Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1914-01-08


latiCn its position is one of comparative safety
1t carries in cold storage enough food to support
it for weeks.
And yet Charles Teller died of starvation
France was responsible for Teller. but every ma
ton his debtor. He was born in Amiens.
More than 40 years ago, after being released from
debtors prison. he perfected system for the
preservation of meats, vegetables and fruits
Thfrty-seven years ago ship equipped with his
cold storage appliance at sea for than
100 days and brought its cargo of meat into port
as fresh as the day it put aboard.
Some inventors are careless. Many of them
lack business ability. Tellier's ideas were appre
priated by clever men who thought only of using
them to their advantage without feeling any
sense of obligation to the inventor Some of them
laughed scoffed at him when he protested that
they were robbing him of his rights.
Sensitive and proud he tried to hide his bitter
ness and sought solace in working other great
inventions for the good of mankind 1t takes
money to prosecute studies and experiments and
Teller had little of it. One day re-
preached the French government for its neglect
of Teller, who was in dire want. The government
acted promptly. 1t gave the ribbon of the Legion
of Honor to him. This fine thing to do for
an old man, nearly all of whose clothes and furni
ture in pawn.
The news of Telers death last month stirred
all France. The people may have neglected Tel
lier alive, but they honored him dead His funeral
was a national event. Great men delivered eulo-
gies of him. And France is to put up a
monument to him of its greatest sons. He
has monuments in the shape of industrial plants
and ships the world
About the time that Teller dying
Rudolf Diesel, one of the greatest inventors Ger
many has produced fell or cast himself from the
deck of a ship which he a passenger. He
was a brokenhearted bankrupt-a genius without
business sense. His engine is in in every
quarter of the globe. Next to Watt he is ranked
by some as the greatest figure in the development
of power. For all the good he did in the advance
ment of science and industry his reward was
small indeed Harassed by creditors, by his
gent needs, his life had been of misery for
years.
The tragedy of great inventors is not confined
to France Germany. The United States has
more cases perhaps than Europe. 1t is seldom
that genius is able to protect himself in world
ly way 1t is only after he is dead that the world
begins to appreciate his full worth Sometimes
even that is lacking.
Without the Rev. Hannibal Goodwin photogra-
ply would not have been developed to the extent
Is is today. Without him it is doubtful if there
would be motion pictures today, yet it is a ques-
ton whether any of the great producers of the
photo play who have made millions upon millions
OF dollars in the last ten years one person out
of ten thousand Of those who go to the
movies" know of Hannibal Goodwin and his
work.
The Rev. Mr.. Goodwin pastor of little
church in Newark His pay small, barely
enough TO support his family. He a great big
kindly man. Nature intended him for a scientist
Conditions made him clergyman, He looked
after his little flock, visited the sick and helped