast
: and then moved TO Opelousas
where he lived up to the hour o
!, his demise, deyoting himself to 5i
first love, music, varying his oc
cupation with photography, paint
ing, musical and dramatic conpo
: sillon aud gardening. He organ