The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-07-20
Topeka Printer Relates Tale of
Famous Inventors Life.
Gus EllinWOOd Worked as Ex-
perimenter for Akron Firm.
DRUNK HE WAS AT HIS BEST
He RaVed in His SIeep-Fore-
told Losing His Mind.
Edison Treated Disrespectfully /;
Married Genius's Daughter.

Six million matches an hour,
Heavens and eartht Cut EN- Output
the composition on 'em-put EN- in
the box-deHver EN- to the shipping
room Set down and let me see your
footprints in the sand Six million
matchesi Heavens and earth. no Won
der I n losing my mind.'
That's Just the way he was rzving
the first time I ever heard his voice -
said I'd Reeder, a Topeka printer.
speaking Of Gus EIlinwood. the
famous inventor, OF Akron. Ohio. 1T
was '--ay along in the night Ny wife
awoke me and we lay there and listen
ed TO him. for his room was right
next to ours and We knew he was dead
drunk L was our first day there
but we recognized the voice as that Of
Gus ElIinwooc. because the IandIady
had told Us about him and warned
Us not 70 be alarmed II We ever heard
him raving"
He Got Acquainted.
4 few days later Reeder says, he
had invented machine that would do
Just what he told OF in his rawlings
That was fifteen years ago.
I've heard since that he cut his
throat" said Reeder. He had al
WAYS been all right. but It seems as
machine idea out of his system Just
naturally upset his mind
Edison Visits Him
But anyway, Thomas Edison used
to come over to see Gus and we would
all get together and have long talks
Gus was employed as experirueuter
for the Buckeye mower and reaper
works and made big money. He had
a brain like Edisou's and the drunken
ne was the better il worked I have
seen him so drunk that he couldn't
get up the stairs by himself and yet
ne would sit down at his table and
work out some problem that seemed
Utterly impossible. Il would make
him sore 10 tell him he was drunk but
ne didn't mind me telling him that he
had been drinking It was good for
him. he said
We'll, Louis Miller was at the head
OF the Buckeye works and Edison took
a fancy 70 his daughter. whom he
married some time later And while
CoUFIlnE her he got acquainted with
Gus and they waved friendly at once
u was a shame how disrespectf1IIv
Gus used to talk to Edison sometimes
o1l EdISon would always take il good
raturedIy.
People Tried to aGyp' Him.
Gus invented some great things
IHlnh the patent on the match ma
came eve -ually went 10 the Diamond
AatcL, company, and I don't know
What was done with his other fnven-
tlons- altho there was aIvvavs a 71Tr,7-
OeF OF people trying to beat him ont
OF tneTH. He invented z belt stretch
ing machine and told d delegation that
called on 7iu1 from an eastern cor
Germ that he could buy all their heirs
at 50 muclI foot. run them thru his
machine. ter sell them back at 10
cents 4 foot less than he paid and still
be making money
He used t. give me problems n
Work out IN connection with his in
Venll@-s I'D when I couldn't do II he
WoulI laugh at ne and tell M how
easy it was And It was-f0r him
One time, while working OF his match
T1lac.--- r told me that he would
have to h ave two wheels Of the inc
sic q red 20 run with the same
speed. but the belt must run slower
at UHe en- than the other and still
must not slip How was It to be done
I told hin that he was foolish and
that til ing was impossible. Anv
one y -Lh common sense would have
known e bu nothing was inpossible
with { ~ II solved the problem by
using q r.tober belt
He Was : BotaniSt. Too.
But Gus was strong for booze.
Many a Sunday have taken him I'D
into the beautiful Cuyaga valley
north of Akron 10 hunt butterflies
which We would capture with a net
and preserve Z did this to keen him