The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1910-11-26
Shining Hard
HENRY W. puTNAms WEALTH
Lawyer Failed TO Find Out How
Much He was Worth

=
Much He was Worth
The following rather weird story
appeared in the Berkeley, (Calif) In
dependent on Tuesday, November 10:
San Diego, Nov. 15.-The lawyer
for the defense in a suit involving
the validity of hundreds of thousands
Of irrigation district bonds faced an
old man in the witness chair.
Mr. Putnam. how much do you
consider yourself WORTH"
Really, do not know"
WELL said the lawyer with some
sarcasm, Il suppose you could tell
within million, couldn't you?"
The witness thought moment and
shook his head.
We'll, then" the lawyer retorted,
impatiently, Il guess you could tell
within ten million, couldn't you?'
The witness hesitated, looking at
the ceiling and apparently making
some rapid mental calculations. Then
he answered.
NO, | don't believe | could"
The Judge, the lawyer and the spec
tators looked the old man over with
establishment. He had lived In
Southern California for some years
and was known to hA well fixed" but
no one suspected the presence of a
new multi-millionaire "in our midst"
Inquiry developed the fact that
Henry w. Putnam, formerly Of Ben
nington, VT, and New York City, and
for the last Is years resident OF
San Diego is worth at a conservative
estimate s5O,O00,0OO.
1t is doubtful If his name has ever
appeared in list of the very rich
men of America, yet
Ever use a safety pin?
That's Putnam's.
Ever snap a bottle stopper?
That's Putnams.
Ever tear the seat of your trousers
on a barbed wire fence?
Thank Putnam for that.
Ever-well, there are more than
hundred products of Mr.. Putnam's
active brain that have gone into COM
mon use all over the world.
A recent writer supplied the "re-
cipe for making Yourself a multl-mil-
lionaire:' Think OF something that
will save millions Of people millions
of dollars worth of work every year
then arrange with these millions Of
people to give you a part OF what you
have saved for them"
That's what Putnam did.
He came to California with the Ar
gonauts in 1S49 but did not go to the
mines. He simply invented a better
way to find gold.
Water was scarce In San Francis
co. He managed to get control OF
two good springs and proceeded to
make soda water. He hoped to ac.
oumulate $4,000 then 20 east and
put his genius at work on bigger
things
He made the thirty thousand and
then some" AS he went down the
street one day he picked up a piece
Of wire and began to bend II into
curious shape. Before he got
through with this wire the world had
new and very useful bottle stopper.
and Mr.. Putnam had the nucleus OF
his millions. The same idea was an.
piled to fruit Jars and a lot OF other
things.
One of his friends says. Where
ever you see a bent wire YOU can be
pretty sure Putnam was there"
Putnam did not make the first
barbed wire. Somebody else thought
Of 1t but II was made in a limited
way, by hand. Putnam was dining
IN New York one day with Charles
Washburn. the great wire manufactur
ar OF Worcester, Mass. who sug.
yested TO him that there was a great
future for barbed wire all over the
word II somebody could devise a
means OF making II cheaply and
quickly.
Mr.. Putnam went 10 Remington
hat afternoon and long before he
reached the end OF his short journey
he machine for making barbed wire
lad been invented and completed
n his mind. Took me about an
iour and half" be saws:
Paid pretty well. too. didn't it?"
We'll, yes he answered. ut was
good patent. They paid me n roy.
llty OF a thousand dollars a day for
number Of years and then complain
ID that II was oppressive. SO I sold |
| TO them outright. as | was getting
ired, anyhow. Of travelling around |
he country fighting infrlngements." |
He didn't say what he got for the !
machine He probably didn't give |
t away. II is now among the assets |
II the wire trust.
Mr.. Putnam's family consists of an |
MY son, who Is prominent In the !
fashionable life OF the cast. The |
riends and nelghbors OF the Old mul. |
i-millionaire do not think he is go. /
100000 times happier than the man |
Who has only n dollar.