238 



EICKSON ON THE SALE OF HIS PATENTS. 



consideration for the same, the company has stipulated to 

 give them 500 paid-up shares, representing a value of 

 250,000 francs, or £10,000, to be delivered after the machi- 

 nery has been erected, the process tried, and proved to 

 be capable of yielding 10 per cent, on the cost of the material 

 used. This is the contract, and is confirmed by the published 

 statutes of the company, as approved by the government (see 

 printed book in Dickson's possession). The machinery 

 (Dickson's patent) was supplied by Curti, Picciotto, and Co. ; 

 and the establishment has been erected at the expense of 

 about £10,000, and is now at full work on a large scale, after 

 having proved the process to be highly successful, and pro- 

 mising much greater profit than 10 per cent, on the cost of 

 materials. The samples of hemp, produced at a cost of £22 

 per ton, have been valued by London Flax brokers at £45 

 per ton. 



The only stipulation is that 100 shares shall always be 

 held by Mr. Curti, as (what is termed) the grant of the 

 company ; the other 400 shares being at the disposal of Curti, 

 Picciotto, and Co. 



The large (to some incredible) amount obtained for the 

 patents, and a supply of machines by the agents that bought 

 them from me, induced me to send to the Banner of Ulster 

 letters from Genoa 3 Turin 3 and Brussels, before I asked him 

 to notice the facts in his journal. He noticed the importance 

 of my invention being appreciated first in a country so far 

 behind England in enterprise as regards machinery. 



I stopped to supply Curti, Picciotto, and Co., who were 

 London merchants, with machinery, and five Italian mer- 

 chants met me in Paris, and pressed me to take up the matter 

 out of Curti, Picciotto, and Co.'s hands, to finish the supply 

 of the machinery. The immediate failure of Curti, Picciotto, 

 and Co., which caused £1,670 worth of acceptances to come 

 back on me ended my supplying Italy with my machinery. 



