The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1905-02-16
Incidents Of History.
=. who Made the First Sew
ing Machine.

:ng Machine.
.-grusou in thristian Sun.
allr wives, sisters or mothers 81
tEe5r Grop-head sewing machines
Hy Eardscme ana desirable piece
rs!ture, and chat or sing Will,
ty.ag needle makes more stitches
ne minute than their grand
trS could possibly make with
fingers in one hour, they sci
ink. shese wives and sisters do
cr. Of the one who in povert,
fers and trials, stitched togeth
we're, with the threads of bis
e. Il .e first sewing machine ever
Howe, born in Spencer, Mass
$40, was of humble parentage
he age of Is was thrown upon
ii resources. He was mechan-
# the age of 20 was in a ma
shop in Boston. At % health
Lin. being married, surrounded
miiy, poverty stared him in
Ire One day capitalist brought
shop where Howe Was working,
sl Of knitting machine. 1t
-lperfect and incomplete. Howe's
e. er said to the capitalist, "Why
d You omit worrying with knit
uachlne and make sewing ma
1t cannot be done " was the
II ne one | will guarantee you an
mae enGent fortune" 81 will do It,"
lie employer, but he was really
I,gE. and never undertook to re-
t5s. ais word. But Howe, the poor
er .rye, standing by, heard the re-
n &, ard upon him it was never lost
TIE .dea grew upon the poor, strug-
ding. weakly man. He could think
Of --.-a e.-e. If sewing machine
e5r lie made, and thereby a fortune,
WHY -1ould not make it," In the
h - when not at the shop earning
his bread. he was Juggling at his idea,
or rather the idea was Juggling at him.
"gsi1. dependent On my daily labor
tn the support of myself and family, I
c5a'd not devote my attention to the
srl aet during the working hours OF
the day, but / thought on it when I
c.uli day and night. worked on my
machine mentally as much as could,
h.rzrg only needles and such other
small devices as L could carry in my
p stt. and use at irregular intervals
81 3ai,y labor at my trade" A friend
IL Is prom sed help, and Howe gave
hin self entirely to the completion OF
bis machine, working a year in an up
per rooln of his friends house. The
frs, machine was completed In 1915.
Ii vas Immediately patented, but the
p01r INVENTORS troubles, instead of
elng, had just begun.
Tie friend who had aided him
Cared possession of half the title and
HEe. beng without funds, sold the
req under Of the title for debt. He
so5l .5und himself without machine,
without money and without any part
OF the Title to his invention. He Dor
rJ@ed money and went to England,
heDng to patent the machine there,
Ea.ca lie did, but matters were against
hin aad he returned to America in
yer Or two, as a Storage passenger,
? -, il possible, than when he went.
b Ken By poverty. want and anxiety
IL her husband, his wife fell Ill at this
lsle.a.e and grief and gloom at her
dea-h were added to the burden OF
failure and disappointment.
Hose managed to recover half inter-
E, ii the title that had gone from him
ulder debt, and with this entered suit
against others who were infringing
upon his patent. Meanwhile people
we're learning that a sewing machine
wa really invented and everywhere
demand Tor the invention began to
spring up. The tide turned. A man
WITH real Idea had arrived and wealth
began TO flow his way. In Oct, 1867,
q tie early age Of 4S, Howe died, but
he lad lived long enough to zee his
machine in general use, o1e of the
sfe.test labor-saying devices ever con-
s-sgofed, and the lonely, poyerty-strick-
e. nan who had wrought it out in
5ry, came to be in few years, one
o. US most noted m!lilonaires Our
country hes produced. Historians de-
ca.s hat, bat lot Howe's sewing ma
cine lie soldiers III our late war
c.uiG net possibly have been c!o:hes,