INGENUITY AND LUXURY 



the "water- frame." Later on its modified form was 

 given its present name, " throstle. " 



Thus far Arkwright had escaped the lawless mobs 

 of English workmen ; but as his business ventures pros- 

 pered he invaded the enemy's country, and built a 

 mill at Birkacre in Lancashire, the home of machine- 

 breaking mobs. He was soon treated to the same ex- 

 periences as the earlier inventors, Kay and Hargreaves 

 -his mill and machines were destroyed by a mob. 

 What made the act the more disgraceful was the fact 

 that a large body of police and military witnessed this 

 wanton destruction of valuable property, and tacitly 

 showed their approval by not attempting to check it. 

 Unlike the two other unfortunate inventors, however, 

 Ark wright's financial position was such that the loss 

 of one mill had little effect upon his prosperity. 



THE TRIBULATIONS OF AN INVENTOR 



But meanwhile a formidable enemy was preparing 

 to attack him. This was a body of men composed of 

 the great cotton-manufacturers, who formed a "com- 

 bine" for the purpose of wresting from him the rights 

 to the patents of his spinning-frames. These manu- 

 facturers were not content to sit calmly by and see 

 Arkwright prosper by producing better products for 

 less money than they themselves could unless they 

 paid him a royalty for the use of his machines. 



Twelve years after taking out his first patent, there- 

 fore, Arkwright was called into court to defend his 

 rights. The case was tried in the Court of King's 



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