The Republican journal., 1909-01-14

record. John Hamilton Brown was
born in Liberty 70 years ago, the son of
Joseph Brown, who lived on farm on
the west side of Georges Lake. John
Hamilton left home before he was twenty
years of age, and worked in Massachu
sets for while. He invented while
there hand pegging machine for peg
glng shoes, went to New York to dispose
OF 1T and has lived there ever since. He
has at least one hundred patents to his
credit. After inventing various ma
chimes to make ruff1ing, fiuting and all
kinds of fancy goods worn by women, he
invented a sewing machine to quilt cloak
and coat Innings in squares, checks, zig
gag, and all kinds of ways. Before his
machine this quilting was done on ma
chimes with one needle and it was very
slow process. He made a machine that
had needles enough to quilt whole web
OF cloth at once going through. He
made it possible for one girl to run or
sew on several machines, like running
looms in cotton mill He then took up
gunmaking and made the gun that the
Creedmore team used a number Of years
ago when they went to England and beat
the British team. Mr.. Brown was a
member of this team and made the high
est score at 1000 yards. Shortly after
he conceived the idea of making built
up cannon that could not be bursted with
gunpowder, and made what is well known
the world over as the Brown Segmental
WireW Wound Gun, and that now holds the
worlds record. The test was made by
United States officers. To prove the
strength of his invention he made tube
and put breech block into each end,
filled it with powder and touched it off.
The powder burned and the gas all came
out of the touch-hole without injuring the
tube. That test was made more than so
times. 1t has been figured by U. S. en-
gineers that 12-inch gun made on this
plan will throw shot 100 miles, 10-inch
g. miles and a 6-inch, 80 miles.
1t is we'll known by those familiar with
guns that the rifing is very important
feature, and when the rifing is gone or
worn off the gun is thrown aside as no
good. The life of a gun is from 60 to 100
shots, and this government, and the
whole world, have racked their brains to
find out the cause of this wearing away
of the rifiing and to discover a remedy
for it. Mr.. Brown claims to have solved
this problem and is now having his in
vention tested at Sandy Hook by our
government officers. If it proves to be
what he claims it will be worth millions
of dollars, for it will prolong the life of
the expensive heavy ordinance used by
ali nations more than one hundred fold or
for ali indefinite time.
Mr.. Brown had a gun constructed on
his plan with the safety appliance to
prevent scoring and that gun is being
tested at this moment at Sandy Hook, as
l have said, and so far with success The
whole world will be greatly benefited by
this invention by Liberty, Maine, farm
er's son. Without attempting to mention
all of his inventions will refer briefly to
a few recent ones: A gas burner that
you can blow out or turn on after the
flame is gone without an escape of gas;
a gas burner for advertising purposes
that comes and goes like a flash light; an
attachment for railroads to prevent COL
lisions from front or rear and that stops
trains from running into open bridges
and switches. l could make this list
much longer, but will only say that he is
now working on safety, non-explosive
automobile tire that can be punctured
twenty-five times and not necessitate
stopping for repairs. The automobile
world will soon hear more about this
invention.
The writer is an own cousin of the in
ventor and dined with him at his home,
494 Clinton avenue, West Hoboken, N.
j., week ago. At the table were four
generations Of his family, and it was
only discovered by myself, and attention
was called to it. They had not thought
Of it, although it had happened number
of times before. Mr.. Brown is wild
over and lives with his daughter, and her
daughters son was present, represent
ing the fourth generation.
John Hamilton Brown is classed with
the great inventors of the world, and is
known all over the world. Every nation
that uses heavy ordnance knows him
!