216 Memoir of the LAfe of Eli Whitney. 



complete the business we have undertaken ; and if fortune should 

 by any future disaster, deny us the boon we ask, we will at least de- 

 serve it. It shall never be said that we have lost an object which a 

 little perseverance could have attained. I think, indeed, it will be 

 very extraordinary, if two young men in the prime of life, with some 

 share of ingenuity, with a little knowledge of the world, a great deal 

 of industry, and a considerable command of property, should not be 

 able to sustain such a stroke of misfortune as this, heavy as it is." 



After this disaster the company began to feel much straightened 

 for want of funds. Mr. Miller expresses a confidence that they 

 should be able to raise money in some way or other, though he 

 knows not how. He recommends to Mr. Whitney to proceed forth- 

 with to erect a new shop, and to recommence his business, and re- 

 quests him to tell the people of New Haven, who might be disposed 

 to render them any service, that they required nothing but a little 

 time to get their machinery in motion before they could make pay- 

 ment, and that the loan of money at twelve per cent, per annum would 

 be as great a favor as they could ask. But, he adds, "in doing this, 

 use great care to avoid giving an idea that we are in a desperate sit- 

 uation, to induce us to borrow money. To people who are deficient 

 in understanding, this precaution will be extremely necessary : men 

 of sense can easily distinguish between the prospect of large gains, 

 and the approaches to bankruptcy. Such is the disposition of man 

 (he observes on another occasion,) that while we keep afloat, there 

 will not be wanting those who will appear willing to assist us ; but 

 let us once be given over, and they will immediately desert us." 

 While struggling with these multiplied misfortunes, intelligence was 

 received from England, which threatened to give a final blow to all 

 their hopes. It was, that the English manufacturers condemned the 

 cotton cleaned by their machines, on the ground that the staple loas 

 greatly injured. 



On the receipt of this intelligence, Mr. Miller writes as follows. 

 " This stroke of misfortune is much heavier than that of the fire, 

 unless the impression is immediately removed. For, with that which 

 now governs the public mind on this subject, our patent would be 

 worth extremely little. Every one is afraid of the cotton. Not a 

 purchaser in Savannah will pay full price for it. Even the merchants 

 with whom I have made a contract for purchasing, begin to part with 

 their money reluctantly. The trespassers on our right only laugh at 

 our suits, and several of the most active men are now putting up the 



