The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1917-02-17
STORY OF THE MAN
WHO MADE KODAK
(B. c. Forbes in Leslie's)

The story of the birth and the Grad
ling of the Kodak never before told
1t is story containing all the ele-
ments of poverty and pluck, of plod-
ding and perseverance, of hope and
despair. Also these other fitting ele-
ments: widowed mother broken in
health, suddenly plunged into financial
misfortunes and of young. son deter
mined to overcome the necessity for
her keeping a boarding house. The
picture gives glimpse of the youth
working all day as a clerk and then
working and experimenting in the
little improvised workshop at night,
snatching an hours sleep now and
again while his chemicals were cook
ing, for several nights on end his bed
knew him not.
Then came sufficient success to
warrant giving up his clerical posi-
ton and providing Il modest home.
Fame, even, came to the young in
Ventor. His Photographic plates were
recognized as the best the world had
ever produced. He branched out as a
manufacturer. Then black, inexplicable
and unfathomable failure. His formu-
Ia, the sensation of the Photographic
world refused to work. Sleepless
investigation and experimentation
were of no avail.
How defeat did not daunt the young
man. how his resourcefulncss tri-
/ II nVy
OF George Eastman, the man who made
us all photographers, the man whose
ingenuity has made America the foun-
tainhead of Photographic supplies for
every nation on earth.
Now let us tell the story in detail.
Six years after he was born on July
II, 1854, at Waterville, N. Y, George
E.astman's family moved to Rochester,
\. u, where his father died within Il
year. The father was the originator
of the business college idea, and the
successful establishment he founded
was managed for a time after his death
by u brother. But it did not survive
its founder many years. George, the
only son--there were two sisters-was
taken from school when II years old
and set to work in an insurance office
at So a week. The mother was a semi
invalid. yet she was 4 woman Of UNI
usual ability and resource and played
well her part in supporting the little
family.
Il then conceived a terror of pow
erty.' Mr.. Eastman told me reminis-
| Gently. 1T haunted me by day and
by night. l was SO careful of my pen
mics that, although l clothed myself
and helped in a small way at home
managed to save $3.50 the first year
and put it in the bank
Young as he was. he realized that
hard work was the only road leading
from the slough of poverty to the hill
top of success. He was soon drawing
salary of 5000 year, the maximum
the insurance office could pay; but
his employer realizing young East
mans worth, recommended him for the
position OF bookkeeper in savings
bank which paid $1,000 year.
To a Rochester photographer East
man paid IS for instruction in photog-
raphy then conducted by the wet plate
process. This impressed him as an un-
satisfactory way of doing things. His
first achievement in the field of pho
Biography was the construction of a
handy, portable outfit. Then came
news from England of the discovery
Of the gelatine dry plate process. East
man Immediately became interested.
and with information picked up in
Photographic journals. he resumed his
experiments. after repeated failures