n, the
parties agreed, under legal formalities, "that the profits and
advantages arising therefrom, as well as all privileges and emoluments
to be derived from patenting, making, vending, and working the same,
should be mutually and equally shared between them." This instrument
bears date May 27, 1793, and immediately afterward they began business,
under the firm of Miller & Whitney.

An invention so important to the agricultural interest, and, as has
proved, to every department of human industry, could not long remain a
secret. The knowledge of it soon spread through the State, and so great
was the excitement on the subject that multitudes of persons came from
all quarters of the State to see the machine; but it was not deemed safe
to gratify their curiosity until the patent-right had been secured. But
so determined were some of the populace to possess this treasure that
neither law nor justice could restrain them--they broke open the
building by night and carried off the machine. In this way the public
became possessed of the invention; and before Mr. Whitney could complete
his model and secure his patent, a number of machines were in successful
operation, constructed with some slight deviation from the original,
with the hope of evading the penalty for violating the patent-right.

As soon as the copartnership of Miller & Whitney was formed, Mr. Whitney
repaired to Connecticut, where, as far as possible, he was to perfect
the machine, obtain a patent, and manufacture and ship for Georgia such
a number of machines as would supply the demand.

Within three days after the conclusion of the copartnership, Mr. Whitney
having set out for the North, Mr. Miller commenced his long
correspondence relative to the cotton-gin. The first letter announces
that encroachments upon their rights had already commenced. "It will be
necessary," says Mr. Miller, "to have a considerable number of gins
made, to be in readiness to send out as soon as the patent is obtained,
in order to satisfy the absolute demand, and make people's heads easy on
the subject; _for I am informed of two other claimants for the honor of
the invention of cotton-gins, in addition to those we knew before_."

On June 20, 1793, Mr. Whitney presented his petition for a patent to Mr.
Jefferson, then Secretary of State; but the prevalence of the yellow
fever in Philadelphia--which was then the seat of government--prevented
his concluding the business relative to the pa