7 



ruling was long kept dormant and useless for the want of some 

 plan for remedying the distortion. Mr. Saxton brought his im- 

 provement into successful action in 1829, and made no secret of 

 it. The method you employ is essentially the same. Does it 

 date as early ? 



In conclusion we freely declare, that the art of machine-engrav- 



ing is under great obligation to you for bringing it before the pub- 



lic, both in Europe and America, and for applying it, with great 

 skill and taste, to many important purposes. In any history of 

 the invention, however brief, your name must necessarily have a 

 place. It is introduced in our description ; and although more 

 might have been said of your agency, it would have imposed on 

 us a necessity of dwelling upon the merits of many others, such 

 as Terrel, Bate, Collas and Nolte, who have done much to bring 

 this brilliant discovery into public notice and favor, which would 

 have led us into a narrative diffuse and out of place. H 



Sensible of the polite and respectful manner of your letter, we 

 have endeavored to reply in the same spirit, and now subscribe 



ourselves, Your faithful servants, 



Jacob R. Eckfeldt, 



Wm. E. Du Bois. 



A. Spencer , Esq. 





Gentlemen — I duly received your answer under date of the 

 26th July. I have been necessarily delayed in my reply. 



I regret that I am compelled once more to call your attention 

 to the subject of my former communication, which, however, I 

 do with the less reluctance, as I am fully persuaded of the sin- 

 cere desire which you express to do exact justice and correct any 

 error into which you may have fallen. 



What I complain of as unjust to myself is this, that in your 

 work it is stated that you were indebted to Mr. Gobrecht for the 

 art of medal ruling, and that the first specimen was executed by 

 him, with a machine of his own invention, whereas, in fact, the 

 specimen was by the machine which I invented and made for 

 him, and by means of an appendage to it, suggested and fur- 

 nished by myself. 



I never pretended that my invention of this ruling machine, or 

 the plan or principle on which it works, has more to do with rui- 



