52 JETHRO WOOD; 



capital and influence against Benjamin Wood. 

 William H. Seward, then practicing- law, was 

 retained as Wood's counsel, and the plow- 

 makers engaged all the talent they could mus- 

 ter to oppose him. 



"Heretofore it had never been contradicted 

 that Jethro Wood was the originator of the 

 plow in use, but now his right to the invention 

 was denied, and it was alleged that his im- 

 provements had been forestalled by other 

 makers. Again and again the case was ad- 

 journed, and Europe and America were ran- 

 sacked for specimens of the different plows 

 which were declared to include his patent. 



"Mr. Wood also obtained from England 

 samples of the plows of James Small and 

 Robert Ransom. He searched New-Jersey to 

 find the Peacock plow which was said to have 

 a cast-iron mould-board of exactly similar 

 shape to his father's. Everywhere in that 

 State he found ' Wood's plow ' in use, but he 



