The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1904-07-16
Eli whitney.

Editor of the Journal and Courier:
Often the traveller making his way
over hill ard forest debris reaches a
height whence looking back he sees
lined against the horizon distant
mountain lift its head sublime in air;
thus over the debris of the years stands
Whitney, national figure. Macauley
says: What Peter the Great did for
Russia Eli Whitney's invention Of the
cotton gin more than equalled in its
relation to the power and the prog
ress of the United States" In the Hall
of Fame, a S250,0O0 building connected
with the University of the City of New
York, ninety-seven electors, among
whom are included President Arthur T.
Hadley and Professor Henry Bourne
of Yale, have placed, out of the mil
lions Of their fellow countrymen, TWEEN
ty-nine whom they would inlmortalize.
The roll headed by George Washington
and closed by Asa Grey, includes Rob-
ert Fulton, Samuel Findlay Breeze and
Eli Whitney-Whitney' name being
the nineteenth on the list. Jonathan
Edwards and Henry Ward Beecher are
the only others of the immortal twenty
nine who were ever in any way con-
nected with Connecticut. t5 g..
Whitney was an heroic figure. Plac-
ing his personal reputation in pawn,
against the raiIlery Of English and
French military experts, the ridicule
of his competitors and the growing in
credulity Of his friends, craving the
indulgence of the government for eight
long years, he on borrowed capital put
up his buildings, invented and made
his machinery, broke in his raw help,
and triumphantly demonstrated the
success of his invention of the Ameri-
can or interchangeable system of man
ufacturing. This system was installed
by his workmen in the Springfield,
Mass, government arsenal, begun in
1900, and was Immediately adopted
throughout the country. This heroic
fire burned in him till death when he
closed his own eyes endeavoring to
close his mouth.
The patriotic sons of the soil believe
that the recognition of merit should
be not much longer delayed. New Ha-
ven people say that his memorial
should be erected on the triangular
park at the beginning of the avenue
bearing his name, at the crossing of
ways in an unexcelled residential sec.
ton of the city. Hamden people, be-
lieving that Whitney was the Krupp,
and Whitneyville the Essen of the infant
republic, say his monument should be
on a spot where lie fair scenes, a site
overlooking the Whitney arrnory build
ings. We say let the choosing Of the
site and the erection of the monument
be a national affair. Let an impartial
verdict give the site. Then let the pub
lie spirited men of this whole region
be appealed to to do their part, and let
the United States be appealed to TO do
its part in the erection of the monument
.Olmstead in his memoir says: "He de-
served well of his country" The chiv-
airy Of the south in congress assembled,
will they forget the invention of
the cotton gin? The representa-
tives OF the, United States in
general congress assembled, will they
forget the Krupp of the infant repub-
lie? "The mystic chords of memory
that stretch from every battlefield and
patriot grave to every living heart and
hearthstone over this broad land'' shall
they not stretch from Wflitney's grave?
gHURsTON /. BoNNEY.