The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-04-19

him and set his mind to studying ways ana
means for lessening her work The rsnu.,
was tho sewing machine. oride. Of oourpa
but fundamentally the machine the world
knows to-day.
Singer saw the machine Rowe devtssd
and set to work TO improve H. Whils
Howe dawdled and loafed and sold bali
Of his patent for $500 and the other hall
to clear q small debt he owed his father.
Singer and a host Of other men prepared
to sell the improved machines they evolved
out Of the general idea. Howe. managing
somehow to recover the half interest in
his invention which he had sold for $500
and getting back the half interest he had
turned over to his father. but not until hin
wife had died OF privation, II not starva.
ton. began to sue the other machine
makers a. infringers upon his patent
Tho litigation dragged on for years and
threatened to ruin all concerned Singer.
who had made Soma money. enough, a.
least. TO make him dream OF fortune. wa
on tho verge Of bankruptcy whom Edward
Clark. a young lawyer from Athens, \. Y.
who had made q fair reputation at the
bar In this city. agreed to bear all the
expense Of the litigation for a half interest
In Singers patents. The long chance
that Clark took proved winning one
Howe's invention was sustained but corn
promises were made that were beneficial
to Howe and Singer Howe died leaving
g. 100000. and Singer died leaving
SIS. 900. 900.
Singer also left one OF the worst mat.
rimonial messes In American history.
His life was VIGOROUSLY immoral Hb
will IL one Of the curiosities Of legal REQ
ord. BY one woman he had ten Height.
mate children. By another he had almost
as many. BY a third he had six or seven
So-called wives he had scattered from
New York to San Francisco lie ".
handsome. dashing. could spout Shake
speare by the yard and spent money like
q sailor on shore leave.
Even after he was ten times million
aire he frequently appeared on the stage
Of the old Bowery Theatre under an a.
sumsd name in the support Of one Of tbs
old time stars. He never could ga over
the notion that he was an actor and he
craved the applause Of the audience more
than he did the money.
His partner. Edward Clark. was q
staid and precise AZ Singer was wild and
unreliable. Clark had been tutored q
Athens by a queer old philosopher named
Bosworth who led the simple life. had
shack not much bigger than Diogeness
tub and addressed his pupils much after
| the fashion Socrates did his followers In
the Athens Of the ancients Bosworth
knitted socks, cobbled shoes and mended
shirts while he lectured to his classes,
all this TO set an example of industry 70
the budding youth.
From Bosworth = orations Clark wen, 70
college. from college to the law Office
OF Ambrose L. Jordan at Hudson. y Y.
and then with Jordan. whose daughte'
he married. he came to New York and they
established the law firm OF Jordan
Clark. which. through the Singer patents,
became one of the greatest and richest
in the metropolis.
Edward Clark left $50. 900 900 and real
estate in New York and Cooperstovn
worth many millions more. but greater
than the fortune itself. he left the singer
| company 20 strong that it has become ons
OF the greatest industrial concerns OF The
| world.
1t has Ahed fortunes upon hall scoo
OF men. among them Frederick q Bourne,
and now through the Gift of 3jnuuy w
/ Bourne. whose rise to afiiuence dates Tom
his entrance into the choir of old unity
makes return as romantic az the story
| OF the Clark or the Singer millions