Memoir of the Life of Eli Whitney. 221 



ney, who was dispatched on a collecting tour through the State of 

 Georgia, informed them, that such obstacles were thrown in his way 

 from one or the other of the foregoing causes, he was unable to col- 

 lect money enough from all these claims to bear his expenses, but 

 was compelled to draw for nearly the whole amount of these upon 

 his employers. 



The agent here referred to was Russel Goodrich, Esq. who had 

 engaged in the service of Miller h Whitney, as early as the year 

 1798. He was educated at Yale College, in the same class with 

 Mr. Miller, and was for many years an able and zealous agent in the 

 affairs, first of the company, and after the decease of Mr. Miller, of 

 Mr. Whitney. 



In a letter addressed to Mr. Whitney, dated Georgia, September 

 3d, 1801, Mr. Goodrich writes thus:. "I have spent a part of this 

 summer in South Carohna, upon the business of Miller h Whitney. 

 Many of the planters of that region, expressed an opinion that if an 

 application were made to their legislature by the citizens, to purchase 

 the right of the patentees for that State, there was no doubt that it 

 would be done to the satisfaction of all parties. Accordingly, they 

 had petitions circulated among the people, which appeared to be 

 generally approved of, and were very generally signed." Mr. Good- 

 rich further urges the importance of Mr. Whitney's coming on to 

 South Carolina, to attend at the approaching session of the legisla- 

 ture, in order to make the proposed contract. 



Accordingly, Mr. Whitney repaired to Columbia, taking the city of 

 Washington in his way, where he was furnished with very obliging let- 

 ters from President Jefferson, and Mr. Madison, then Secretary of 

 State, testimonials which no doubt were of great service to him in his 

 subsequent negociations. Soon after the opening of the session of 

 the legislature in the month of Dec. 1801, the business was regular- 

 ly brought before the legislature, and a joint committee of both 

 Houses appointed to treat with the patentees. To this committee 

 Messrs. Miller h Whitney submitted the following proposals — 



" To the Joint Committee of both Houses of the 



Legislature of South Carolina. 

 " Gentlemen, 



"The subscribers in estimating the value of their property in the 

 Patent Machine for cleaning cotton, commonly called the Saw Gin, 

 are influenced by the following considerations, viz. 



