Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1911-10-06
Made the Revolver a Success

Colt put aside all idea OF making his
fortune out of the invention. wooden
model of which he had made while
crossing the ocean as youth aboard
cattle vessel, and turned his attention
to other means Of earning liyelE
hood.
"A few years later came the war
with Mexico, and in the second year
of the war Colt was surprised to re-
ceiye communication from Gen. Zach
airy Taylor. in which Old Rough and
Ready stated that he had heard that
the revolver had been used in the
Seminole war and that II had done
more to brighten the Indians than any
other weapon employed by the whites:
the Indians could not understand how
a pistol could be fred six times with
out reloading; they thought there was
magic In II. So General Taylor had
come to the conclusion, he went on to
say in his letter. that the revolver
might prove Of good service IN the war
then being fought with Mexico. and he
would like to have thousand Of them
as soon as possible. and was willing to
pay any price within reason that Mr..
Colt might ask for them.
Let me state again that when Mr..
Colt received this letter he had long
since dropped all thought Of making
the revolver commercially a success.
But with General Taylor's communlcs-
ton before him he was shrswd enough
to realize that. II Old Rough and
Ready could use with good effect the
revolver In the Mexican war. THAI
would be sure to make widespread
demand for the weapon. So Colonek
Colt set about to I'LL the order,
but when be began to seek Tor a
revolver from which to prepare a mod.
Ell he was actually unable to find,
one anywhere in the whole United
States. He even didn't have one HIM
self. so completely had be put the re
yolver Idea from him.
There was only one Of twu things
he could do Either he must decline
Taylor's offer to buy a thousand re-
volvers. or he must put himself to
work on new model. He decided to
make new model; and II was a most
fortunate thing. Colonel Colt told me.
that he was compelled to do this for
In making this model various i'm
provements occurred to him and when
the model was completed he saw AZ
once that he had the perfected
weapon.
AS speedily as possible after the
completion Of the model Colonel Coli
made at little factory in New Eng.
lane the revolvers that Old Rough
and Ready wanted. and It is my recol.
lection that the inventor received $50.
900 tor them. Sure that the use Of the
revolver BY General Taylor would
bring the revolver into permanent pop.
ularisy and use. with this capital Colo
mel Colt began over again the man
ufactCre Of his first invention. and
within ten years thereafter be was the
richest man In Connecticut and one
Of the richest in New England. A
great future was before him when. IN
1862. he died In his prime. l remem-
Der that 4 short time before his death
be confided to me that he had in mind
an improved niusket or rife which. he
thought. could be so manufactured as
to fire five or six shots without re-
loading. I am certain that. had he
lived, such a rife he would have per.
fected. and so have become known as
the inventor Of the modern repeating
rife as well as the inventor OF the 70
volver."
Copyright. 1911. BY e J. Edwards. An
Rights Reserved.l