68 ANNUAL OF SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERY. 



thoroughly indestructible. The perfection of his invention dates back 

 to about the year 1834. Mr. Hawkins at that time had been, for 

 nearly thirty years, seeking the hardest material in nature which was 

 capable of being soldered to gold in quantities so small as to allow of 

 a fine and smooth point, which might be cleansed with the readiness 

 of a quill. He had, during many years, manufactured specimens of 

 durable pens from various minerals and precious stones, but these all 

 proved deficient. Some were made of rubies set in gold sockets ; but 

 here the nibs were clumsy, could not be easily freed from ink, and 

 there was a sad want of elasticity in writing \vith them. Other con- 

 trivances equally failed, some in one way, some in another. All 

 these appeared to be difficulties which were not to be overcome. The 

 next essay was with diamond powder, coarse and fine, cemented in- 

 side the points of quill pens ; but the particles were dragged out, by 

 degrees, and a sensation of roughness caused thereby. The quill also 

 became warped, and the whole was thereby rendered useless. In 

 1833, after a multitude of such experiments, the inventor became 

 aware that Dr. Wollaston had sent to a ruby-pen manufacturer in 

 London sundry specimens of rhodium and the native alloy of iridium 

 and osmium, minerals found in combination with platinum, with the 

 request that a pen might be formed from each. Accordingly, a few 

 were made, but from the rhodium alone, the iridium being returned 

 to Dr. W. by the manufacturer, with the remark that it was too hard 

 to be wrought into figure. Here, then, was exactly the thing for Mr. 

 Hawkins. Justly considering that, if the hardness of the new mineral 

 were really so great as represented, it was eminently calculated to 

 meet the want which he had experienced, he was led to commence his 

 experiments anew. Entering upon the investigation with renewed 

 care and deliberation, he prosecuted it until he obtained that result 

 for which the writing portion of the civilized world are now so much 

 indebted to him. A great point was to be gained in determining the 

 relative degrees of hardness of the mineral he had employed, as 

 compared with the newly discovered one. To ascertain this, Mr. 

 Hawkins contrived a lathe capable of giving to the mandril 10,000 

 revolutions per minute ; upon which was placed a lap of two inches 

 diameter, running 5,000 feet per minute, or 833 feet every second. 

 Diamond dust being then placed upon this lap, the minerals were 

 severely tested. A bit of the iridium held against it was slightly 

 abraded in five minutes ; a ruby was cut away to the same extent in 

 about one third of the time. This experiment was decisive, and 

 abundantly satisfied Mr. Hawkins that the grand object of his en- 

 deavours had at last been reached. From this time, the manufacture 

 of ' durable ' pens went on rapidly with iridium alone. Of course 

 many difficulties were encountered ; but the inventor finally succeed- 

 ed, to his own entire satisfaction, in so soldering the iridium and gold 

 together, that he obtained a perfect pen, convenient and indestructible. 

 ' I was now satisfied,' says Mr. Hawkins, ' that with fair usage I had 

 a pen for my lifetime.' Thus begins the actual history of the gold pen 

 as such. The progress of the manufacture has since been constant 

 and rapid, both in England and America. We believe the first right 



