tent until several months
afterward. To prevent being anticipated, he took, however, the
precaution to make oath to the invention before the notary public of the
city of New Haven, which he did October 28th of the same year.

Mr. Jefferson, who had much curiosity in regard to mechanical
inventions, took a peculiar interest in this machine, and addressed to
the inventor an obliging letter, desiring further particulars respecting
it, and expressing a wish to procure one for his own use. Mr. Whitney
accordingly sketched the history of the invention, and of the
construction and performances of the machine. "It is about a year," says
he, "since I first turned my attention to constructing this machine, at
which time I was in the State of Georgia. Within about ten days after my
first conception of the plan I made a small though imperfect model.
Experiments with this encouraged me to make one on a larger scale; but
the extreme difficulty of procuring workmen and proper materials in
Georgia prevented my completing the larger one until some time in April
last. This, though much larger than my first attempt, is not above
one-third as large as the machines may be made with convenience. The
cylinder is only two feet two inches in length and six inches diameter.
It is turned _by hand_, and requires the strength of one man to keep it
in constant motion. It is the stated task of one negro to clean fifty
weight--I mean fifty pounds after it is separated from the seed--of the
green-seed cotton per day." In the same letter Mr. Jefferson assured Mr.
Whitney that a patent would be granted as soon as the model was lodged
in the Patent Office. In mentioning the favorable notice of Mr.
Jefferson to his friend Stebbins, he adds, with characteristic
moderation, "_I hope, by perseverance, I shall make something of it
yet._"

At the close of this year (1793) Mr. Whitney was to return to Georgia
with his cotton-gins, and Mr. Miller had made arrangements for
commencing business immediately after his arrival. The plan was to erect
machines in every part of the cotton district and engross the entire
business themselves. This was evidently an unfortunate scheme. It
rendered the business very extensive and complicated, and, as it did not
at once supply the demands of the cotton-growers, it multiplied the
inducements to make the machines in violation of the patent. Had the
proprietors confined their views to the manufacture of the machines and
to the s