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This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1903 Excerpt: ...be through a patent awarded to a woman, Mrs. Sybilla Masters of Philadelphia, and that this woman was the first American ever awarded a patent in England for anything; and that the first patent issued by the United States was to a woman, and for an invention for strawplaiting. A Connecticut girl, Sophia Woodhouse, took out a patent for a new straw material for bonnets, a new way of preparing the upper stalks of spear-grass and redtop grass. This girl took a prize in America for a hat she plaited in a single piece, like a Leghorn hat; and a prize of twenty guineas for a straw hat, from the London Society of Arts. The wife of the President, Mrs. Adams, wore one of Miss Woodhouse's bonnets, and it was much admired by the President, who, I believe, admired everything that rested on Mrs. Adams's head. A young girl named Betsey Metcalf, of Providence, Rhode Island, started the manufacture of straw head-gear in this country. She wrote late in life an account of her venture, which I give in part: -- In compliance with your request I will write an account of my learning to braid straw. At the age of twelve I commenced braiding. My father, Joel Metcalf, brought home some oat straw which he had just mowed in June, 1798. I cut the straw and smoothed it with my scissors and split it with my thumb-nail. I had seen an imported bonnet but never saw a piece of braid, and could not tell the number of straws. I commenced the common braid with six straws and smoothed it with a junk bottle, and made part of a bonnet, but found it did not look like the imported ones. I added another straw and then it was right. An aunt who resided in the family encouraged me, while most of my friends said I should never learn. She would sit and hold the braid while I braided man...

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