118 GOODYEAR ON GUM -ELASTIC. 



pany and himself, in which he continued until about a year 

 after the discovery of the vulcanizing process, of which he after- 

 wards became one of the licensees, and proprietor of a shoe 

 establishment at Colchester, Conn.* 



Frequent visits to the factory at Woburn became necessary, 

 for the purpose of closing up and discontinuing the manufacturing 

 operations at that place. The appeals of his friends were now 

 presented with fair prospects in their favor, to persuade him to 

 change his plans, and discontinue his experiments with the 

 manufacture. 



At this time, as well as on many former occasions, if the im- 

 provement sought for had been one connected with machinery, 

 or one, the prosecution of which depended upon the art of any 

 human being, or upon any amount of capital beyond a few six- 

 pences at a time, necessity would have compelled him to yield ; 

 but so long as these could be obtained or hoped for, experiment 

 could be continued, and the discovery made, as it was, in the 

 most humble sphere. 



The inventor now applied himself alone, with unabated ardor 

 and diligence, to detect the cause of his misfortune, and, if pos- 

 sible, to retrieve the lost reputation of his invention ; and, as had 

 happened on former occasions, he had hardly time enough to 

 realize the extent of his embarrassment, before he became in- 

 tently engaged with another experiment, and his mind buoyant 

 with new hopes and expectations ; which, as it afterguards- 

 proved, were to be, for this time at least, more than realized. 



While on one of the visits above alluded to, at the fac- 

 tory at Woburn, and at the dwlttiin^ where 



whenever he visited the manufactory at^Woburn, the in- 

 ventor made some experiments to ascertain the effect ofrieat 

 upon the same compound that had decomposed in the mail-bags 

 and other articles. He was surprised to find that the speci- 

 men, being carelessly brought in contact with a hot stove, 

 charred like leather. He endeavored to call the attention 

 of his brother, as well as some other individuals who were 



* Under the firm of N. Hayward & Co. 



