Evening Republican, Volume 14, Number 61, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 12 March 1910 — UNRECOGNIZED INVENTORS. [ARTICLE]

UNRECOGNIZED INVENTORS.

M«i Who Have Never Reaped the Reward of Their Gratae. The friends of Dr. Theodore Ruggles Timby, who died recently aged 91, poor and generally neglected, are convinced that he invented the revolving gun turret first used on war vessels of the Monitor type, the New York Times says. Many persons In public life have admitted the priority of Timby’s invention to Ericsson’s. His model, suggested to him by the round fort called Castle William on Governor’s Island, was exhibited in New York as long ago as 1843. But it was John Ericsson's turreted boat, built by Winslow, Griswold £ Bushnell, which met the Merrlmac at Hampton roads. There is no proof whatever that Ericsson ever saw Timby's model. There used to be in New York until some time in the 'Bos of the last century a gentleman with an inventive mind, large public spirit and a host of friends, named Henry Stdart, and generally described as “the man with the wax nose.” Mr. Stuart invented, In his prolific and energetic mind, many things of great potentiality. He foresaw the growth of the city, the need of tunnels and suspension bridges and elevated railroads. His inventions came to naught. The tunnels, bridges and elevated,, roads were built on the plans of others when they were needed. Mr. Stuart is worth recalling because of the great admiration many distinguished men of his time had for his alert and inventive mind. The Monitor was built when it was needed. Franklin chained the lightning. Morse sent messages over wires by electricity, Fulton applied steam to navigation in the propitious moment. The world is full of unrecognized Inventors, poets and musicians. The personality that stamps Itself upon the world in a critical hour, the genius that can make itself felt, is rarer than the mere power of conception. Timby’s lot was a common lot. He lacked the personal force and sense of fitness required of the .man who wins contemporary fame and turns it into fortune. It is nonsense to say he lacked friends. He seems to have had a host of them in his prime. But nobody wanted a revolving gun turret when his model was made and he wa3 out of the running when a revolving turret was wanted.