346 JOHN A. BOSHARD 



apply themselves to the work of manufacture and to the 

 development of facilities for marketing their products. Men 

 who early appreciated the importance of the sewing machine 

 as a factor in the commercial advancement of the world 

 applied themselves with great zeal to the promotion of the 

 industry. Factories were established in Bridgeport, Boston, 

 New York, and other cities for the exclusive manufacture 

 of sewing machines. Bridgeport has always held a conspic- 

 uous place in the industry, and the history of the develop- 

 ment and manufacture of the sewing machine will always 

 be closely associated with that city. The importance of 

 New York city as a commercial center was early appreciated 

 by sewing machine manufacturers, and it was made the prin- 

 cipal sales depot for that industry by establishments located 

 throughout New England. One of the leading concerns then 

 in existence for the manufacture of sewing machines carried 

 on its operations in New York city. 



In 1855 litigation arose, involving three of the prin- 

 cipal sewing machine companies then in existence. It was 

 claimed by each of the parties concerned that the others 

 were infringing upon certain of their patent rights. Numer- 

 ous suits were instituted on these patents, and when the 

 contesting parties finally came together in 1856 for trying 

 some of the cases in court, an amicable settlement was agreed 

 upon whereby the parties to the suits were to pool their 

 patents, thus permitting any one of them to use the patents 

 of all the others so far as might be necessary in the con- 

 struction of their sewing machines, and to protect the inter- 

 ests of all from infringements by outside parties. These 

 patents and privileges were not confined to the three original 

 parties to the combination, but were available to all manu- 

 facturers upon the payment of a fee, which was very small 

 compared with the exorbitant bounty collected by Howe. 

 No restrictions were placed upon manufacturers in regard 

 to the price at which their products were to be sold, and the 

 markets were open to fair competition by all on the merits 

 of the several machines. The combination continued in 

 existence, with Mr. Howe as a member, until the expiration of 

 the extended term of his patent in 1867, and was then con- 



