Willmar tribune., 1909-07-14
THE BOY INVENTOR,

lit bUl Inv t n I.UR,
BY LOUISE 8. CUMMINGS.
Copyright. laOe. by American Press Asso-
ciation.l
Once upon time there was boy
not a story boy. real boy-who was
Of an inventive turn Of mind. We
shall call him Dick. That was not his
name, but it doesn't matter, so far as
the story is concerned. Dick was
farmers boy, and there wasn't at that
time anything in farming to stimulate
invention. Now there are steam
plows and moving machines Of inf
mite variety to start boy on the road
of contrivance. But then the plowing
and the reaping were done in the old
fashioned way.
Dick was born an inventor and II he
had lived on desert island would
doubtless have invented things. The
only implement he had to work with
was jackknife, but this he put to
very good use There are lots of peo-
pie In the world who have every nd
vantage and accomplish nothing.
There are few who have none and
accomplish great deal. Dick was
one of the latter kind. With his jack
knife he whitfield out a model of a
machine he had contrived, and when
he had put it together, his face light
ing up with the enthusiasm of genius.
he took it to his father.
It has been often said Of bow in
derision that he knows more than his
father. This could be truly said of
Dick. The poor fellow was crushed at
seeing his parent give his model a kick
that reduced it to fragments, saying:
"1ll have no boy about me who will
spend his time at such foolish things"
In order to keep his son from STOOL
ish things" and enable him to earn an
honest living he apprenticed his son to
Tom Hogan, a blacksmith. Dick took
with him the remains Of the model his
father had broken up and after his
days work was done spent his time
putting it together, replacing those
parts that were beyond repair with
new ones. When he had it finished
he began to think what he should do
with it. He had seen it kicked to
pieces once and didn't fancy running
the risk of having it destroyed again.
However. Hogan was kind master,
and Dick finally concluded to let him
have a look at 1t. He not only let him
see it, but showed him how it worked.
The little fellow demonstrated his
machine. absorbed in its clumsy mo-
tions. for it was but an imperfect af.
fair, occasionally looking up timidly,
remembering the last kicking it got
and fearing another, now calling at
tention to some defect that needed
improvement, now to one that, after
much thought and experiment, had
been overcome. at all times showing
that zeal necessary to the breaking
down of obstacles which stand in the
way Of the accomplishment of great
results.
The blacksmith looked down on his
apprentice and his contrivance, a sim
gular expression on his face as he
compared what he could do with his
sledge with the results to be achieved
by the boys ingenious invention, now
and again turning from the machine
to Dick. his eye resting on the young
face with q curious wonder.
The next chapter in this simple story
is the boy experimenting the construc-
tion Of machine on the lines of his
model, the cost Of which was provided
by his master. the blacksmith, who
had now become his friend and patron.
When it was finished It was found to
work. practically doing automatically
what from the time the earliest gar
ments were made by man had been
done by hand. The first power loom
had been invented and constructed.
Wealth was now within the grasp OF
the two, who became partners. The
blacksmith furnished the means for
building looms, for which Dick gave
him portion Of the profits. But this
was a mere trifle in comparison with
the benefits conferred upon mankind
Thousands who before had been un
clad or were covered only with the
coarsest or scantiest clothing were
now able to procure ample and com
| Portable apparel.
1t was a year after Dicks appren
ticeship that his master wrote his ap
prentice's father that he would brine
to See him a wealthy gentleman who
was the inventor Of the celebrated
power loom. On the day appointed
Tom Hogan and Dick appeared befor,
the old gentleman, who asked where
was the great inventor.
'"There he u.s." said the blacksmith
"your own son. The model he showed
you you kicked to pieces. He recon
structed 1t and showed it to me. In
stead Of bringing him up US contract
ed, to earn a miserable living with hi.
hands, have put him in a way t.
make fortune by his brain. You de
stroyed his model. but you could no
blot out the work Of his genius"
We have pictured Dick looking up a
the blacksmith as he showed his re
constructed machine, the blacksmith
looking down on the young inventor
There was third picture, the fathe
looking on his son, whose model of /.
machine that had revolutionized th,
weaving of the world he had kicked t,
pieces. Modification gave place t