brother.... Mr. Kendall has been ill almost all the time that I have been
here, which has caused me much delay and consumption of time."

It was not until the latter part of June that the extension of his
patents was granted, and his good friend, alluded to in the preceding
letter, Mr. George Wood, tells, in a letter of June 21st, something of
the narrow escape it had:--

"Your Patent Extension is another instance of God's wonder working
Providence towards you as expressed in the history of this great
discovery. Of that history, of all the various shapes and incidents you
may never know, not having been on the spot to watch all its moments of
peril, and the way in which, like many a good Christian, it was 'scarcely
saved.'

"In this you must see God's hand in giving you a man of remarkable skill,
energy, talent, and power as your agent. I refer to P.H. Watson, to whom
mainly and mostly, I think, this extension is due. God works by means,
and, though he designed to do this for you, he selected the proper person
and gave him the skill, perseverance and power to accomplish this result.
I hope now you have got it you will make it do for you all it can
accomplish pecuniarily. But as for the money, I don't think so much as I
do the effect of this upon your reputation. This is the apex of the
pyramid."

And Mr. Watson, in a letter of June 20, says: "We had many difficulties
to contend with, even to-day, for at one time the Commissioner intended
to withhold his decision for reasons which I shall explain at length when
we meet. It seemed to give the Commissioner much pleasure to think that,
in extending the patent, he was doing an act of justice to you as a great