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manly assertion that somebody else did make this invention； giving to that somebody a local habitation and a name。 We want to know the name； and the habitation； and the location of the man upon the face of this globe； who invented vulcanized rubber； if it be not he； who now sits before us。
〃Well there are birds which fly in the air； seldom lighting； but often hovering。 Now I think this is a question not to be hovered over； not to be brooded over； and not to be dealt with as an infinitesimal quantity of small things。 It is a case calling for a manly admission and a manly defense。 I ask again； if there is anybody else than Goodyear who made this invention； who is he？ Is the discovery so plain that it might have come about by accident？ It is likely to work important changes in the arts everywhere。 IT INTRODUCES QUITE A NEW MATERIAL INTO THE MANUFACTURE OF THE ARTS； THAT MATERIAL BEING NOTHING LESS THAN ELASTIC METAL。 It is hard like metal and as elastic as pure original gum elastic。 Why； that is as great and momentous a phenomenon occurring to men in the progress of their knowledge； as it would be for a man to show that iron and gold could remain iron and gold and yet become elastic like India Rubber。 It would be just such another result。 Now； this fact cannot be denied； it cannot be secreted； it cannot be kept out of sight； somebody has made this invention。 That is certain。 Who is he？ Mr。 Hancock has been referred to。 But he expressly acknowledges Goodyear to be the first inventor。 I say that there is not in the world a human being that can stand up and say that it is his invention； except the man who is sitting at that table。〃
The court found for the plaintiff； and this decision established for all time the claim of the American； Charles Goodyear； to be the sole inventor of vulcanized rubber。
This trial may be said to be the dramatic climax in the story of rubber。 It celebrated the hour when the science of invention turned a raw productwhich had tantalized by its promise and wrought ruin by its treacheryinto a manufacture adaptable to a thousand uses； adding to man's ease and health and to the locomotion； construction； and communication of modern life。
When Columbus revisited Hayti on his second voyage； he observed some natives playing with a ball。 Now； ball games are the oldest sport known。 From the beginning of his history man； like the kitten and the puppy； has delighted to play with the round thing that rolls。 The men who came with Columbus to conquer the Indies had brought their Castilian wind…balls to play with in idle hours。 But at once they found that the balls of Hayti were incomparably superior toys； they bounced better。 These high bouncing balls were made； so they learned； from a milky fluid of the consistency of honey which the natives procured by tapping certain trees and then cured over the smoke of palm nuts。 A discovery which improved the delights of ball games was noteworthy。
The old Spanish historian； Herrera； gravely transcribed in his pages all that the governors of Hayti reported about the bouncing balls。 Some fifty years later another Spanish historian related that the natives of the Amazon valley made shoes of this gum； and that Spanish soldiers spread their cloaks with it to keep out the rain。 Many years later still； in 1736； a French astronomer； who was sent by his government to Peru to measure an arc of the meridian； brought home samples of the gum and reported that the natives make lights of it； 〃which burn without a wick and are very bright；〃 and 〃shoes of it which are waterproof； and when smoked they have the appearance of leather。 They also make pear…shaped bottles on the necks of which they fasten wooden tubes。 Pressure on the bottle sends the liquid squirting out of the tube； so they resemble syringes。〃 Their name for the fluid； he added； was 〃cachuchu〃caoutchouc； we now write it。 Evidently the samples filled no important need at the time； for we hear no more of the gum until thirty…four years afterward。 Then； so an English writer tells us； a use was found for the gumand a name。 A stationer accidentally discovered that it would erase pencil marks； And； as it came from the Indies and rubbed； of course it was 〃India rubber。〃
About the year 1820 American merchantmen； plying between Brazil and New England； sometimes carried rubber as ballast on the home voyage and dumped it on the wharves at Boston。 One of the shipmasters exhibited to his friends a pair of native shoes fancifully gilded。 Another； with more foresight； brought home five hundred pairs； ungilded； and offered them for sale。 They were thick； clumsily shaped； and heavy； but they sold。 There was a demand for more。 In a few years half a million pairs were being imported annually。 New England manufacturers bid against one another along the wharves for the gum which had been used as ballast and began to make rubber shoes。
European vessels had also carried rubber home； and experiments were being made with it in France and Britain。 A Frenchman manufactured suspenders by cutting a native bottle into fine threads and running them through a narrow cloth web。 And Macintosh； a chemist of Glasgow； inserted rubber treated with naphtha between thin pieces of cloth and evolved the garment that still bears his name。
At first the new business in rubber yielded profits。 The cost of the raw material was infinitesimal； and there was a demand for the finished articles。 In Roxbury； Massachusetts； a firm manufacturing patent leather treated raw rubber with turpentine and lampblack and spread it on cloth； in an effort to produce a waterproof leather。 The process appeared to be a complete success； and a large capital was employed to make handsome shoes and clothing out of the new product and in opening shops in the large cities for their sale。 Merchants throughout the country placed orders for these goods； which； as it happened； were made and shipped in winter。
But； when summer came； the huge profits of the manufacturers literally melted away； for the beautiful garments decomposed in the heat； and loads of them； melting and running together； were being returned to the factory。 And they filled Roxbury with such noisome odors that they had to be taken out at dead of night and buried deep in the earth。
And not only did these rubber garments melt in the heat。 It presently transpired that severe frost stiffened them to the rigidity of granite。 Daniel Webster had had some experience in this matter himself。 〃A friend in New York；〃 he said； 〃sent me a very fine cloak of India Rubber； and a hat of the same material。 I did not succeed very well with them。 I took the cloak one day and set it out in the cold。 It stood very well by itself。 I surmounted it with the hat； and many persons passing by supposed they saw； standing by the porch； the Farmer of Marshfield。〃
It was in the year 1834； shortly after the Roxbury manufacturers had come to realize that their process was worthless and that their great fortune was only a mirage； and just before these facts became generally known； that Charles Goodyear made his entrance on the scene。 He appeared first as a customer in the company's store in New York and bought a rubber life…preserver。 When he returned some weeks later with a plan for improving the tube； the manager confided to him the sad tragedy of rubber； pointing out that no improvement in the manufactured articles would meet the difficulty； but that fame and fortune awaited the inventor of a process that would keep rubber dry and firm and flexible in all weathers。
Goodyear felt that he had a call from God。 〃He who directs the operations of the mind；〃 he wrote at a later date； 〃can turn it to the development of the properties of Nature in his own way； and at the time when they are specially needed。 The creature imagines he is executing some plan of his own； while he is simply an instrument in the hands of his Maker for executing the divine purposes of beneficence to the race。〃 It was in the spirit of a crusader； consecrated to a particular service； that this man took up the problem of rubber。 The words quoted are a fitting preface for the story of the years that followed； which is a tale of endurance and persistent activity under sufferings and disappointments such as are scarcely paralleled even in the pages of invention； darkened as they often are by poverty and defeat。
Charles Goodyear was born at New Haven； December 29； 1800； the son of Amasa Goodyear and descendant of Stephen Goodyear who was associated with Theophilus Eaton； the first governor of the Puritan colony of New Haven。 It was natural that Charles should turn his mind to invention； as he did even when a boy； for his father； a pioneer in the manufacture of American hardware； was the inventor of a steel hayfork which replaced the heavy iron fork of prior days and lightened and expedited the labor of the fields。 When Charles was seven his father moved to Naugatuck and manufactured the first pearl buttons made in America； during the War of 1812 the Goodyear factory supplied metal buttons to the Government。 Charles； a studious； serious boy； was the close companion of his father。 His deeply religious nature manifested itself early； and he joined the Congregational Church when he was sixteen