dispensed with. The Government was at the cost of
trying the experiment and has since heaped wealth on the inventor. My
fourteen years were required in perfecting my invention without any
return for time and labor. (The finishing touch to his cutting apparatus
is, no doubt here referred to, and shown in his patent of 1847.)

[Sidenote: Mr. Hussey's Protest]

"Public opinion on the subject of valuable inventions is liberal until
an obscure individual appears in the community claiming the reward for a
valuable invention; the disposition then seems to be to let him shrink
into a corner. The world has got the advantage of his labors and has no
further use for him; every unreasonable man in the community will at
once claim an equal right with the inventor of the device and one not
content to urge their claims by misrepresentation but must heap abuses
on the poor inventor who they have in a great measure pushed out of
their way. The idea that a wise Government, of an enlightened country,
can not only look on and suffer such injustice but will actually
encourage it by disregarding the prayers of the poor inventor is a
mystery to those who build their hopes on the dogma that '_Truth is
mighty and will prevail_.' I hope the Committee will not pass lightly
over my case but duly consider, as I believe they will, to whom the
advantages of this invention belongs, whether to me or to the parties in
New York. My chief aim in addressing this to you is to endeavor to draw
a parallel between myself and the parties in New York, and thereby
secure your good opinion in my favor."

[Sidenote: Farmers Using Hussey Reaper]

Edward Stabler, on January 11, 1854, wrote to Hon. Henry May as follows:

"As requested I have examined the petitions of the 450 farmers who
advocate the extension of Hussey's patent and from a personal
acquaintance or by character with much larger portion in Delaware,
Maryland, Virginia, and North Carolina, and on reliable information of
those from New York--234 in number--I am satisfied that they are
wheat-growers to an amount of not less than from four to 500,000 bushels
annually. * * * They used Hussey's reaper, and some of them three and
four, or more of these great labor-saving implements."

Mr. Edward Stabler writes to Henry May, under date March 19, 1854:

"The most that I fear is that Hussey's interests (which all appear
willing to admit is a meritorious case) may suffer in the contests that
I am satisfied