to this effect as remarkable and
unlike any before known, since gum elastic always melted when
exposed to a high degree of heat. The occurrence did not at the
time appear to them to be worthy of notice. It was considered as
one of the frequent appeals that he was in the habit of making in
behalf of some new experiment. He, however, directly inferred that
if the process of charring could be stopped at the right point, it
might divest the gum of its native adhesiveness throughout, which
would make it better than the native gum.

"He made another trial of heating a similar fabric, before an open
fire. The same effect, that of charring the gum, followed, but
there were further and very satisfactory indications of ultimate
success in producing the desired result, as upon the edge of the
charred portions of the fabric there appeared a line, or border,
that was not charred, but perfectly cured.

"These facts have been stated precisely as they occurred in
reference to the acid gas, as well as the vulcanizing process.

"The incidents attending the discovery of both have a strong
resemblance, so much so they may be considered parallel cases. It
being now known that the results of the vulcanizing process are
produced by means and in a manner which would not have been
anticipated from any reasoning on the subject, and that they have
not yet been satisfactorily accounted for, it has been sometimes
asked, how the inventor came to make the discovery? The answer has
already been given. It may be added that he was many years seeking
to accomplish this object, and that he allowed nothing to escape
his notice that related to the subject. Like the falling of an
apple, it was suggestive of an important fact to one whose mind
was previously prepared to draw an inference from any occurrence
which might favor the object of his research. While the inventor
admits that these discoveries were not the results of scientific
chemical investigations, _he is not willing to admit that they
were the result of what is commonly termed accident_; he claims
them to be the result of the closest application and observation.

"The discoloring and charring of the specimens proved nothing and
discovered nothing of value, but quite the contrary, for in the
first instance, as stated in the acid gas improvement, the
specimen acted upon was thrown away as worthless and left for some
tim