Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1912-01-01
INV / !! NEWS OF YESTERDAY
Artisan Who RevoIutionized for
~ World a Great Industry.
By E. j. EDWARDS.

BY E. j. EUwHHDo.
Charles Peterson was one OF the I'm.
hcralded obscure captains Of industry
who nevertheless have been of great
service in the building Of material
prosperity of the United States. His
name is still familiar one to some
Of those who are engaged in manufac-
turing the iron pipes now so largely
used for the carrying Of water from
reservoirs and gas from tanks
through the streets of our cities. In
one of the subsidiary companies of the
United States Steel Corporation Pet.
erson is still spoken of with respect,
although 1t is in the most vague man
ner that his name is associated with
the commodities produced by that sub.
sidlary- company. You see. it was
Peterson who revolutioniZed for the
world the method of making iron pipe,
thereby adding millions TO the general
-=aIih.
first met Charles Peterson about
50 years ago. He was then employ
ed as skilled artisan; in fact, all his
lifa he was so employed, and it was
"ll!e he was engaged in the manuiac-
lure of iron tubes-or-a pipes by hand
that ne had conceived the idea Of the
apparatus by means Of which today
iron pipe is nodded by machinery, Il
rarolutionary process.
"a -iY ,,>1a
J eierson said to me with a slight ac-
cent which betrayed his Swedish
ortn, of which he was very proud.
was employed to make hand mods
which were used in manufacturing iron
pipes. and one day the thought slid
mo my head that if all this could be
done by machinery it would be better
- more accurately done. and it would
DO possible to turn out four or five
mes as many pipes in d day as could
&c lone by hand work. So ! got to
thinking, and after Il little thinking
arOut it the idea for the apparatus
came ~ me. and made the model. II
'N.4Red perfectly, and they tell me ii
mas passed into general use
What did you get out OF it,
n@ked.
Re smiled only qualification, moth
iaG Else. ! made the machine, and it
worked That was enough; somebody
Else got The money.
aut, said he. THE idea of another
E.rd II machine has come TO me. ami
If H. We're not for one thing | would
make a machine which would drive .
balloon Or large kite in any dircc-
l,r, even against the wind. ! have
long thought that il birds can A..
even heavy birds like eagles or wild
geese. there is no reason Why ma
gnins which initiated their motions
could not be adapted 10 Il kite or a
balloon or even fitted with wings, like
.srse sails.
II worked out the machine all right.
but there was just one thing that Vas
lacking. OF course. 7 could not use
be 100 heavy. ] invented an ammo.
MIA engine. but ! found that was too
expensive and was also unreliable. So
have put my machine aside. Some
day some one will discover some kind
OF fuel which can be used in ma
chine capable Of driving balloon Or
kite in any required direction, ever
against the wind. When that fuel i!'
obtained may show the world tha'
il is possible 10 Hy. Ii | can do that
the honor then attached 10 my name
will be worth 10 me great deal moro
than any money"
About eight years ago Charles Pc.
terson died. He lived long enough to
learn that The fuel-gasolene-which
he expected some one to discover had,
in fact, been discovered. But he was
old, somewhat infirm, and unable 10
take advantage Of this discovery. And
yet as he heard Of the initial achieve
nents of the Wright brothers and OF
the others in the field of aviation. he
felt sense OF self-congratulatton. for
he believed with all his soul that
could he have had sasolene SO years
ago, he would have been the first to
teach the world how flying could be
achieved.
tccuy r:sh!. 1911. by Z. J. Edwards. Al
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