The Worcester of eighteen hundred and ninety-eightFifty years a city . aven to learn the ^ cabinet-makers trade, in which HENRY D. SWIFT. he became proficient, and worked for several years in its different branches, particularly at Wheeler Swift was born June 12, 1840. In 1861 the brothers producedtheir first invention — a clothes-wringer — for which they obtained a pat-ent, and engaged in its manufacture at South Dedham, now Norwood,but sold the patent soon after, and the wringers are still jirofitably manu-factured by other parties. In the spring of 1864 Henry D. came toWorce
The Worcester of eighteen hundred and ninety-eightFifty years a city . aven to learn the ^ cabinet-makers trade, in which HENRY D. SWIFT. he became proficient, and worked for several years in its different branches, particularly at Wheeler Swift was born June 12, 1840. In 1861 the brothers producedtheir first invention — a clothes-wringer — for which they obtained a pat-ent, and engaged in its manufacture at South Dedham, now Norwood,but sold the patent soon after, and the wringers are still jirofitably manu-factured by other parties. In the spring of 1864 Henry D. came toWorcester and was employed in wood-turning at the shop of John :\ on Cypress street, and while here made the acquaintance ofJames G. Arnold, who had invented an envelope-machine, which hesoon after sold to G. Henry Whitcomb & Company. Messrs. Arnoldand Whitcomb were desir(jus that ]\Ir. Swift, of whose mechanical abilitythey had become aware, should operate the machine in the manufactureof envelopes, which was about to be started by Mr. Whitcomb; but the. 482 THE Worcester of 1898. young mechanic, who had a family to support, naturally hesitated at whatthen seemed an uncertain venture, but finally sent for his brother, Swift, who was unmarried, to come to Worcester and undertakethe task, which he did in the fall of 1864. Mr. Arnolds machine was theoretically a great invention, intended toperform nearly all the operations which have since been accomplished byenvelope machinery, but practically it proved a failure and had to be dis-carded. In the meantime Mr. Whitcomb moved from School street toMain street, near the corner of Walnut, and in the spring of 1865 purchaseda machine patented by George H. Reay, which with several others of thesame pattern bought later, the younger Swift operated successfully several years, until the demands of thebusiness necessitated more rapidand cheaper production. HenryD. Swift during this period alsobecame an employee of the Whit
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