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detail. A firm of publishers, recognizing
its merits, bought it, and with the money
thus obtained, added to the proceeds of
the sale of his laundry business, Mr. Des
Jardins applied himself with renewed
vigor and hopefulness to the perfection
of his inventions. Soon, however, he was
again without means, and again had to set
the material before the theoretical; he secured
an appointment on the Kalamazoo
"Gazette" and for a while was content to
devote only his spare moments to his me-
chanical devices, but soon his financial
status had so far advanced that he was
again able to take up his studies at Kalamazoo
College. In the summer of 1883
he traveled through Ohio, Indiana and
Kentucky, using his vacation period in
strenuous labor, as a means whereby he
might become better conditioned for subsequent
studies, and in a position to more
freely take up his hobby. But the knowledge
of his ingenious contrivances had
preceded him, and in Louisville, Kentucky,
Mr. Des Jardins was approached by
three capitalists—Dr. W. L. Breyfogle,
later president of the Monon Route Rail-
road ; R. W. Meredith, of the "Courier-
Journal" of Louisville; and Mr. E. A. Ma-
giness, secretary of the Louisville Exposi-
tion, which was in progress at that time.
In its outcome, however, the introduction
was disappointing to the inventor, as the
three gentlemen, though much interested
in Mr. Des Jardins' inventions, eventu-
ally decided not to undertake their exploitation,
so that young Des Jardins had
perforce to continue his business trip
through the middle west, and to finally
return to Kalamazoo, there to again resume
his newspaper work. But encouraged
by the near-success at Louisville, he
from that time on was wedded to his art,
and so as to gain access to future possi-
bilities, Mr. Des Jardins removed to Chicago,
in the fall of the year 1884, and
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366
opened an office for drafting and designing
machinery. He did well, and was
now in the sphere to which his talents
best fitted him. Ere long he became sec-
retary of the Inventors' Association of
the State of Illinois, in which capacity he
developed the acquaintance of many of
the leading engineers and mechanical ex-
perts of that important centre, and by his
able counsel grew thoroughly into the
esteem of his co-workers, meriting their
implicit confidence in his ability as an in-
ventor, and thereby attracting to his sup-
port the financial interest of which he
stood so greatly in need. This support,
emanating from the late Senator Frank
B. Stockbridge, enabled Des Jardins to
construct an experimental machine at the
Chicago Model Works, and to open a
model shop. Subsequently, however, this
shop was abandoned by Mr. Des Jardins,
as more profitable connections were then
at his hand ; he became associated with
the business department of the Chicago
"Inter-Ocean," which appointment allowed
him more leisure time to devote to
his inventions. Later, he joined the busi-
ness staff of the Chicago "Mail," under
the management of Assistant Postmaster
General Frank Hatton, and during the
two years of his connection with that
paper he completed his model for a new
and improved machine. Severing his con-
nection with the Chicago "Mail," he traveled
fox a time for the "Farm, Field and
Fireside" magazine, of Chicago. All this
commercial labor was to a purpose, and
in 1887, having accrued a moderate sur-
plus of capital, he again set himself to as-
siduous labor on his inventions, and undertook
the construction of a machine
that was wholly automatic, controlled by
perforated copy which would set, justify,
and distribute not less than twenty thousand
ems per hour. He had the financial
backing of William H. Rand, of Rand,